_

_22nd March 1839._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs to
acquaint your Majesty that the Cabinet have decided--

1. That it is impossible to acquiesce in the vote of last night in the
House of Lords.[20]

2. That it would not be justifiable to resign in the face of the
declaration which I made in the year 1836, in the House of Lords, that
I would maintain my post as long as I possessed the confidence of the
Crown and of the House of Commons, particularly as there is no reason
to suppose that we have lost the confidence of the House.

3. That the course to be pursued is to give notice in the House
of Commons to-night, that the sense of that House will be taken
immediately after the Easter Holidays, upon a vote of approbation of
the principles of Lord Normanby's government of Ireland.

If we lose that question, or carry it by a small majority, we must
resign. If we carry it, we may go on.

This is a plain statement of the case, and this course will at least
give your Majesty time to consider what is to be done.

[Footnote 20: By 63 to 58 Lord Roden carried a motion for a
Select Committee to enquire into the state of Ireland; the
Ministry replied by obtaining a vote of the House of Commons
in their favour by 318 to 296.]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

BROCKET HALL,[21] _1st April 1839._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has just
received your Majesty's letters, for which he returns many and warm
thanks. Nothing could be more prosperous than his journey down,
although it rained hard the greater part of the way. Lord Melbourne
slept well, and has walked out this morning, although it was still
showery. Nothing is so fatiguing as the first exposure to the air of
the country, and Lord Melbourne feels the influence of it.

Lord Melbourne returns the letters of the King of the Belgians. He
accounts very naturally for the conduct of the poor Duchess,[22] but
she should have recollected the extreme disadvantage and discredit
which attaches to a change of religion. _Un gentilhomme ne change
jamais la religion_, was the saying of Napoleon, and is very just. It
is difficult to understand the movements and motives of parties in a
foreign country, and therefore Lord Melbourne does not feel able to
pronounce any opinion upon the transactions in France. Lord Melbourne
had seen G----'s letters, a pert jackanapes, who always takes t