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temper unworthy of that character; such as I "never heard. I do not complain of the high tone "which that honorable and learned gentleman "takes, but I do complain of the apparent delight "with which he gloated on the past animosities "between the two people." Sir Robert also said, "I believe you libel your country; you libel your "country when you insinuate that they would "not join us in repulsing the attacks, either of "France or America." In making these observations, he seemed as if he was much angry and could not control his feelings. We think a good debater should never lose his temper; if he does, we think he may sometimes lose sight of his argument. After a little more than a quarter of an hour, the violence of Sir Robert Peel towards Mr. O'Connell appeared to abate, and he then went into the merits of the proposed measure, and calmly stated his views and opinions in very fluent language. Mr. O'Connell, after Sir Robert had finished his personalities, packed up his papers, made his bow to the Speaker, and left him to his two hours' speech. And we think him a great speaker, but his actions were odd, as he kept thrusting one of his hands out between the flaps of his coat, and swinging himself round. We should have called him an orator, but for his losing his temper. Still we should say he reasoned well, and his speech appeared to make a great impression upon his side of

the house. The cheers were loud and often, and he appealed in very strong language to the Ministers of the Crown, who sat opposite to him, as to what they would do upon certain other questions with their now sworn friends, Mr. O'Connell and his partisans. all events, Sir Robert Peel seemed determined again to go at length into the details of the question, and to oppose it with all his power. We could but smile at the loud cheers and the enthusiasm that was shewn then to him by his party, among whom, we were informed, he was a short time since rather unpopular, in consequence of his not having moved quite so quickly or violently as they wished, so that we fancied the mass within doors were almost as fickle in their minds as the mob without doors.

Lord John Russell a minister of the crown, and the political ministerial leader of the House of Commons, then rose, and we were surprised to find that he did not speak fluently; he appeared to have an impediment in his speech, but after a little while he shook off his apparent impediment, and he, for nearly two hours, spoke principally in explanation of the question before the House. His side of the House cheered him quite as loudly as Sir Robert Peel had been cheered. We looked at him, he was a little pale looking man, with a tolerably loud voice, but not harmonious, and his action, although energetic, was not altogether pleasing.

But after all these people had spoken, and argued, to gain converts as it were, the result was nearly as it had been foretold at an earlier hour in the evening. For upon a division the ministers of the crown had only a majority of five. So that all these long speeches might have been spared, and all the members of the House, the messengers, and the reporters, might for all the good effect the debate had had, all of them been quietly enjoying their night's rest. We were told that this was a grand trial of strength, and if the ministers had not had most votes with them, conservatives would have changed sides in the house, and the liberals would no longer have been ministers. We saw in addition to those who spoke, several members of whom we had heard much-Sir James Graham, Lord Stanley, Lord Morpeth, Lord Howick, Mr. Hume, Mr. Byng, who has been more than fifty years member for Middlesex, Sir John Hobhouse, Mr. Bernal, Sir Charles Adam, and a host of others. This is an evening that we shall never forget. We consider it the most exciting eight or nine hours that we ever spent, and yet upon the whole we were disappointed. We had expected to have seen the representatives of all the wealth, all the talent, all the resources of the country, better dressed and a different looking set of men. We saw them with their hats upon their heads for the last two or three hours sleeping in all directions, and only opening their eyes now

and then, when a cheer louder than common struck upon their ears; still such an assemblage of men holding the destinies of millions in their hands, we may never again see.

On Friday, the 26th of February, 1841, our friend Mr. Baldock, having procured a letter of introduction, accompanied by him, we paid a visit to the House of Lords; we went at four o'clock, and as there was nothing of much importance expected to come before the House, the Lord Chancellor was not expected to take the chair, but instead. thereof, Lord Shaftesbury, who is the chairman of committees for the House of Lords, was just about to take his seat on the Woolpack, which is a seat at the upper end of the House in front of the Throne. He was preceded into the House by Mr. William Butt, deputy sergeant at arms. who carried before the earl the beautiful silver gilt mace, which he laid upon a seat before him in the House. We here beg to acknowledge the very great kindness we then received from Mr. Butt, who is a hearty old gentleman, not looking more than sixty, but who told us he was upwards of seventy, he took us into the gallery through which the Queen passes to the throne. And we have also to thank James Pulman, Esq., Yeoman Usher of the House of Lords, who, whilst we were at the bar of the House, was kind enough to point out the several noblemen present; of bishops there were three, London, Exeter, and Ripon.

The same rule is observed here as in the House of Commons, the ministerial peers sit on the right hand of the Speaker, and the opposition on the left hand. We saw the Duke of Wellington; his grace had been attacked with sudden indisposition a few nights previously in the House of Lords, and as soon as Lord Brougham came in, he went over to the Duke of Wellington, and taking one of his hands between both his, he expressed his hope that he was recovered, and his joy at seeing him out. Although it was not a day of much business we saw Lord Melbourne, first Lord of the Treasury and Prime Minister, Lord Normanby, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Minto, first Lord of the Admiralty. And we heard Lord Brougham twice speak. Lord Mount Edgecombe presented a petition relative to the removal of packets from Falmouth, and praying they might be allowed still to proceed from thence, so as to benefit the county of Cornwall, upon which Lord Melbourne answered him as a minister of the crown. Lord Mount Edgecombe replied, and then Lord Minto spoke. It was but a short meeting, but we saw some of those we wished to see, and we had an opportunity of hearing them speak. The Duke of Wellington and Lord Brougham came down close to where we were. The apartment in which the Lords now assemble, was formerly the painted chamber; over the bar, where we stood is the gallery for the use of the reporters