Talked to Hardinge of various matters.  He was at Stowe when Lord Chandos in the middle of the night received a note from his father, communicating one from Sir.  W. Fremantle, which informed him that the King was going to turn us all to the right about.  Lord Chandos said to Hardinge he would never belong to a Government of which the Duke of Wellington was not a member.

January 19.

Read the rest of the ‘Life of Sir Thomas Munro,’ a most valuable book.  I believe there are no books so really useful as the lives of great and good men.

On my arrival in town, found a note from Hardinge, who thinks the despatch as to watching the Russians and navigating the Indus quite perfect.

The Duke went to-day to Windsor.  About eight he sent round a box containing a note, saying that the King consented to Prince Leopold’s being King of Greece.  So for the present, at least, we are safe again.  I never had much apprehension.

January 20.

Cabinet dinner.  Lord Bathurst not there.  We had very little talk upon public matters.  The Duke had a bad cold.  The opinion seemed to be that the press of the session would be upon domestic matters, for the reduction of establishments and taxation.

The King wrote to the Duke and grumpily acceded to Leopold’s appointment.  Leopold is very uppish upon the subject.  He was at Cobham to-day and yesterday.

I am to see Peel on Sunday at half-past one on Indian matters.

January 22.

At one, Privy Council to consider the petition of the E. I. C. for the recall of Sir J. P. Grant.  The Lord President, Lord Chief Baron, and Lord Chief Justice of Common Pleas present.  The committee reported that they did not consider themselves warranted at present in advising Sir J. P. Grant’s removal, but they thought it right he should be directed to proceed home that the several matters objected to him might be investigated.

I took the opportunity of the presence of two judges to get a legal opinion as to Sir J. Malcolm’s conduct in resisting the service of the Habeas Corpus ad testificandum.

I took the opportunity likewise of laying before the two judges the change of circumstances since the institution of the Supreme Court, and the present reasons for making their jurisdiction without the limits of the Presidency the exception and not the rule.

The judges seemed to enter into my view.  The Lord Chief Baron suggested that there might be a previous enquiry before the Country Court, which might for that purpose be a sort of grand jury. [Footnote:  I.e. when the case was to be transferred to the Supreme Court.]