having a very doubtful support from the
independent Liberals, but even the little band called the Peelites had
entirely crumbled to pieces. In the House of Lords, whilst the Duke of
Newcastle voted with the Opposition, he (Lord Aberdeen) had purposely
abstained from voting, whilst, in the House of Commons, Cardwell moved
the Resolution, and Mr Sidney Herbert would, he believed, vote for it;
Gladstone would speak on the other side, and Sir J. Graham would also
vote with the Government.

He concluded by saying that if the majority against the Government
was a very large one, he thought that Lord Derby ought not to ask to
dissolve; but that he knew that the members of the Government had said
that the present Parliament was elected upon a momentary Palmerstonian
cry, and was quite an exceptional case, and that they would not
consent to be driven from office upon its verdict.

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN AND DISSOLUTION]

_Memorandum by the Prince Albert._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _16th May 1858_.

We saw Lord Derby after church. He brought interesting letters from
Lord Canning to Lord Ellenborough, of which copies follow here. It
is evident that Lord Canning thinks that he is taking a most merciful
course, and expects pacification from his "Proclamation," attributing
the slow coming in of the chiefs to the Proclamation not being yet
sufficiently known.

Lord Ellenborough's, and indeed the Government's, hearts, must have
had curious sensations in reading Lord Canning's frank declaration,
that he did not mean to resign on hearing of the formation of the Tory
Government unless told to do so, and he had no fears that he would
be treated in a way implying want of confidence to make him resign,
feeling safe as to that in Lord Ellenborough's hands!

Lord Derby spoke much of the Debate, which he expects to go on for
another week. He expects to be beaten by from 15 to 35 votes under
present circumstances, but thinks still that he could be saved if it
were known that the Queen had not refused a Dissolution, which was
stoutly maintained by Lord Palmerston's friends. He begged again to
be empowered to contradict the assertion. The Queen maintained that it
would be quite unconstitutional to threaten Parliament, and to use
her name for that purpose. Lord Derby quite agreed, and disclaimed any
such intention, but said there were modes of letting the fact be known
without any risk. We agreed that we could not enter into such detail