This arrangement
failing, Lord Clarendon was to undertake it, but Lord Clarendon was
now gone himself to try to persuade Lord, or rather Lady, John to
accept--at least temporarily--declaring his readiness to take it
off his hands at any time if he should find the work too heavy. Lord
Aberdeen had no hope, however, of Lord Clarendon's success. Then
there would come the grave Constitutional Question of establishing the
novelty of a Leader in the House of Commons who held no office. Lord
John had seen the danger of being exposed to the reproach that he had
slipped into office without having gone through the popular ordeal
of a re-election, and had proposed to obviate this by accepting
the Stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds, and then having himself
re-elected for the City of London. But this would not meet all the
objections, for it would still be considered unconstitutional that
he should lead the business of the Government in the House of Commons
without the responsibility of office. The Leader of the House of
Commons was an irresponsible person, and Lord John's saying: "I shall
represent you (Lord Aberdeen) in the House of Commons," would be
equally unconstitutional. Lord John must therefore be prevailed upon
to take the Chancellorship of the Duchy of Lancaster, though he
felt no inclination to become the successor of Mr Christopher. Lord
Aberdeen read a Memorandum of Lord John's, containing his political
views on the crisis and the principles of the new Government, of which
he is to send the Queen a copy.

_For the Colonial Office._--Lord Aberdeen wavered between Sir J.
Graham and Mr Gladstone; either could be this, or Chancellor of the
Exchequer. Lord John wished Sir James as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
We argued the greater capabilities of Sir James for the Administration
of the Colonies, and Mr Gladstone for the Finances.

_Chancellor of the Exchequer_--therefore, Mr Gladstone.
_Admiralty_--Mr Sidney Herbert.
_Board of Control_--Sir C. Wood.
_Board of Trade_--Lord Granville.
_Board of Works_--Sir F. Baring.

(Baring and Wood being the two men whom Lord John had insisted on
having on the Treasury Bench sitting by his side.)

_Postmaster_--Lord Canning.
_Secretary-at-War_--Mr Cardwell.

These would form the Cabinet. Upon Ireland no decision had been
come to, though Lord Granville was generally pointed out as the best
Lord-Lieutenant.

Lord Aberdeen was very much pleased with the entire confi