No. 402. Sir H. Taylor to Earl Grey. (Private.) Windsor, April 9, 1832. My dear Lord,-Sir Philip Sidney mentioned to me yesterday, that the general opinion among the AntiReformers is, that your Lordship will carry the second reading with a majority proportionate to the impression which may be made by the manner in which the general features of the question may be introduced, for which many have declared they will lay by. Among those he mentioned Lord de Ros, who had held this language to him, and who had named five or six of his friends, or told him there were that number so disposed. I did not like to put any question to Sir Philip Sidney, and he volunteered this communication; but I send it to you as it may be of use. His words were, the tone and the temper in which the business is opened;' but he afterwards added, if a disposition be shown to admit reasonable modifications.' Pray excuse haste, and believe, &c. H. TAYLOR. I make this communication, by desire of His Majesty, for your private information. No. 403. Earl Grey to the King. Downing Street, April 10, 1832. 1 A.M. Earl Grey has the honour of transmitting to your Majesty a list of the Peers present, and of the speakers in the debate. Earl Grey endeavoured, as much as possible, to avoid anything that could irritate, and to adopt as conciliatory a tone as possible consistently with the necessary support of his own opinion, in obedience to the suggestion which he had the honour of receiving this morning, by your Majesty's commands, from Sir Herbert Taylor. Lord Grey hopes he was not altogether unsuccessful in pursuing this line. Lord Ellenborough followed Earl Grey, and, taking advantage of all the topics which applied to the feelings and prejudices of the House, appeared to make a considerable impression, which was not sufficiently taken off by Lord Melbourne's answer. There was nothing remarkable in the rest of the debate. The Bishop of Durham made a speech with great hostility to the Bill, but civil to the Government; and Lord Haddington made a clear and able statement in explanation of his reasons for voting in favour of the Bill on this occasion. The debate will probably close to-morrow night. GREY. No. 404. Earl Grey to Sir H. Taylor. Downing Street, April 10, 1832. My dear Sir Herbert,-I was in hopes that I should see you this morning, having intended to pay my duty to the King; but I am so completely knocked up that I must devote the short interval till the House meets again, to nurse myself for the continuance of the debate. I shall be obliged to you, therefore, to make my excuses to His Majesty, and to add that I hope to be able to wait upon him to-morrow at any hour that it may be convenient to His Majesty to allow me that honour, as there appears every probability that the debate will terminate to-night. It has not hitherto been very satisfactory, though I studiously observed the line of conciliation. Lord Ellenborough did all he could to excite the feelings of the House against the Bill and its authors, and scarcely less hostility to both was marked even by those former opponents who are now to vote for the second reading. The division will be so close as to be within the reach of accidents, which always seem to turn out unfavourably for us. If I could go over the list with you I could give you, what I think, satisfactory reasons for all the omissions. I should be very glad to have Lord Palmerston's assistance in the House of Lords, but there is already rather too great a proportion of the Cabinet there; and if he were brought up, there would be no Secretary of State in the House of Commons. Howick is the representative of the Colonial Department in the House of Commons, and, if he were called up, Lord Goderich being in the House of Lords must resign his office. Lord H. de Walden, you will recollect, was secretary to Mr. Canning, who was in the House of Commons: but I will go through the list with you when I have an opportunity of seeing you. I have said that I will not recur to the question of creating new Peers who would make a permanent addition to the House of Lords; neither will I. But has the disadvantage of removing so many eldest sons from the House of Commons been considered, particularly those who represent the most popular counties? They form the natural and best link between the Lords and the people, and by their removal just at the moment of a reform might open the places they represent. In the West Riding, for instance, where Lord Morpeth's return would be secure, to some candidate whom one would not wish to see elected. I have, &c. No. 405. GREY. Earl Grey to the King. Downing Street, April 11, 1832. Earl Grey presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour of enclosing the lists of the number of Peers present, and the speakers in the debate. The debate on the second reading was preceded by an angry personal discussion, which arose on the presenting of a petition by Lord Wynford, of which the Marquis of Londonderry and the Earl of Falmouth took advantage to attack the conduct and consistency of the Duke of Richmond and the Marquis of Cleveland. The debate on the second reading was conducted with more moderation, but with some severe attacks from Lord Mansfield, the Duke of Wellington, and others, on the change of conduct in Lords Harrowby and Wharncliffe, and those who, like them, had voted against the second reading of the former Bill. These attacks were well answered, more especially by the Earl of Harrowby, in a speech of remarkable ability and effect. The Earl of Mansfield's was also a very able speech, as was also Lord Wharncliffe's. All which, &c. GREY. No. 406. Earl Grey to the King. Downing Street, April 12, 1832. Earl Grey has the honour of enclosing as usual, for your Majesty's information, the lists of the Peers present to-night in the House of Lords, and the speakers in the debate. The House adjourned again as your Majesty expected, and on account of your Majesty's dinner, till Friday next. As the list will furnish the names and order of the speakers, Earl Grey has only to remark, that the speeches most deserving notice were those of the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Exeter, and the Marquis of Lansdowne: the first, calm, clear, and in a tone, and spirit becoming his situation, assigning his reasons for supporting the Bill; the second certainly showing great ability, but still more remarkable for other qualities of which Earl Grey could not describe the character, within the bounds which he ought to observe in writing to your Majesty. He was well answered by Lord Lansdowne, who spoke with his |