Lord John Russell’s statement of measures to be proposed was well received, but as it did not contain reform was a dis- appointment to a part of the House. Mr Walpole spoke privately to Lord John Russell as to his future position in leading the Government in the House of Commons without office. Mr Walpole said it was neither illegal nor unconstitu- tional, but might prove inconvenient as a precedent.
The Speaker said in conversation there was clearly no con- stitutional objection, but that the leadership of the House was so laborious that an office without other duties ought to be assigned to it... .
Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell.
WHISDSOR CASTLE, 13th February 1853. The Queen has received Lord John Russell’s letter of yesterday, and was very glad to hear that he considers the aspect of the House of Commons as favourable to the Government.
Lord John alludes for the first time in his letter to a question on which the Queen has not hitherto expressed her opinion to him personally, viz., how far the proposed new arrangement of Lord John’s holding the leadership of the House of Commons without office was constitutional or not?[1] Her opinion perfectly agrees with that expressed by Mr Walpole to Lord John. If the intended arrangement were undoubtedly illegal it would clearly never have been contemplated at all; but it may prove a dangerous precedent.
The Queen would have been quite prepared to give the pro- position of the Speaker “‘ that the leadership of the House of © Commons was so laborious, that an Office without other duties — ought to be assigned to it,” her fullest and fairest consideration, — upon its merits and its constitutional bearings, which ought — to have been distinctly set forth before her by her constitu= tional advisers for her final and unfettered decision. What the Queen complains of, ‘and, as she believes with © justice, is, that so important an innovation in the construction ~ of the executive Government should have been practically decided upon by an arrangement intended to meet personal wants under peculiar and accidental circumstances, leaving the Queen the embarrassing alternative only, either to forego the exercise of her own prerogative, or to damage by her own act the formation or stability of the new Government, both of paramount importance to the welfare of the Country.
- ↑ See ante, pp. 417, 421.
