BlackHat's Journal: A million lies to sell yourself/ Is all you ever had

Quote:
July 1.
At half-past five received a letter from the Chairman, and the draft relative to the removal of the Governor from Calcutta. The Court wished to have it back to-day. That was impossible; but they have omitted words I inserted in the precis, and must restore, declaring that had the removal been legal, still the Members of Council would have been ordered back. I have now been obliged to give reasons for this addition, and the reasons will be so much worse, as matters of record, that I have suggested to the Chairman he had better substitute a draft containing the words.

I think we must detain the Pallas that it may take out both letters--this and the one relating to the leases which is not yet prepared, or we must have an overland dispatch.

Delay is one of the inconveniences attending the present system of Indian Government. I told the Chairman in my private note that if we allowed Lord W. Bentinck to emancipate himself in this manner we should really be abandoning all real control over the Government of India. I see clearly there is a Bentinck party in the Court.

July 2.
Saw Hardinge. We had some conversation upon the subject of the Government. He seems more alarmed than I am. I trust to the King's fears and the Duke's fortune; besides, we have the country.

Hardinge told me the King was very much out of humour. The admission of Lord Rosslyn had not answered. None followed. Lord Durham, Calthorpe, and others left Lord Lansdowne to coalesce with Lord Grey. Hardinge wished me to try Herries again, with the view of opening the Mint by making him Chancellor of the Exchequer in India; but I told him Herries said his domestic circumstances made it impossible, and the Duke did not seem to like it at all.

Herries thinks Lord Durham would be glad to be Minister at Naples; for my part I am sure nothing will win Lord Grey but a place for Lord Grey himself, and that, in the present state of the King's mind, the Duke is not in a condition to offer.

July 4.
Cabinet at half-past three.
The Duke read a list of the several points to be considered before the next Session. I cannot recollect half of them. East India Charter; Bank Charter; Usury Laws; East Retford; Duties on Sugar; Duties on Tobacco; Canada; West Indies; Education in Ireland; Irish and English Churches; Poor in Ireland; Public Works; Commission on Ecclesiastical Courts; Reform of English Courts; Reform of Welsh Judicature; Reform of Courts of Equity; Scotch Law of Entail; Salaries of Scotch Judges--increase; Salaries of English Judges--reduction; Grand Juries, Ireland; Militia Laws; Stamp Duties, &c., &c.

The only talk we had was about Irish Poor, and Public Works in Ireland. The feeling seemed against anything like Poor Laws, and against Public Works too. This is mine. The first productive of mischief, the second useless.

Undoubtedly it is a great hardship that the English parish should have the burden of Irish poor, but on the other hand in many cases the payers of poor's rates in these parishes have derived advantage from Irish labour.

Fitzgerald, Peel, and Goulburn are to look into this subject, and all connected with Ireland.

Fitzgerald, Peel, Lord Rosslyn, and, I think, either Herries or Goulburn seemed to think the opposition to the continuance of the China monopoly would be much greater than we expected. Fitzgerald seemed desirous the question of commerce should be reserved, and that of Government decided. I told him the two were inseparably connected.

July 6.
Wrote to Lord W. Bentinck telling him I much regretted the having been obliged to send the two letters, relative to the removal of the Government, and the leases--told him the Duke coincided in opinion with the Court.

I then expressed my surprise that the Local Government did not obey better. Said they seemed to forget the orders of the Directors were the King's orders transmitted through the channel of the Court and the Board. I added I should endeavour to introduce into every branch of Indian Government the subordination and the improvements now established in the King's service--depended on his co-operation, &c. I sent the letter to the Duke to ask him if I should send it.

July 7.
At quarter to six a messenger arrived from the Duke, to whom I sent yesterday my letter to Lord W. asking if I should send it? The Duke desires to see the despatches to which it refers. I have accordingly begged Jones to send them to him. I shall however be in town early myself to-morrow.

I told the Duke in my note I should stay in town till late to-morrow to sign the letter as to the six regiments if they passed it. I am glad to have an excuse for not going to Windsor to the Recorder's Report.

July 8.
Office at 2. Wilson absent, so I could not transact any military business. Carried the letters relative to the leases and the six regiments to the Duke. He said mine about the regiments was very good indeed.

The Emperor of Russia seems to have laid himself out most ably at Berlin to captivate the King, and the army, and the people.

Seymour's despatches are useful. He mentions small things, which show the character of men.

