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the House of Commons having the slightest opportunity to express any feeling of its own , her Majesty will be obliged I may so use the phrase without disrespect—to send for somebody else to make an administration . Now , I do hope that the noble lord who has hitherto as the leader npt simply of a great party in this House , but as heading and representing a great principle , that he will not forget in all the proceedings which are about to take place that that principle is now in his hands—that in a great measure what will hereafter take place as to the Ireat principle of financial arrangement in this country will depend on the proceedings he may pursue ; and on him will be the responsibility if we have again to fight the battle of free trade . ( Cheers . ) " The motion that the House adjourn to Friday was then put and carried .
The statement made by the Marquis of Lansdowne in the House of Lords , -was substantially the same as that of Lord John , The most noteworthy passage ¦ was what he said respecting " the forbearance which the noble lord ( Stanley ) has exercised . " Lord Lansdowne ' s explanation , was as follows : — " My lords , on Friday last , in consequence of division *" which had recently taken place in the other House o Parliament , her Majesty ' s servants communicated with each other . Domestic circumstances prevented me from
being one of the number on that occasion ; but my colleagues communicated with each other , at . d on that day her Majesty was led to believe that it was probable her Majesty ' s servants would resign on the day following . Eaily on Saturday I came to town , and that resignation was most respectfully and unanimously tendered by her Majesty ' s servants to her Majesty . In the course of the day the noble lord whom I see opposite ( Lord Stanley ) , as I am informed , was invited to attend at the palace , and a proposal was made to him to construct a Government . I am informed that the noble lord stated in reply
that he was not then prepared to undertake that responsibility . On that communication being made to her Majesty , recourse was then had to other parties , and more particularly to my noble friend lately at the head of the Government , and he was entrusted with the task of reconstructing an Administration . This , my lords , is the present state of affairs ; and all that I have in nay power to state to your lordships is , that my noble friend , lately at the head of the Government ( Lord John Russell ) has , on reflection , thought it to be his duty towards her Majesty , and towards the public , to attempt the reconstruction of his Cabinet . Beyond this , my lords , I have nothing to say . I have spoken as the organ of a Government which , in fact , exists no longer : but which is in office nominallv only , and of which I am the
representative onlyjjLApng as it is nominally in office . ,, " Lord StaWxey then said : None of your lordshi p * will , I am sure , make any opposition to the proposal that the House shall adjourn until Friday , as no public business of importance could be conducted in the present state of affairs . My lords , I am unwilling to offer any comment on the statement made by the noble marquis . Circumstanced aa the country now is , it is impossible that complete revelations should take place of what has occurred ; and I feel that it would not be consistent with my duty to offer any explanation which must necessarily be of an imperfect character . I will now only say , that on Saturday I had the honour . of a lengthened audience at the palace , in which I laid before her Majesty , fully and unreservedly , my views upon ;
the state in which the country and parties now are . Nothing could exceed the graciousness , the condescension , the kindness , if t may use such a word , of her Majesty throughout the whole of that audience . Of what passed at I hat interview—either as to what ; advice I humbly tendered , or as to what was stated by her Majesty—I think , at the present moment , I should ill requite the confidence and favour with which I was honoured , if I Hay a single word . When the time conies that this political crisis shall have passed over , I shall be prepared to state fully and unreservedly to your lordships , and to the country , the whole substance of the advice I tendered , and of the course which , as a public man and a privy councillor called to the councils of my sovereign , I felt it my duty to suggest .
