Brougham ridiculed the Directors who sat there in a mass, nine of them.  Fergusson spoke of “the Court.”  Brougham said he was not surprised he should make that mistake seeing such an array of directors.  Brougham put it ad verecundiam to the directors whether they would vote upon a question in which they were directly interested, and in which they had already appeared by Counsel.

They were and will be very sulky.  They will stay away and decline supporting Government.

The bulletin is bad.

Two most impertinent letters from Lord Arbuthnot and Mr. Arbuthnot asking for, or rather demanding, cadetships.  They will find I am not to be bullied.

June 21.

The King expectorated blood yesterday.  He is failing in strength, and now certainly dying.

Read a memorandum of Wilson’s on a proposed remodelling of the army.  It is founded on my idea of bringing it into the form it formerly had, with fewer European officers and more native officers, in higher ranks.  He proposes having two more European Non-Commissioned officers, a Subadar Major, and another Subadar, and several minor things.

June 22.

Cabinet.  The Duke thought the character of the Government would be affected if we gave up the Forgery Bill in the Lords, not in consequence of any change of opinion, but of a majority of 13 in the House of Commons.  I am satisfied the law, as it is, ought to be maintained.  In the House Lord Lansdowne made a speech on moving the second reading, and Lord Winchelsea and the Duke of Richmond said they should vote for the Bill as it was—­ none, however, taking religious objections, Lord Lansdowne throwing out that he would consent to make the bill temporary.  The Chancellor made a very good speech, expressing his general objections to the Bill as it stands, and reserving his reasons for the Committee.

The King is rather worse and weaker.

In the House of Commons last night a mine was sprung and all parties, Whigs and Tories, East and West Indians, united by a trick on the sugar duties.  However, we had a majority.

June 23.

It seems Peel and Herries and even Goulburn himself rather doubts whether the sugar arrangement will work, and Peel has some doubt as to his majority.  Altogether he is very much out of humour, or rather ennuye, and a very little would induce him to give up.

Cabinet dinner.  The Duke saw the King and some stamping took place.  The King was much worse than on Saturday.  The expectoration is matter from the lungs.  Knighton says that if they can keep the bowels right he may live a month.  Halford says if he was an ordinary man he should think he would not live three days.  Tierney says his pulse almost failed while he was asleep this morning, and he thought he would have died.  The Duke says he thinks more with Knighton than the others.

The King was perfectly alive to all the business done.  He talks of going to the Cottage still.