Polignac seems quite firm, although certain he shall be in a minority of 1 to 2 or 3. It is expected he will evade, and that Villele may be able to go on with the new Chamber.
No news from Algiers. 15,000 men are assembled at Toulon as a reserve.
July 6.
Cabinet. Peel said the Lord Advocate would resign if we did not pass the
Scotch Judicature Bill, so we must struggle through with it. The Welsh
Judicature Bill is to be passed too. This will keep us sitting some time.
The Commons will have finished on Friday.
House. We had the second reading of the Beer Bill. I said a few words to show the inaccuracy of one of Lord Malmesbury's conclusions; but I must speak in detail in the Committee.
July 7.
Last night we had 247 to 93, a great division. The Tories in general voting with us.
Looked over again all the papers relative to the Beer Bill.
In my way back from Roehampton met Lord Ravensworth, who told me the King had the gout, and that he had given the Guelphic ribbon to his three sons- in-law. He likewise told me what I knew before, that the Duke of Montrose had resigned.
I told him of the dismissal of the French cooks, which horrified him.