Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria.
PEMBROKE LODGE, 9th April 1854. Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty; he cannot think it consistent with fairness to conceal from your Majesty the deep feelings of mortification which affect him on reviewing the proceedings of the Cabinet yesterday.[1]
Lord Aberdeen was the only person who behaved with due regard to the honour of the Administration. The rest appeared ready to sacrifice everything in order to keep the Ministry together; and Lord John Russell feels bound to warn your Majesty that, although he was quite willing to waive the consideration of the Reform Bill for the present Session, he is not ready to consent that it shall be entirely set aside in order to keep together a Ministry whose continuance would be dearly bought at the price of the welfare of the Country, and the consistency of public men. Lord John Russell must reflect further on this subject before he comes to a final determination.
Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell.
BUCKINGHAM PALACE, 10th April 1854, The Queen received Lord John Russell’s letter last night. She is much grieved that he should be “ affected by deep feelings of mortification on reviewing the proceedings of the Cabinet.’ From all the Queen had heard of the views of the different members of the Cabinet, she believes them to have been fully convinced that the present moment would be in- opportune to press the Reform Bill, but quite prepared to take it up again on the first fitting opportunity ; she, of course, does not speak of Lord Palmerston.
The Queen would, no more than Lord John, wish to see “the Reform Bill set aside in order to keep together a Ministry,’ but does not consider the decision of the Cabinet at all to imply this, whatever Lord Palmerston’s personal wishes may be, and trusts that the Country will fully understand and
- ↑ Lord John Russell’s actions at this period of his career seem often incomprehensible; but his private domestic anxieties seem to have weighed him down. Having made the great sacrifice, for an ex-Premier, of taking office under an old opponent, he was now engaged in trying to regain the first place for himself. Lord Aberdeen had always contemplated retiring in his favour, but would not give up the Premiership in the face of the dangers threatening the country. Moreover, he had believed his continuance in office to be a guarantee for peace. Lord John Russell, after accepting the Foreign Office, had then insisted on being a Minister without office; later still, by displacing Mr Strutt and transferring Lord Granville to the Duchy, he himself became Lord President of the Council, an office which no commoner had held since the reign of Henry VIII. By such action, coupled with perpetual threats of resignation, he marred his prospects of succeeding Lord Aberdeen, and, as will be seen, failed in his attempt to construct an Administration when the opportunity was offered him.