The Emperor does not disguise his desire of peace. He wants no garanties materielles at the Bosphorus for safe passage. He asks the principle of a pecuniary indemnity, but does not seem disposed to contest the details. Bernstorff observed truly, we could not get out of the Greek Treaty without the help of Russia, and Russia wanted us to get out of the way.

The Sultan begins to affect European manners. Calls upon ladies and talks about education! Dines with a merchant! After all, considering his education and his entourage, Sultan Mahmoud is the most remarkable man in Europe.

July 9.
Office at 2. Met Herries. Told him I should send him a statement of our Indian loans, and place Leach at his disposal. We could then talk them over, and see whether we could effect any financial operation. My idea is that by offering some little higher interest in. India we might induce the holders of the remittable loan to give up that privilege of receiving the interest in England if resident here.

Saw Major Cunningham. He looks more than forty, well, certainly, but I should doubt his doing much hard work. He does not think himself a good person to command Irregulars. His Rohillas were almost in as good order as Regulars.

He told me Lieutenant-Colonel Skinner was a man of large landed property. He had raised his corps very much from his own estate and neighbourhood, and was a sort of feudal chieftain. He has been educated like a native, though the son of a Colonel in the Company's service.

Saw Sir Murray Maxwell. [Footnote: He had commanded the 'Alceste,' which took out Lord Amherst as Ambassador to China twelve years before.] It seemed to me Sir Murray wanted to be sent with a frigate to try to open a commercial communication with Pekin. He thinks even Japan might be induced to trade. The instant the Chinese found the ship was gone and Lord Amherst meant to return by land they would have nothing to say to him. They probably took him for a spy.

Sir Murray thinks the Chinese might be led to give a port to the northward.

He describes the Spanish population of Manilla as being very small--the native population large. It is but four days' sail, with a good breeze, from Manilla to Canton. Always a favourable wind. The harbour magnificent.

I think the whole object of his visit was to get a ship, and a sort of half embassy. -- Lord Ellenborough

News attacked by ironclads:
Factory? Not a nice use of the word. Workshop at best.

*And at the Distraction Factory it's biz-as-usual. *Iraqi newspapers do not appear on Fridays, but the court appearance of Saddam Hussein causes a stir elsewhere in the region. Most papers agree this is a historic event, and seem in little doubt as to the former Iraqi leader's guilt. Some look ahead in the hope that good will emerge from the trial, while others warn it will hardly solve the problem of Iraq's future. Or reveal anything of the past if they can help it. Even the present is edited. Papers held off, 40 odd dead press, audio deleted redacted rebutted retarded, lies from judges lies to judges and lies about judges words. [insert still of a pigeon caption Speckled Jim-1917] Great start. Stir the broth with some random incubator confuse-a-sheep items.

Lard Tubby Black starts making moves. Conrad Black is suing to stop the sell-off of the Daily Telegraph and its sister titles without his approval. Hollinger International, the papers' parent, is selling the two Telegraph titles and the Spectator magazine to the Barclay brothers for £665m. Lord Black was removed as chief executive of Hollinger International over disputed payments in November. Now his holding company Hollinger Inc, which has a controlling stake, wants a veto on the proposed deal. Sing it Tubby! '...got to keep the dogs at bay...'

The Cupid's hold up the Scroll Of Resignation for Mr. Giulio Tremonti.

Mugabe supporters getting rather stupid. [cue Pink Floyd]

Texttoon:
Fumetti : Stock photo of George W. Bush on a stage. Overlayed bubble has him singing[see below].

Let freedom be reined
Sung to the tune of 'Only happy when it rains', Garbage
I'm only happy when I reign
I'm only happy when you've capitulated
And though I know you can't appreciate it
I'm only happy when I reign
You know I love it when the news is bad
Why it feels so good to make you sad
I'm only happy when I reign

Pour my misery down
Pour my misery down on you
Pour my misery down
Pour my misery down on you

I'm only happy when I reign
I get rich when things are going wrong
I make'm dance to the sad, sad songs
I'm only happy when I reign

I only smirk in the dark
Your only comfort is the tube gone black
I didn't accidentally tell you that
I'm only happy when I reign
You'll get the message by the time I'm through
When I complain about Bill and you
I'm only happy when I reign

Pour my misery down
Pour my misery down on you
Pour my misery down
Pour my misery down on you
Pour my misery down
Pour my misery down on you
Pour my misery down
You can join our company
As long as you don't care

I'm only happy when I reign
You wan'na hear about our new obsession?
We're riding high upon the deep depression
They're only happy cuz' I reign

Pour some misery down on ya
I'm only happy when I reign