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were utterly unfounded. Those I consulted-all, with the exception of my brother the Duke of Bedford, persons who had belonged to her Majesty's Privy Council, and had been in the Cabinet during either the present or the former reign-entirely concurred with me in the sentiments expressed in my letter. Her Majesty next day desired I would attend her at Windsor Castle; and, when I then explained the difficulty which I felt, she put into my hands a letter from the right honourable Baronet, which, if he has no objection, I will read."

Sir Robert Peel." I have no objection."

Lord John Russell then read the following letter from Sir Robert Peel to the Queen :

"Whitehall, Dec. 17, 1845. "Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and takes the earliest opportunity of acknowledging the receipt of your Majesty's letter of yesterday, which reached him at a late hour last night.

"Sir Robert Peel feels assured that your Majesty will permit him humbly to refer to the communications he has addressed to your Majesty since his tender of resignation, as an evidence of his earnest desire to co-operate in a private capacity in the adjustment of the question of the Corn Laws.

"In the letter of Lord John Russell to your Majesty, he expresses his concurrence in the reasoning of Sir Robert Peel, which shows the inexpediency of pledging Sir Robert Peel to the outline of a series of measures connected with the settlement of that question.

"Lord John Russell requires, at the same time, that Sir Robert Peel should give assurances, which

amount substantially to a pledge, that he will support one of those measures, namely, the immediate and total repeal of the Corn Laws. "Sir Robert Peel humbly expresses to your Majesty his regret that he does not feel it to be consistent with his duty to enter upon the consideration of this important question in Parliament fettered by a previous engagement of the nature of that required from him."

Lord John Russell thought that Sir Robert Peel had misapprehended his meaning. He did not want an absolute pledge from him. "What I wished from the right honourable gentleman was, that he should not feel himself precluded from taking the measure into consideration when brought into Parliament. The letter I have just read, though it proceeds on a misunderstanding of my letter, seems to amount substantially to this-that the right honourable gentleman was quite ready to consider, and did not regard himself as precluded from supporting, such a measure, if brought before Parliament by Her Majesty's Ministers. On considering that letter, those with whom I consulted, as well as myself, were of opinion, that though the task

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one subject to great risk, though it was full of danger and hazard, yet, placed as we were, we should run that peril, and assure Her Majesty that we would undertake the task.' He was fully aware of the heavy responsibility which attached to him in his attempt to form a Government; but he wished to see the Corn-law question settled without a violent struggle between opposing interests. He knew that many men of liberal politics, as well as men who cared nothing about politics, were disposed to support Sir Robert

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So great an object as the settlement of this question might indeed have been held sufficient to justify the support of Sir Robert Peel's Administration, had they proposed such a measure. But, as Lord John Russell is placed at present, he could not himself propose a measure against which the weight of argument, as well as public opinion, appears to him to preponderate.

Had the harvest been plentiful and corn cheap, it might have been very advisable to have diminished the duties gradually; but the restoration of a duty after suspension has all the appearance of the re-enactment of a protective law.

"Lord John Russell humbly submits to your Majesty, that should the proposal of an immediate repeal, instead of immediate suspension and ultimate repeal of the Corn Law, preclude Sir Robert Peel from affording that support to the new Government which he so spontaneously and handsomely offered in his letter of the 10th of December, Lord John Russell must humbly decline the task so graciously confided to him by your Majesty.

"Lord John Russell concurs with the reasoning of Sir Robert Peel, which shows the inexpediency of pledging him to the outline of a series of measures.

"The measures for fiscal purposes, therefore, would have to be considered in detail by those alone who may be in your Majesty's service.

"Lord John Russell trusts that your Majesty will attribute the reluctance which he feels to undertake the Government, without a previous knowledge of the opinion of Sir Robert Peel, to his very deep sense of the injury the country may sustain from the rejection of a measure of such vital importance; and not to a desire to obtain a security for those who may be in power.'

