A Political Diary, 1828-1830 Part 32

Mr. Sullivan called upon me after church, and told me his son remained in India. It is very extraordinary that he should be glad of this, as he must be without the hope of ever seeing him.

_April 26._

Cabinet at 3. The King has had another good night. He has, however, had another attack. His pulse is in a weak state. He seems oppressed by fat. He is become alarmed about himself, which much increases danger in such a complaint. Consequently all the _entourage_ is alarmed too.

The drawing-room and levee are to be postponed _sine die_. Trade and agriculture are both flourishing. The only embarra.s.sment arises out of the uncertainty as to the King's health.

Leopold is to have a loan of sixty millions, guaranteed in equal portions by the three Powers. The loan to have a sinking fund of 3 per cent, to be paid in equal portions in eight years. The guarantee is to Leopold and his descendants, being sovereigns of Greece.

Thus he has obtained almost all he asked, and what he most wanted, the money.

Peel seems to think the King's death by no means improbable. If it should take place, Parliament would adjourn till after the funeral, and then be dissolved.

In the House Lord Durham, in presenting a pet.i.tion against the East Indian monopoly, said he gathered from what had fallen from His Majesty's Ministers that they were determined to maintain it.

I said, 'I cannot admit that anything which has fallen from me, or, in my presence, from any of my n.o.ble colleagues, can justify the n.o.ble lord in a.s.suming that His Majesty's Government have formed any determined opinion upon the subject.'

_April 27._

House. East Retford case. The Duke showed me a letter from Halford which gives a very alarming account of the King. He went on much the same till half-past three this morning, when Halford was sent for and remained till half-past eight. The embarra.s.sment of breathing was considerable. The King was rather better at half-past ten, when the bulletin was dated. Halford says he can tell more than he can write. He does write that there is _water_, and it is evident the King is very much alarmed.

From the letter I should say he could not live many weeks.

In the House Lord Strangford told me that Sir W. Seymour [Footnote: Recently appointed a judge at Bombay.] was dead. He died in December--a short time after the birth of his son.

Really the mortality amongst judges is awful.

_April 28._

Went to Guildhall to be present at the trial of Serjeant Kearney for the a.s.sault on Astell. I was not called as a witness. The man was very intemperate indeed, and abused Astell very much. He spoke of my kind interference, &c., but made a mistake in imagining that I had advocated with the Chairs the loan he asked of 250. I came away as soon as the Recorder began to sum up. It was curious to see how justice was administered. The Recorder, an old twaddle, who talked half the time with the accused, and allowed him to make speeches instead of putting questions, and Sir C. Hunter, Sir J. Shaw, and another alderman!

Went to the office at 3. Loch, with whom I had some conversation at Guildhall, told me he had heard the explanation Melville intended to give of the matter of prime cost, and he thought it satisfactory. Wortley said Arbuthnot by no means thought it satisfactory, but was to put the questions. Wortley said Arbuthnot told him the Duke had read the evidence and was himself satisfied the monopoly could not be maintained.

Cabinet dinner at Lord Bathurst's. The Duke was at Windsor this morning. He did not see the King because the King refused to see the Duke of c.u.mberland, and begged the Duke would not see him unless it was very pressing, that the rebuff to the Duke of c.u.mberland might be less.

Accordingly, the Duke sent in on paper what he had to say, and he got two signatures, although they were given very reluctantly. The King says it is _unkind_ in those about him to urge him to sign, as they know how distressing it is to him. In fact _yesterday_ it would have been death to move his arm. We are to meet on Friday to consider what shall be done. Some means must be devised of getting signatures, for his state may last some months. He was ill for four hours yesterday evening. Halford was with him all the time, and held his hand. Halford says he is sure the King would have died had he not been there. He was nearly dead as it was. However, after this attack, which began at half-past two, he had a solid dinner and slept well, and this morning he woke much relieved, but _with a dropsy_-- that is, an external dropsy, the water being between the skin. Knighton thinks some must be upon the chest; but the two others are inclined to think not. He may live days, weeks, or even months; but I doubt his living weeks. On Sunday he saw the women, and on Monday too. He was then alarmed about himself. Now he mistakes water for gout, although his legs are swelled to double their usual size. The physicians do not undeceive him.

However, the public will find it out. He has not read the newspapers for two days _He_ is much relieved by the effusion of water.

It seems the medical men when they read the first bulletin said, 'It must end in water.'

Lord Rosslyn has looked into the Acts, &c., and finds there is no difficulty at all about the money vote on the Bills. They all went on at the accession of the present King.

