Lord W. Bentinck's minute and despatch on transferring the Supreme
Government Departments and all _pro tempore_ to Meerut, and a proposed
letter, censuring the Governor for having done this without previous
sanction, and directing the members of Council and the Departments to
return.

The Duke objects to any removal of the seat of government to the upper
provinces. It would there be exposed to the sudden inroads of cavalry. In
India a cloud of cavalry rises like a squall in the Mediterranean. At
Calcutta the Government, protected by the rivers, is safe, and always
accessible from England.


_June 19._

Rode to town. Met Rosslyn. He told me Lord Clanrickarde [Footnote: Lord
Clanrickarde was son-in-law of Mr. Canning.] intended to make some
observations on foreign policy this evening.

Had some conversation with the Duke. He doubted whether the Supreme
Government _could_ leave Calcutta and preserve its powers. I told him of
the newspaper report of to-day that leases for sixty years were to be given
to indigo planters, and this without any authority from home. He seems to
have suspected from the first that Lord W. would do some monstrous thing,
and certainly he does seem to be emancipating himself.

House. Lord Clanrickarde made his little speech. Aberdeen his. Then Lord
Holland, and then the Duke. Afterwards Goderich. Lord Holland talked as
usual very vaguely. No notice had been given, and few people knew there was
anything to be done. So ends the House for this year.