A very discreditable bit of official spite has come out
this,. week. It appears that on Lord Salisbury's retiring from the Chairmanship of the Middlesex Quarter-Sessions, some of the Court had wished to elect Lord Carnarvon in place of Lord Salisbury, and had sounded him on the subject. No sooner was it known that Lord Carnarvon was thought of, than a requisition, signed by the Duke of Wellington, as Lord-Lieutenant of Middlesex, and by a considerable number of magistrates, amongst whom were four members of the Government, was getup requesting Captain Francis Brockman Morley to accept the Chairmanship. Of course this was a mere move of party spite against Lord Carnarvon for his resignation of office. It is most unprece- dented for the Lord-Lieutenant of a county to head a canvass for a particular chairman, and such a course would never have been dreamt of, had not the anger of the Government against Lord Carnarvon burnt very fiercely indeed. When Mr. Sharpe brought out before the Middlesex Magistrates on Thurs- day this shabby intrigue against Lord Carnarvon, there was not a word said by anybody in defence of it. In fact, there was nothing to say. The whole business was most discreditable to those who originated it, and the Duke of Wellington especially must bear a large share of the disgrace. Lord Carnarvon, of course, had never intended to serve except he had been unanimously elected, and had expressly stated this, in answer to the magistrates who had entreated him to consider the proposal. The Duke of Wellington has achieved a victory which is not very worthy of his father's name.
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