The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Ii Part 14

The Queen sees from Lord John's second letter that he has taken a copy of Sir R. Peel's letter of the 15th to her. As she does not feel to have been authorised to allow this, the Queen hopes that in case Sir Robert should have an objection to it Lord John will not retain the copy.

[Footnote 34: It is printed in the _Annual Register_, 1846, p.

17. Lord John considered the temporary suspension or repeal of duties, with the prospect of their re-imposition, open to grave objections.]

[Pageheading: INSUPERABLE DIFFICULTIES]

_Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _18th December 1845._

Lord John Russell returned at five this evening, and informed the Queen that after considerable discussion, and after a full consideration of his position, _he will undertake to form a Government_.

As at present arranged, the Council is to be on Monday; the Queen much wis.h.i.+ng to have a parting interview with Sir R. Peel, however painful it will be to her, wishes Sir Robert Peel to inform her when he thinks it best to come down here.[35]

[Footnote 35: Lord John Russell, however, found insuperable difficulties in forming the Cabinet; and, to quote Disraeli, "handed back with courtesy the poisoned chalice to Sir Robert."]

[Pageheading: GREY AND PALMERSTON]

_Memorandum by the Prince Albert._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _20th December 1845._

(_12 o'clock._)

We just saw Lord John Russell, who came in order to explain why he had to give up the task of forming a Government. He had written to all his former colleagues to join him in his attempt, amongst others to Lord Grey, who answered, "that he could only belong to a Government which pledged itself to the principle of absolute free trade and abolition of all protection; that he had his own views upon the sugar question (as to which he advocated the admission of slave labour) and upon the Irish question (as to which his principle was to establish entire religious equality); that he hoped that in the formation of a new Government no personal considerations should stand in the way of a full attention to public Duty."

Lord John replied that he advocated free trade, but as the immediate question before them was the _Corn Laws_, he thought it wiser not to complicate this by other declarations which would produce a good deal of animosity; that the sugar question and Ireland might be discussed in Cabinet when circ.u.mstances required it; that he agreed entirely in the last sentence.

After this Lord Grey declared himself quite satisfied. Lord John considered now with his colleagues the peculiar measure to be proposed, and Mr Baring thought he could arrange a financial scheme which would satisfy Lord Lansdowne's demands for relief to the landed interest. They all felt it their duty to answer the Queen's call upon them, though they very much disliked taking office under such peculiar difficulties. Now Lord John undertook to apportion the different offices. He saw Lord Palmerston, and told him that the Queen had some apprehension that his return to the Foreign Office might cause great alarm in other countries, and particularly in France, and that this feeling was still more strongly manifested in the city; whether under these circ.u.mstances he would prefer some other office--for instance, the Colonies? Lord Palmerston declared that he was not at all anxious for office, and should much regret that his accession should in any way embarra.s.s Lord John; that he was quite prepared to support him out of office, but that his taking another department than his former one would be a public recognition of the most unjust accusations that had been brought against him; that he had evinced throughout a long official life his disposition for peace, and only in one instance broke with France;[36] that that matter was gone by, and that n.o.body had stronger conviction of the necessity to keep in amity with that Power than himself. Upon this Lord John said that he could not form a Government without him, and showed himself quite satisfied with Lord Palmerston's declaration.

[Footnote 36: In reference to affairs in Syria in 1840.]

Suddenly Lord Grey, who had heard of this, cried out: "This was an infringement of their compact"; that no _personal_ consideration should interfere with the discharge of public duty, and that he must decline entering the Government, as he considered Lord Palmerston's return to the Foreign Office as fraught with danger to the peace of Europe. Lord John could not, under these circ.u.mstances, form a Government. He read to us a long letter from Lord Grey, written with the intention that it should be seen by the Queen, in which Lord Grey enters more fully into his motives, and finishes by saying that therefore _he_ was not answerable for the failure to form an Administration.[37]

[Footnote 37: Lord Grey's att.i.tude was condemned by Macaulay in a letter to a Mr Macfarlan, who unwisely communicated it to the Press.]

Lord John gave the Queen a written statement[38] of the causes which induced him to relinquish the Government, and of the position he means to a.s.sume in Parliament. (He is most anxious that Sir R. Peel should re-enter and successfully carry his measures.)

[Footnote 38: Printed in _Annual Register_, 1846, p. 20.]

The arrangements Lord John had contemplated have been--

Lord PALMERSTON, _Foreign Secretary_.

Lord GREY, _Colonial Secretary_.

Sir GEORGE GREY, _Home Secretary_.

(Sir George was anxious later to retire from Parliament, and willing to go as Governor-General to Canada.)

Mr BARING, _Chancellor of the Exchequer_.

Lord CLARENDON, _President of the Board of Trade_.

(The Vice-Presidency was to have been offered to his brother, Mr Villiers, but finally, by his advice, to Mr Cobden!! (Lord Grey wanted Mr Cobden to be in the Cabinet!!!) This Lord John thought quite out of the question.)

Lord LANSDOWNE, _President of the Council_.

[Pageheading: CHIVALROUS ATt.i.tUDE OF PEEL]

[Pageheading: PEEL RESUMES OFFICE]

_Memorandum by the Prince Albert._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _20th December 1845._

(_4 o'clock_ P.M.)

We saw Sir Robert Peel, who had been apprised by Sir James Graham (to whom Lord John Russell had written) of what had pa.s.sed. He was much affected, and expressed his concern at the failure of Lord John to form a Government, seemed hurt at Lord John's not having shown more confidence in the integrity of his (Sir Robert Peel's) motives. He would have supported Lord John in _any_ measure which he should have thought fit to introduce, and many would have followed his example. He blamed the want of deference shown to the Queen, by not answering her call with more readiness; he said it was quite new and unconst.i.tutional for a man to take a week before he undertook to form a Government, and to pa.s.s that time in discussion with other people, to whom the Sovereign had not yet committed the task; and he had been certain it would end so, when so many people were consulted. He in 1834 had been called from Italy, had travelled with all haste and had gone straight to the King, had told him that he had seen n.o.body, consulted n.o.body, but immediately kissed the King's hand as his Minister.

He was now prepared to stand by the Queen, all other considerations he had thrown aside, he would undertake to deal with the difficulties, and should have to go down alone to the House of Commons. He had written to his colleagues that he would serve the Queen if she called upon him to do so, that he expected them to meet him at nine o'clock that evening, and that he would tell them what he meant to do. Those who would not go with him, he would dismiss at once. He did not wish to avail himself of any undue advantage, and therefore would not advise an Order in Council, but go at once to Parliament, laying his measure before it: "Reject it, if you please; there it is!"

He called the crisis an alarming one, which determination alone could overcome.

We showed him Lord John Russell's statement, with which he declared himself very much satisfied. He advised the Queen to write a letter to Lord John, announcing to him Sir Robert's consent to go on with the Government, and wrote a draft of it, which follows here.

He had heard strange instances of disagreement amongst the men whom Lord John had a.s.sembled in town.

Sir Robert seemed throughout much moved, and said with much warmth: "There is no sacrifice that I will not make for your Majesty, except that of my honour."

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _20th December 1845._

Sir Robert Peel has just been here. He expressed great regret that Lord John Russell had felt it necessary to decline the formation of a Government.

He said he should have acted towards Lord John Russell with the most scrupulous good faith, and that he should have done everything in his power to give Lord John support.