ds, certainly not on his own part, any
difficulty under existing circumstances, in co-operating with Lord
Clarendon; but the present political relations between Lord Clarendon
and Lord Derby's friends are such that, except upon a special
injunction from your Majesty, and under your Majesty's immediate
sanction, he would not be justified in making any overtures in that
direction.[20] Should Lord Derby receive any communication from Mr
Gladstone or Mr. Sidney Herbert before morning, he will send it down
to your Majesty by the earliest opportunity in the morning. Lord Derby
trusts that your Majesty will forgive the haste in which he writes,
having actually, at the moment of receiving Lord Palmerston's answer,
written a letter to say that he could not longer detain your Majesty's
messenger. Lord Derby will take no farther step until he shall have
been honoured by your Majesty's farther commands.

The above is humbly submitted by your Majesty's most dutiful Servant
and Subject,

DERBY.

[Pageheading: LORD DERBY'S REFUSAL]

_Memorandum by the Prince Albert._

_1st February 1855._

Lord Derby came down here at eleven o'clock, and brought with him two
letters he had received from Mr Gladstone and Mr Sidney Herbert, who
both declared their willingness to give Lord Derby's Government an
independent support, but on mature consideration their impossibility
to take office in his Administration. Lord Derby said, as to
the independent support, it reminded him of the definition of an
independent Member of Parliament, viz. one that could not be depended
upon. Under the circumstances, he would not be able to form such an
Administration as could effectively carry on the Government.

[Footnote 20: Although opposed to the ordinary procedure
of party government, there were recent precedents for such
overtures being made. When the Whigs displaced Peel in 1846,
Lord John Russell attempted to include three of the outgoing
Ministers in his Cabinet, and on the formation of the
Coalition Ministry, negotiations were on foot to retain Lord
St. Leonards on the woolsack.]

He thought that Lord Palmerston had at first been willing to join,
but it was now evident that the three letters had been written in
concert.[21]

[Footnote 21: Lord Palmerston wrote that, upon reflection, he
had come to the conclusion that he would not, by joining
the Government, give to it that stability which Lord Derby