The Duke said he wanted to have the places of Courtney and Sir G. Hill, and to bring in Lord Chandos and M. Fitzgerald.  We mentioned Ashley.  I suggested Ashley’s going to the Treasury, and Sir J. Graham taking his place.  This would, I dare say, be done, if we could get the place at the Treasury.

I have not as yet heard a surmise as to the new Lord Privy Seal.

Lord O’Neil has signed the Duke of Richmond’s protest against the Franchise Bill.  It is very hostile to the Government, and Lord O’Neil will probably be put out.

The Duke of Richmond has been very imprudent.  Had he taken a moderate line he probably might have been Privy Seal.  His time is now gone by.

April 17.

Went by appointment to see Lady Jersey.  Found there Duncannon and Lord Sefton.  Duncannon talked big about O’Connell’s power, and in the same sense in which he talked to Fitzgerald, wishing to induce the Government to let him take his seat.  I said we could not.  It depended not on us, but upon the law.

Lady Sefton came in afterwards for a few minutes, and Lord Rosslyn.  Lady Jersey talked a great deal about the restoration, and feared the Whigs would imagine they were never to come in, and would form a violent opposition.  She mentioned Mr. Stanley as being much annoyed, he having made a laudatory speech in favour of Peel.

I told her it would have been very harsh to have eliminated those who had taken office under the idea that the Government was rather against than for the Catholics, certainly neutral, and that it was a little unreasonable to expect others to be turned out to make way for new friends.

April 18.

The Duke thinks he could not offer the Privy Seal to Lord Grey, but he would be conciliated by having a friend—­that is, Rosslyn—­in.  If we could get Lord Beresford out, Lord Rosslyn would go to the Ordnance.

The Duke says the King would make it a point of honour to resist the introduction of Lord Grey, though in reality he was in communication with Lord Grey in 1820-21, after the Queen’s trial, and then intended to bring him in and to turn out the then Ministers for the Milan Commission, he having been himself at the bottom of that Commission.  The Duke, the only member of the Cabinet who was not mixed up with the Milan Commission, induced the King to give up his idea of making a change.

Bankes received a letter from the Duke of Cumberland, very long, and against his acceptance of office; but he begged Bankes to go down to see him and talk it over.  He did so.  Bankes told him he would not accept if he on consideration objected, but he was determined not to join any other Government.  The Duke of Cumberland spoke of himself as having been ill-used by the Duke of Wellington.  This was explained.  The conference ended by the Duke of Cumberland’s acquiescing entirely in Bankes’s acceptance of office.  Bankes saw the Duke of Wellington and detailed the whole to him.