The Duke was requested by the physicians and the people about the King not to mention Shiel's proposed appointment; to make it, if he thought it essential, but to spare the King all discussion. Of course, as it is thought the King would be agitated, the Duke has neither mentioned it nor done it.

There was in circulation a letter from the Duke of Northumberland expressing his extreme satisfaction at the decision of the Government with respect to the putting down of the new a.s.sociations, and likewise with respect to the making of the Catholic silk gowns.

The bulletins are to be now shown at St. James's; a lord and groom-in- waiting will be there.

Received a letter from Sir J. Dewar [Footnote: Chief Justice of Bombay and a colleague of Sir W. Seymour. They were the two judges referred to in the letter to Sir J. Malcolm.] to inform me of the death of Sir W. Seymour. He died more of the fear of dying than of fever. His apprehension for Lady Seymour affected him very much. She was confined the day he was taken ill.

_April 29._

Halford thinks worse of the King. There have been other attacks of embarra.s.sment of breathing. I do not myself think he will live a fortnight.

There was an excellent division on Terceira about 2-1/2 to 1. Hardinge was not wanted.

_April 30._

Cabinet. The King very ill yesterday. The least exertion brings on an attack. Halford thinks he has water in the abdomen and chest. He had some sleep, and was better in the morning when they issued the bulletin, which says his symptoms were alleviated. However, the bulletin so little corresponds with his real state that they think he saw it. It seems to be now more an affair of days than of weeks. It may happen at any moment.

Peel suggested the possible case of both Kings dying before an Act appointing a regent, and we may be called upon to provide for it. The d.u.c.h.ess of Clarence would be Queen Regent.

We talked about a Bill for enabling the King to give authority for the affixing of the Sign Manual.

To avoid delay and the examination of physicians Rosslyn proposed that, if the King would sign it, there should be a message.

It will be arranged that there shall be two Ministers present-one to countersign, the other to affix the stamp.

The Attorney- and Solicitor-General were called in. They evidently thought the King's mind was gone as well as his head, for they proposed a delegation of the Royal authority.

Planta called upon me to ask more particulars as to the office of Signer of the Writs. It seems it comes in lucky time to oblige Lord Chandos, who has long wanted something for a Mr. Wentworth, and nothing could have happened more conveniently for the Government.

_May 1._

Met Lord Rosslyn, who told me he and Lord Bathurst met every committee day Lord Londonderry and Lord Durham on the Coal Committee. Sometimes they could not get a fifth, and then they adjourned joyfully. Both Lord Londonderry and Lord Durham continued most wrong-headed upon the question.

_May 2._

I rode as fast as I could to town as soon as church was over (for the Duke had wished to see me before he went to church, thinking I was in town), and in Brompton met Lord Rosslyn, who told me there was no Cabinet, and that the Duke had found the King better than he expected.

Rode at once to Apsley House. The Duke was gone out, having left word he should be back soon if I came. I waited an hour. When he returned he told me he had no idea I was out of town, or he would not have written. Lord Combermere had asked to see him, which he could not refuse.

The Duke said that on Friday the King was much better. The miracle which the physicians had said could alone save him seemed accomplished. Great quant.i.ties of ether-quant.i.ties much greater than are usually given-had apparently restored him, and all were in good spirits, when, feeling himself much better, he drank a great deal and was actually sick! Thence the indifferent night of Friday. On Sat.u.r.day he was better again, and when the Duke saw him, seemingly very well, quite alive--in very good humour with everybody, and quite without nervousness. However, he pa.s.sed a bad night, as the bulletin says, probably in consequence of having drunk again.

Sir H. Halford was quite in tears on Sat.u.r.day, not more on account of the King's state than on account of his own professional disappointment. He had thought on the Friday that he had accomplished a miracle. They have treated the King as if he had been a hospital patient, and have _epuise'd_ the resources of art boldly applied to his case.

The King did not express the least apprehension to the Duke; but to the women he speaks of his danger, and as if he was a dying man. The Duke thinks he does this to try and vex Lady Conyngham.

The thing most surprising to me is the Duke's opinion of the King's firm courage. He said he had seen him not only now, but before, when he was considered not to have twenty-four hours of life in him, yet he, knowing his situation, was perfectly firm.

Before the Duke came I had some talk with Holmes, whom I met with Drummond.

Holmes said they could finish the session by the end of July if they acted with that view. I fear it will last much longer if the King lives, and if he dies, that we shall have a six weeks' session in August and September.

Holmes said he did not think the King's illness by any means diminished the strength of Government. He thought the friends of Government were rather more disposed to come down, and he could on any great question get 300.