party to the most serious inroad which has yet
been made upon it. It is the introduction of the principle into
our legislation that the Sovereign is no longer the source of all
appointments under the Crown, but that these appointments are the
property of individuals under a Parliamentary title, which the Queen
feels bound to resist. Lord John Russell's Motion and Sir James
Graham's speech only went to the Civil appointments; but after their
Motion had been carried on a division, Lord Stanley gave way to Sir
De Lacy Evans also with regard to a _portion of the Army!_ If this
principle is recognised and sanctioned by the entire legislature, its
future extension can no longer be resisted on constitutional grounds,
and Lord John in fact reminded Lord Stanley that the latter had
stated that he only refrained from making the application general from
thinking it _premature_, himself being of opinion that it ought to
be carried further, and yet its extension to the Army reduces the
Sovereign to a mere signing machine, as, to carry the case to its
extreme consequence, _Law_ would _compel_ her to sign the Commission
for the officers, and they might have the right to sue at law for the
recovery of their property vested in them by Act of Parliament (viz.,
their Commissions) if the Crown doubted for any reason the fitness of
an appointment!! Have these consequences been considered and brought
distinctly before Parliament? It strikes the Queen that all the
Commons want is a Parliamentary security against the abolition of the
Competitive System of Examinations by the Executive. Can this not
be obtained by means less subversive of the whole character of our
Constitution? The Queen cannot believe that Lord Derby could not find
means to come to some agreement with the Opposition, and she trusts he
will leave nothing undone to effect this.

[Footnote 45: The Lords Amendments on the subject of
competitive examination were rejected by a majority of
thirteen in the Commons, and, in the circumstances, Lord Derby
had advised abiding by the decision and not risking another
defeat.]

[Pageheading: NAVAL ESTIMATES]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Derby._

OSBORNE, _2nd August 1858_.

The Queen feels it her duty to address a few lines to Lord Derby on
the subject of the reports made to Sir John Pakington on the subject
of the French Naval preparations, to which she has already verbally
adverted when she saw Lord D