26Feb1857, The House of Commons

LONDON, February 26th, 1857.
—Meriel went to the debating in the House of Lords, I to that in the House of Commons with Miss S., on the China question. It was very interesting : we heard Labouchere, flatissimus especially coming as he did after Cobden, of whose speech we did not hear the beginning, but what we did was most interesting and excellent. He made the motion. We also heard Sir Bulwer Lytton, but lost his speech, which we hear was excellent, for he spoke so loud that we heard nothing but ringing echoes. There were one or two others ; then in the beginning of Lord John Russell we were sent for. So horrid ; we ought to have heard him out. It was one of the most delightful things to go to that I have ever been at ! I was enraged by the abominable grating we had to sit behind.