The Marquis of Lansdowne rejoined : After the forbearunce which the noble lord has exercised , we unquestionably ought not to deprive him of the right fully und freely to state what has passed when a convenient time shall arrive—the time which the noble lord shall consider moat fitting for his own honour and mopt conducive to the public good . In the meantime , I beg your lordships to believe that in the short statement which I have made , I have Btated nothing of which I have not been distinctly informed . "
On Tuesday morning at half-past ten o ' clock . Lord Stanley received a letter from the Queen commanding him attendance at Buckingham Palace , where he instantl y went , und remained in conference with her Majesty for more thuii an hour . After leaving the Palace Lord Stanley proceeded to Mr . Disraeli ' s « oii » u in Park-lane , where he remained some time-. He ufterwards called on Viscount Canning , at his residence iu Groavenor-squure , and then returned homo . In the afternoon the Karl of Aberdeen had an
interview with Lord Stanley , and , at u . later period , ViHcount Canning had a long interview with him . In the evening the Queen addressed a second letter to JU > rd Stanley , to which he immediately replied . £ f " 8 elao of a notable character trunspired on luoHday . The general understanding was that no progress had been made in the formation of a Cabinet , and that nothing would be done till Mr . Gladstone ^ return . , Ou Wednesday the quidnuncs at the " Corlton , " 110 ¦ " ¦ eiorin , " and moat of the other clubs were in
a state of delightful anxiety from , an early hour in the morning . First of all it was ascertained that the Queen had sent for Lord Stanley immediately after breakfast , and that , after a long audience , he returned to St . James ' s-square about noon . A few minutes later , information was received that Mr , Gladstone had arrived from Paris . What course would he take ? Would he join Stanley or refuse ? Would he unite with Graham in the event of rejecting Stanley ' s offer ? The number of wagers at the " Carlton" was incalculable , but all anxiety was soon dispelled by the entrance of Mr . Tadpole with the alarming intelligence that Gladstone had only
remained a few minutes with Stanley , and was now closeted with Aberdeen . The official statement corroborates the information furnished by Mr . Tadpole . According to the Times , " the interview between Lord Stanley and Mr . Gladstone was of very short duration . Mr . Gladstone subsequently , proceeded to Argyll-house , to pay a visit to the Earl of Aberdeen , with whom the right honourable gentleman had a long conference . " Nevertheless , the Herald continued to publish hourly editions all Wednesday , announcing that Lord Stanley was doing all he could . The latest bulletin was to the following effect : —
" Mr . Gladstone is arrived . " Lord Stanley is employed in communications with various influential individuals for the purpose of forming his Cabinet . " Nothing certain can be known as to the results till to-morrow afternoon . " Long before that time , however , it was generally rumoured that the attempt to form a Stanley Administration had failed . Mr . Gladstone and Viscount Canning , both free-traders , had been asked to join the new Tory Cabinet , and both had refused . What was to be done next ? The current Protectionist on rfiYwas , that Lord Stanley was to be allowed till
Friday to try what he could do , but most people fancied that there was something el 6 e in the wind . The Earl of Aberdeen had been visited on Wednesday morning by the Duke of Newcastle , Viscount Canning , and the Right Honourable Edward Ellice . That looked as if some arrangement of a Whig and Tory Free Trade Ministry were possible . Then , again , Sir James Graham paid a visit to the Earl of Aberdeen after the levee , on the same day . What could that mean , unless a Free Trade Government , leaving out Lord John ? The Post of Thursday morning , cannot get over the wonderful way in which the Earl of Aberdeen is mixed up with all the Cabinetmaking negotiations .
" The noble earl has , indeed , fluttered like a gnome in a pantomime over every groupof statesmen , of every shade of politics , who have met in consultation on state affairs within the last few days . Whether Lord John Russell , or Sir James Graham , or Lord Stanley , or Mr . Gladstone , is the principal figure on the political scene , he ( the said principal figure ) is sure to glide towards a shadowy appearance in some corner or another , which , when carefully examined , turns out to be no other than ' ce cher Aberdeen . ' There is something in this mysterious and seemingly purposeless ubiquity , calculated to excite general wonder if not anxiety , and amongst the revelations of Friday next we cannot help expecting , that the least marvellous will not be that which shall let ua into the secret of a phenomenon at present so unaccountable . " Tho lutest items of miscellaneous intelligence relating to Wednesday ' s proceedings were as follows : — " Viscount Canning paid a visit to Lord Stanley after the levde . " Lord John Russell received a despatch from the Earl of Aberdeen on Wednesday morning . " The Earl of Ellenborough received a communication from Lord Stanley on Wednesday . " It is said that Mr . Disraeli has been so closely engaged during the past three days at his mansion in Park-Jane , that no other person than Lord Stanley has been admitted to an interview with the honourable member . " The heads of the Protectionist party dined with the Earl and Countess of Glengall on Wednesday evening , at their mansion in Grosvcnor-Btreet . Lord and Lad y Stanley , the Earl of Lonsdale , Mr . and Mrs . Disraeli , the Earl nnd Countess of Chesterfield , and Viscount Cunterbury were among the guests . " On Thursday afternoon the evening papers were looked for with much anxiety , iu the hope that they would furnish some reliable information aa to what had been done or was likely to be done . The Globe contained very little information . The Hum of it wa . s that , " in the event of Lord . Stanley ' s forming an administration , the Marquis of Salisbury will be Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland . " In reference to former transactions it mentioned that ' ViHCOunt Canning and Mr . Gladstone not only declined the propositions made to them by Lord Stanley , but did bo in the most summary manner consistent with courtesy . " Tho Standard was rather more communicative , although no great reliance was placed in its predictions , which wero to tho following effect : — " We have the best reasons for believing that the Ministry is not yet formed , but that Lord Stanley is proceeding most satisfactorily in the task assigned to him by her Majesty ; and that , before many hours elapse , tho list will be completed , and then officially proclaimed to the country ' . lliH lordship has given , interviews to several
noblemen and gentlemen this morning , whose services he was anxious to secure in the new Cabinet . If Lord Stanley have met with any difficulties in the negotiations his lordship has been carrying on , we believe that they have arisen out of the consideration as to the best means that should be adopted in order to repel the aggressive measures of the Roman Pontiff ; but we have no doubt whatever that those obstacles will be eventually and successfully overcome . Reports are abundant in . the clubs and in the daily journals as to those who are likely to take office , and those who have already refused to take office ; among the latter are said to be Lord Canning and Mr . Gladstone . It is impossible , in the present uncertain state of things , to know who will or who will not form part of the new Ministry ; and , therefore , all such rash speculations as those to which we have alluded should be treated with distrust , as they only tend to embarrass and mislead the public mind .
