My opinion of Lord Althorp is extremely high.  In fact, his character is the only stay of the Ministry.  I doubt whether any person has ever lived in England who, with no eloquence, no brilliant talents, no profound information, with nothing in short but plain good sense and an excellent heart, possessed so much influence both in and out of Parliament.  His temper is an absolute miracle.  He has been worse used than any Minister ever was in debate; and he has never said one thing inconsistent, I do not say with gentlemanlike courtesy, but with real benevolence.  Lord North, perhaps, was his equal in suavity and good-nature; but Lord North was not a man of strict principles.  His administration was not only an administration hostile to liberty, but it was supported by vile and corrupt means,—­by direct bribery, I fear, in many cases.  Lord Althorp has the temper of Lord North with the principles of Romilly.  If he had the oratorical powers of either of those men, he might do anything.  But his understanding, though just, is slow, and his elocution painfully defective.  It is, however, only justice to him to say that he has done more service to the Reform Bill even as a debater than all the other Ministers together, Stanley excepted.

We are going,—­by we I mean the Members of Parliament who are for reform,—­as soon as the Bill is through the Commons, to give a grand dinner to Lord Althorp and Lord John Russell, as a mark of our respect.  Some people wished to have the other Cabinet Ministers included; but Grant and Palmerston are not in sufficiently high esteem among the Whigs to be honoured with such a compliment.

Ever yours

T. B. M.

To Hannah M. Macaulay.

London:  September 9, 1835.

My dear Sister,—­I scarcely know where to begin, or where to end, my story of the magnificence of yesterday.  No pageant can be conceived more splendid.  The newspapers will happily save me the trouble of relating minute particulars.  I will therefore give you an account of my own proceedings, and mention what struck me most.  I rose at six.  The cannon awaked me; and, as soon as I got up, I heard the bells pealing on every side from all the steeples in London.  I put on my court-dress, and looked a perfect Lovelace in it.  At seven the glass coach, which I had ordered for myself and some of my friends, came to the door.  I called in Hill Street for William Marshall, M.P. for Beverley, and in Cork Street for Strutt the Member for Derby, and Hawkins the Member for Tavistock.  Our party being complete, we drove through crowds of people, and ranks of horseguards in cuirasses and helmets, to Westminster Hall, which we reached as the clock struck eight.

The House of Commons was crowded, and the whole assembly was in uniform.  After prayers we went out in order by lot, the Speaker going last.  My county, Wiltshire, was among the first drawn; so I got an excellent place in the Abbey, next to Lord Mahon, who is a very great favourite of mine, and a very amusing companion, though a bitter Tory.