Chapter 2197 - 246: In This Critical Moment for the Whig Party, Sir Arthur Hastings Must Return

This sentence instantly made Grant’s face turn pale.

The firewood in the fireplace snapped into two, and the sparks softly burst, as if startling Count Minto, causing his shoulders to tremble slightly.

Rice couldn’t help but curse under his breath, "Damn it!"

Russell raised his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down, "I know everyone is not in a good mood today. But please remember, we are here to solve problems today, not to blame colleagues."

Speaking of which, Russell lifted the copy of the "Westminster Review" on the table, "I suppose everyone has read Mill’s editorial, haven’t they?"

The room fell silent at first.

Russell put down Mill’s essay, and no one reached for the latest edition of the "Westminster Review" because the contents of the article had already been swirling in their minds time and again.

It was not until Palmerston broke the suffocating atmosphere, "That cunning strategist Mill is advising the Radical Party again, and he’s merely aiming to remind those impulsive young men that continuing to support the Whig Party leads nowhere."

Lord Holland, the Minister of Lancaster Affairs who had remained silent, nodded at this moment, "Mill is providing the Radical Party with a moral stepping stone, allowing them to gracefully exit our majority alliance without branding themselves as traitors."

Seeing the surprisingly mild evaluations from his colleagues, Grant couldn’t help but stand up, "Your Excellencies, their exit is not the result; an exit is merely the prelude. Haven’t you noticed? Mill is calling for the Radicals to join forces with the Conservative Party temporarily. They intend to launch a no-confidence motion against our Cabinet, forcing us to step down. Dalhousie, Brougham, and those fiends in the Lower House like George Grote, Henry Warburton—these bastards would rather let the Conservative Party take office than share the fruits of reform with us!"

Viscount Duncannon, the stuttering Minister of Seal, retorted, "And, and, then? Do, do, do you have any brilliant ideas? Of course, I’m not blaming you. Bu-but, but... Your Excellency, this mess is your... doing."

Rice, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who had been silently calculating, couldn’t hold back his anger anymore, "I share Viscount Duncannon’s view, Your Excellency, I don’t intend to point fingers at your colonial policy. But since you took office in the Department of Colonial Affairs, this is not the first incident. Last time, you had a big argument with Sir Benjamin D’Urban, the Governor of Cape Town, and His Majesty William, while still alive, reminded you that the current Canadian policy is somewhat biased. But did you ever heed any of their suggestions?"

Seeing everyone targeting him, Grant’s face first turned beet red, then, as if suddenly remembering something, he took a deep breath and forced his anger down.

He sat back in his chair, trying to maintain composure and calmness, "Your Excellencies, first, I must emphasize, Canada is only experiencing small-scale unrest in some areas. The conflict remains within an acceptable range. Although the Canadian government’s army was somewhat caught off guard in the Battle of St. Denis, they soon repelled the rebels afterward. I only received the report this morning, stating that the brave Major George Weatherall achieved a great victory over the Patriot Party rebels in the Battle of St. Charles on November 25, with at least 56 rebels dead and over a hundred Patriot Party traitors captured."

When Grant said this, he deliberately emphasized the words "brave" and "great victory," as if hoping to save some face through adjectives.

But no sooner had he finished speaking than Palmerston ungratefully remarked, "Right! Killing fifty farmers—what an exhilarating victory!"

Grant’s facial muscles twitched slightly, but this time he was not provoked. Because he knew that if he lost control of his emotions in such circumstances, he might very well become the scapegoat offered for sacrifice.

"Whether fifty farmers or five hundred farmers, I think what Your Excellencies are emphasizing is that the rebellion is currently being suppressed—this is the fact. If the newspapers didn’t sensationalize, London’s public opinion environment could not possibly be this bad. I must frankly say, information leaks about the rebellion in the Canadian colony is the key to the current situation spiraling out of control. If the Prime Minister allows, I suggest we must initiate a leak investigation."

As soon as this sentence was spoken, the Naval Minister, Earl Minto’s face immediately darkened; wasn’t Grant targeting him with this?

"Esteemed Lord Grennell, I believe the current priority should be distinguishing between urgent and important matters. Leaks are inherently despicable, but what exactly is being leaked? It’s a colonial disturbance we thought could be easily resolved. If this disturbance really could be easily resolved, why hide it from the public? Covering things up in the face of problems is the Tory Party’s way of doing things, not the Whig Party’s principle in handling affairs. Your Excellency, the truth never scares anyone. What truly scares people are those blind speculations without knowing the truth."

Lord Russell saw the two about to argue again and hurriedly stepped in to mediate.

From Russell’s perspective, Grant’s demand was indeed excessive.

Initiate a leak investigation?

If a leak investigation were truly initiated, is there anyone in this room who can withstand scrutiny?