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"Her Majesty," continued Lord John, "was graciously pleased to answer my letter the same evening, informing me that she had sent to Sir Robert Peel, and that she understood the motives by which I was guided in endeavouring to procure support for the great measure which I had undertaken to propose. All I shall say in this place is, that those rumours which were circulated, that I was unable to bring those I consulted to an agreement on the subject of the Corn Laws,

were utterly unfounded. Those I consulted-all, with the exception of my brother the Duke of Bedford, persons who had belonged to her Majesty's Privy Council, and had been in the Cabinet during either the present or the former reign-entirely concurred with me in the sentiments expressed in my letter. Her Majesty next day desired I would attend her at Windsor Castle; and, when I then explained the difficulty which I felt, she put into my hands a letter from the right honourable Baronet, which, if he has no objection, I will read."

Sir Robert Peel." I have no objection."

Lord John Russell then read the following letter from Sir Robert Peel to the Queen :

"Whitehall, Dec. 17, 1845. "Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and takes the earliest opportunity of acknowledging the receipt of your Majesty's letter of yesterday, which reached him at a late hour last night.

"Sir Robert Peel feels assured that your Majesty will permit him humbly to refer to the communications he has addressed to your Majesty since his tender of resignation, as an evidence of his earnest desire to co-operate in a private capacity in the adjustment of the question of the Corn Laws.

"In the letter of Lord John Russell to your Majesty, he expresses his concurrence in the reasoning of Sir Robert Peel, which shows the inexpediency of pledging Sir Robert Peel to the outline of a series of measures connected with the settlement of that question.

"Lord John Russell requires, at the same time, that Sir Robert Peel should give assurances, which

amount substantially to a pledge, that he will support one of those measures, namely, the immediate and total repeal of the Corn Laws.

"Sir Robert Peel humbly expresses to your Majesty his regret that he does not feel it to be consistent with his duty to enter upon the consideration of this important question in Parliament fettered by a previous engagement of the nature of that required from him."

Lord John Russell thought that Sir Robert Peel had misapprehended his meaning. He did not want an absolute pledge from him. "What I wished from the right honourable gentleman was, that he should not feel himself precluded from taking the measure into consideration when brought into Parliament. The letter I have just read, though it proceeds on a misunderstanding of my letter, seems to amount substantially to this-that the right honourable gentleman was quite ready to consider, and did not regard himself as precluded from supporting, such a measure, if brought before Parliament by Her Majesty's Ministers. On considering that letter, those with whom I consulted, as well as myself, were of opinion, that though the task

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one subject to great risk, though it was full of danger and hazard, yet, placed as we were, we should run that peril, and assure Her Majesty that we would undertake the task." He was fully aware of the heavy responsibility which attached to him in his attempt to form a Government; but he wished to see the Corn-law question settled without a violent struggle between opposing interests. He knew that many men of liberal politics, as well as men who cared nothing about politics, were disposed to support Sir Robert

Peel if he brought forward a measure for the repeal of the Corn Laws. On the other hand, he knew that there were many men who would follow Sir Robert Peel so as to retain him in power, but who would not vote for any measure founded on the same principle, brought forward by another. He also knew that he might rely upon the support of such men as the mover of the Address, if they thought that the proposed measure was suited to the circumstances of the country. Still, the difficulties to be encountered were great; and he felt it necessary that those who were to join him in the Government should be prepared to encounter the opposition which to a certainty awaited them. This assurance he received. "I therefore wrote to Her Majesty, on the 18th of December, that I was ready to undertake the formation of an Administration; but on the following morning, after I had endeavoured to make my arrangements, I found that one of those with whom I had consulted had objections which it was impossible to overcome, and that I should lose his assistance in the administration which I proposed to form. I do not think it necessary to enter on the grounds of those objections: it is quite enough to say that they had power to deprive me of the assistance of his services. His name has been frequently mentioned, and I see not why I should not state that I refer to Lord Grey. With the highest respect for Lord Grey, for his great talents, for his courage and his honesty, I should, nevertheless, not have thought, on an ordinary occasion, that the loss of a person even of his importance should have prevented me from undertaking the formation of a Go

