At the Duke of Wellington’s on Sunday he made a speech, praising very much the Duke, and declaring his entire confidence in him.  This was before the Foreign Ministers.  The speech was a little warlike, I believe.  The Duke’s reply very short indeed, and peaceful.  The King should recollect that what he speaks is as important as what is written in a State Paper.

July 28.

Levee.  Before it a Council, standing, in the King’s closet, for swearing in Privy Councillors.  Sir R. Wilson was presented on his restoration to the army, and holding the King’s hand in his expressed his gratitude.

The King made an energetic reply, and then there was a short rejoinder from Sir R. Wilson.  I could not hear what was said.  We afterwards shook hands cordially with Sir R. Wilson, whose restoration pleases everybody.

The French Government have dissolved the Chamber without allowing it to assemble; have placed the press under restriction, and altered the mode of electing deputies, so as, as far as I can understand, to give to les plus imposis the power of electing a majority.

No letter has been received by any Foreign Minister or by us.  The whole was kept a profound secret.  The report to the King respecting the press, which is made the foundation of the Ordonnance, is a long violent declamation, very weakly written indeed. [Footnote:  These were the celebrated Ordinances which cost Charles X. his crown.]

July 28.

Cabinet at half-past three.  I was rather late, and found them considering what should be said by Lord Stuart at Paris, respecting the late violent measures of the French Government.  They had decided that Lord Stuart, if Prince Polignac endeavoured to draw from him in conversation his opinion, should say he was directed to offer none.  They seemed inclined to tell him, if Prince Polignac required his opinion by offering an explanation, to say we considered the measure adopted was in violation of the Charter.  At my suggestion, if Polignac asked his opinion more formally and offered no explanation, he was directed to request the explanation might be in writing, and he would transmit it to his Court, or it might be made through the French Ambassador here.  The French Ambassador, however, knowing nothing of what was doing, left England on Monday, and would meet the news on his road to Paris.

At six o’clock on Tuesday evening a row was going on, and a Guardsman had been killed.  This was resistance when the police broke the types, &c., of a press which would go on.  The idea is, that the Chamber of Deputies will meet, considering the dissolution to be illegal.

Matuschevitz openly inveighs against the measure.  It is doubtful whether Metternich did not advise it.  He sent a long paper from Johannisberg, giving his views on the present position of the French Government.