fore, the Queen was finally informed that Lord John Russell found it impossible to form an administration.
"Among the newspaper reports of the public talk during this interval we find a few words in italics about the popular surprise at there being no mention of Lord Grey "in the list of whig conferences:' and close beside this, we meet with notice of the 'alarm' excited by the consideration that Lord Palmerston must have some office, and most probably he foreign department. Our foreign relations were now in a critical state, as our history of the French and American questions will have shown: and there were many who stood in fear of Lord Palmerston's talent of keeping perpetually open all vital questions and dangerous controversies. It was well understood that Lord Grey thought it unsafe to make Lord Palmerston foreign minister at such a juncture, and that he declined to act inconsistently with his long avowed principles of peace, by sitting in the Cabinet with a minister who had done more than any other man to foster the war-spirit in 1840 and 1841. The disappointed whig party bitterly complained that Lord Grey had done it all; but with the country at large Lord Grey lost nothing by this difficult act of self-exclusion, or by his honourable silence in the midst of the censure which was abundantly poured out upon him.
"On Friday the 19th, the Queen intimated to Sir R. Peel, that as their political relation was to terminate, she wished to see him next day to bid him farewell. Before he went to Windsor on the Saturday, he was informed by Lord John Russell of the failure of bis enterprize, and when he entered the Queen's presence, he was told that, so far from taking leave, he must prepare for the resumption of office. He returned to town as minister of the crown, and found no difficulty in reconstructing his Cabinet. Lard Stanley, of course, retired. All the others resumed—all but one, who had died suddenly from the anxiety of the crisis. Lord Wharncliffe had been suffering from gout, but no danger was apprehended. He was, however, in no state to bear the turmoil of the time, and he suddenly sank on the 19th of December, iu the 70th year of his age. As president of the council, he had proved himself a zealous and effective minister; and his earnestness in fulfilling to the utmost such provisions for education as had been obtained, secured him much gratitude from society. It was an untoward time for a West Riding election, but this elevation of Mr. Stuart Wortley to the peerage rendered it necessary; and Lord Morpeth was returned to his old seat in parliament. Mr. Gladstone became colonial secretary, instead of Lord Stanley; and the Duke of Buccleuch succeeded Lord Wharncliffe, as president of the council."
The return of Sir Robert Peel to office, with much