vernment. But when I took into view the risk which was to be encountered, and the necessity which existed that we should all go together on this great questionwhen I considered that my noble friend was among the first of those acting with me in Parliament, who declared that he regarded no other measure but complete free trade in corn adequate to meet the exigencies of the country-when I put all these things together, I did think that the task of forming a Government, leaving out my noble friend, was a task which I was not justified in attempting. I could not but consider, that if my noble friend was absent from that Ministry, all kinds of interpretations would be put upon his absence, and the Ministry be weakened at its very commencement. Considering, therefore, the absolute necessity, as I thought there was, for complete agreement-considering the importance of the person who could not take a part in the Administration-I came to the conclusion that it was necessary for me to give up the task which Her Majesty had graciously confided to me. He accordingly waited upon the Queen on the morning of the 20th of December, and made the following communication :

"Chesham Place, 20th Dec. 1845. "Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to state that he has found it impossible to form an Administration.

“Lord John Russell was aware, from the first moment when your Majesty was pleased to propose to him this commission, that there were very great difficulties in the way, which it required the most cordial cooperation on the part of his friends, and the firm support of a large

portion of those who followed Sir sider that task as hopeless, which Robert Peel, to surmount.

"Lord John Russell has had solely in view the settlement of the question of the Corn Laws, by which the country is so much agitated. "Those who have served your Majesty and your royal predecessor in cabinet offices, during the Administrations of Lord Grey and Lord Melbourne, who are now in political connexion with Lord John Russell, were consulted by him. They agreed on the principles by which they would be guided in framing a measure for the repeal of the Corn Laws. Thus one great difficulty was surmounted. But, as the party which acts with Lord John Russell is in a minority in both Houses of Parliament, it was necessary to ascertain how far they were likely to obtain the support of Sir Robert Peel.

"Your Majesty is acquainted with all that has passed on this subject. Lord John Russell is quite ready to admit, that Sir Robert Peel has been willing from the commencement to the end to diminish the difficulties in the course of a new Government prepared to attempt the settlement of the Corn Laws. But Sir Robert Peel could not, of course, rely on the support of his political friends, should the proposed measure be in their eyes dangerous and unwise.

"In this uncertainty of obtaining a majority in the House of Commons, it was absolutely necessary that all those who were prominent in the political party to which Lord John Russell is attached should give their zealous aid, and act in concert in the new Administration.

"Lord John Russell has, in one instance, been unable to obtain this concert; and he must now con

has been from the beginning hazardous.

"Lord John Russell is deeply sensible of the embarrassment caused by the present state of public affairs. He will be ready, therefore, to do all in his power, as a member of Parliament, to promote the settlement of that question which, in present circumstances, is the source of so much danger, especially to the welfare and peace of Ireland.

"Lord John Russell would have formed his Ministry on the basis of a complete free trade in corn, to be established at once without gradation or delay. He would have accompanied that proposal with measures of relief to a considerable extent to the occupiers of land from the burdens to which they are subjected. But he will be little disposed to insist, as a member of Parliament, on what may seem to your Majesty's advisers an impracticable course. The country requires, above all things, an early and peaceable settlement of a question which, if not soon settled, may, in an adverse state of affairs, cause a fearful convulsion."

"I owe," proceeded Lord John Russell, "a debt of the deepest gratitude to Her Majesty, for the gracious manner in which she intrusted me with the task of forming an Administration, and for the facilities which she was always ready to afford with the view of lessening the difficulties of the task I had undertaken. Her Majesty has imposed upon me a burden of obligation which I cannot sufficiently acknowledge. I would say, in reference to the right honourable gentleman's offer of assistance, that it was entirely spontaneous; and as to his subsequent communications,

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