or refuse a Dissolution was debated;
the latter declared a most heavy responsibility for the Sovereign to
undertake, but a subject upon which the decision should only be taken
at the time, and on a due consideration of the circumstances.

ALBERT.

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

CHESHAM PLACE, _25th February 1851._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has
the honour to state that having seen the letter which Lord Stanley
addressed to your Majesty, and feeling himself precluded from entering
into any details, he announced to the House of Commons that Lord
Stanley had in reply to your Majesty's offer declared "he was not
_then_ prepared to form a Government."

Mr Disraeli disputed the accuracy of this statement.

Your Majesty's word cannot be called in question, but Lord John
Russell now feels it due to his own honour humbly to ask your Majesty
for a copy of Lord Stanley's letter. He does not propose to read the
letter to the House of Commons, but to refer to it in the statement he
is compelled to make.

Lord John Russell humbly requests that this representation may be
shown to Lord Stanley. He will feel what is due to the honour of a
public man.

[Pageheading: LORD STANLEY ARRIVES]

[Pageheading: MR DISRAELI]

[Pageheading: DISSOLUTION]

_Memorandum by the Prince Albert._

_25th February 1851._
(_Tuesday._)

Lord Stanley obeyed the Queen's summons at eleven o'clock, and seemed
very much concerned when she informed him that Lord John Russell had
given up his task, as differences of opinion, particularly on the
Papal Bill, had prevented a junction between him, Lord Aberdeen, and
Sir James Graham; that an appeal to Lord Aberdeen had been equally
unsuccessful from the same cause, viz. their difficulty in dealing
with the Papal Question; that consequently the contingency had arisen
under which Lord Stanley had promised to undertake the formation of a
Government.

Lord Stanley said his difficulties were immense, and he could not
venture to approach them unless he was sure of every support on the
part of the Crown; that he would have arrayed against him a formidable
opposition of all the talent in the country.

The Queen assured him that he should have every Constitutional support
on her part, of which Lord Stanley repeated he had felt sure, although
the total change must be very trying to the Queen.

On his question, whether there was any hope of Lord Abe