The motion of Mr. Hunt on Monday night, passing censure
on the Lord Chancellor, was withdrawn, and Mr. Bouverie's amend- ment, not very different in drift, substituted. Both the attack and defence were very weak, the Lord Advocate and Sir Roundel Palmer alone defending their chief with any vigour. Sir R. Palmer, indeed, who keeps a very active conscience himself, forgot his subject so far as to appeal to "the conscience" of the House on Lord Westbury's behalf,—an appeal which was not very cor- dially received. Lord Palmerston, seeing that the motion would certainly be carried, tried to break its force by proposing an adjournment on the ground that Mr. Bouverie's censure being milder than Mr. Hunt's, and unexpectedly substituted for it, the Government were not prepared with their line of conduct, and wished for time to consider it,—meaning, of course, to brig down Lord Westbury's resignation the next day. The Housef however, refused the adjournment by a majority of 14, 177-1631about a dozen Liberals voting in the majority, of whom Mr. Bouverie and
Mr. Adeane were the most important,—most of the others, like 753 Sir. G. Bowyer, being only Liberal in a sense. Lord Palmerston then accepted the defeat ; and Mr. Bouverie's vote, which con- demned the Lord Chancellor severely, but guarded against any reflection on his honour, was carried without opposition.
