or recruiting the Army, and
this will never be done harmoniously and well, unless they both be
brought under the same control.

With reference to the Investiture of the Garter, the Queen need not
assure Lord Aberdeen that there are few, if any, on whom she will
confer the Blue Ribbon with greater pleasure than on so kind and
valued a friend as he is to us both.

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

CHESHAM PLACE, _24th January 1855._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty; he has had
the honour of receiving your Majesty's gracious invitation to Windsor
Castle. He would have waited upon your Majesty this day had he not
been constrained by a sense of duty to write to Lord Aberdeen last
night a letter of which he submits a copy.

Lord John Russell trusts your Majesty will be graciously pleased to
comply at once with his request. But he feels it would be right to
attend your Majesty's farther commands before he has the honour of
waiting upon your Majesty.

[Pageheading: MR. ROEBUCK'S MOTION]

[_Enclosure in previous Letter._]

_Lord John Russell to the Earl of Aberdeen._

CHESHAM PLACE, _23rd January 1855._

MY DEAR LORD ABERDEEN,--Mr Roebuck has given notice of a Motion to
enquire into the conduct of the war. I do not see how this Motion is
to be resisted. But as it involves a censure of the War Departments
with which some of my colleagues are connected, my only course is to
tender my resignation.

I therefore have to request you will lay my humble resignation of the
office, which I have the honour to hold, before the Queen, with the
expression of my gratitude for Her Majesty's kindness for many years.
I remain, my dear Lord Aberdeen, yours very truly,

J. RUSSELL.

[Pageheading: LORD JOHN RUSSELL RESIGNS]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

WINDSOR CASTLE, 24th _January 1855._

The Queen has this moment received Lord John Russell's letter and
enclosure, and must express to him her surprise and concern at hearing
so abruptly of his intention to desert her Government on the Motion of
Mr Roebuck.

_Memorandum by the Prince Albert._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _25th January 1855._

Yesterday evening Lord Aberdeen came down here. He had heard that Lord
John had written to the Queen, and she showed him the correspondence.
He then reported that Lord John's letter to him had come without the
slightest notice and warning, and whatever the cause for it might be