• ' One of the morning papers says that the question of a Dissolution of Parliament stands thus : — ? If such a course is deemed absolutely necessary by Lord Stanley , her Majesty will give her consent ; but it is fully understood to be the Sovereign ' s wish , that a dissolution shall be avoided , if possible . ' " A meeting of Peelites assembled this morning at Mr . Sidney Herbert's mansion in Carlton-gardens , at whieh . were present , in addition to that gentleman , Mr . Goulburn , Mr . Gladstone , Mr . Cardwell , and others . " Yesterday morning the formal announcement was made that Lord Stanley had given up the task of trying to form a Protectionist Government . In the clubs the fact had been pretty generally known the
previous evening . " Until past five p . m ., says a correspondent of the Chronicle , " it was currently believed that Lord Stanley was making rapid progress in the formation of a Government . The bulk of his followers were in the highest spirits , and the bare probability of a failure was scouted by his organs in the press . They were in the very height of their exultation , when a noble earl , known to be in Lord Stanley ' s confidence , suddenly walked into White ' s , and stated that he was desired by Lord Stanley to mention that he had failed in the attempt to form a Government . " All doubt on the subject was dispelled by the following official statement in the morning papers of Friday : —
" Another day of intense excitement has closed with the resignation by Lord Stanley of the charge entrusted to the noble lord by her Majesty , of forming a Cabinet . " At five o'clock Lord Stanley proceeded to Buckingham Palace , and at an audience of the Queen expressed his inability , at the present moment , to form an-Administration . This proceeding is understood to have resulted from , the unwillingness of Mr . Gladstone and Viscount Canning to agree to certain arrangements , under which Lord Stanley proposed to carry on the
Government . " Sir James Graham called upon Mr . Gladstone yesterday , and had an interview with the right honourable gentleman . " After Lord Stanley had placed his resignation in the hands of the Queen , a despatch , written by his Royal Highness Prince Albert , was forwarded to Lord John Russell , at the noble lord ' s private residence , in Cueshainplace . "At eight o ' clock last night a communication frombir James Graham , addressed to her Majesty , was received at Buckingham Palace . The right honourable baronet shortly afterwards received a communication , from her Majesty . " The Earl of Aberdeen , Sir James Graham , and Mr . Cardwell have been in constant communication during the day . "
The commentaries of the various daily papers on this chaotic state of affairs do not supply much information . Tho Post could see only " one possible conclusion—the natural , the just , and the most desirable result is , that to Lord John Russell should be recommitted the trust of providing from hia own parliamentary resources the means of carrying on tho Queen ' s Government . " The Belgravian oracle , which aims at being the organ of the Ministry for the time
being , promises him its unqualified support : — " Every loyal subject will readily lend his aid to relieve the Crown from embarrassment and the coxintry from suspense . And , under all the circumstances , should Lord John RusHell address himself , by her Majesty ' s command , to this arduous undertaking , we cannot doubt that the grcut party , wIiohc leader has himself just failed in forming a Government , will lend the noble lord every support which consists with the maintenance of its public principles . "
The Herald would not admit thut the Protectionist leuder had fairly given up the attempt , at any rate , if he had , it could not have been from any want of exertion on his part . " If he should fail in constructing a Cabinet , " Hiiya tho Herald , " which wo should regard as a national calamity in the present erisia , wo have not the slightest doubt that tho causes whieh may have contributed to ko unfortunate a result will bo attributublo to his fixed and unalterable adherence to a constitutional policy , to Iuh unflinching determination to uphold tho prerogatives of the Monarchy , and the Protestant and Reformed character of our Established Church . ' Tho Times , after stating that Lord Stanloy had given up the ta « k in despair , nays : — " Our anticipation ** of yesterday are thus verified , and with the resultH we had ulrnudy uscribed to this transaction Tho ProtccJioniats , separated from ulmasit all tint
Untitled Article
March 1 , 1851 . ] « C 1 > * % t&htt . * 9 l
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 1, 1851, page 191, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1872/page/3/
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