taken place. The opposition to the Bill was concerted by Lord
John Russell and Sir James Graham; see Parker's _Sir James
Graham_, vol. ii. p. 236, and the observation of the Prince,
_post_, 21st February, 1858. The purport of the Amendment was
to postpone any reform in the criminal law till the French
despatch had been replied to.]

[Footnote 6: See Ashley's _Life of Lord Palmerston_, vol. ii.
p. 146.]

[Pageheading: RESIGNATION OF THE GOVERNMENT]

[Pageheading: LORD DERBY SUMMONED]

[Pageheading: OFFER TO LORD DERBY]

_Memorandum by the Prince Albert._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _21st February 1858_.

Lord Palmerston came at five o'clock from the Cabinet, and tendered
his resignation in his own name, and that of his Colleagues. The
Cabinet had well considered their position and found that, as the vote
passed by the House, although the result of an accidental combination
of parties, was virtually a vote of censure upon their conduct, they
could not with honour or with any advantage to the public service
carry on the Government.

The combination was the whole of the Conservative Party (Lord Derby's
followers), Lord John Russell, the Peelites, with Mr Gladstone and
the whole of the Radicals; but the Liberal Party generally is just now
very angry with Lord Palmerston personally, chiefly on account of his
apparent submission to French dictation, and the late appointment of
Lord Clanricarde as Privy Seal, who is looked upon as a reprobate.[7]
Lord Clanricarde's presence in the House of Commons during the Debate,
and in a conspicuous place, enraged many supporters of Lord Palmerston
to that degree that they voted at once with the Opposition.

[Footnote 7: Since his triumph at the polls in 1857, Lord
Palmerston had been somewhat arbitrary in his demeanour, and
had defied public opinion by taking Lord Clanricarde into the
Government, after some unpleasant disclosures in the Irish
Courts. While walking home on the 18th, after obtaining an
immense majority on the India Bill, he was told by Sir Joseph
Bethell that he ought, like the Roman Consuls in a triumph,
to have some one to remind him that he was, as a minister, not
immortal. Next day he was defeated.]

The Queen wrote to Lord Derby the letter here following;[8] he came a
little after six o'clock. He stated that nobody was more surprised
in his life than he had been at the result of the Debate, af