e circle of your experience. _I
approve very highly of the whole mode in which you proceeded_;
you acted with great _good faith_ and _fairness_, and when finally
propositions were made which you considered you could not submit to,
you were very right to resist them. The march of the whole affair is
very clear and fair, and does you _great credit_.... Peel in making
his demand misjudged you; he remembered George IV., and even the late
King, and dreamt of Court influence of people near the Sovereign. You
have the great merit, for which you cannot be too much praised, of
being _extremely honest_ and honourable in your dealings. If you had
kept Peel, you would have acted honestly by him, without any Lady's
having a chance of doing him a bad turn. When he asked the measure
as an expression of your great confidence in him, it was not fair,
because _you_ had not wished to take him; he was forced upon you, and
therefore, even if you had granted his request, nobody would have seen
in it a proof of your confidence in him, but rather a sacrifice to a
far-stretched pretence.

Besides, that he was to have encountered difficulties as a Minister
was partly the consequence of the policy of his party, and you were
not bound to give him any assistance beyond what he had a right to ask
as a Minister. I was sure that Lord Melbourne would give you both the
fairest and the most honourable advice in this painful crisis. He was
kind enough last year to speak to me on the subject, and I could but
approve what he said on the subject. Altogether, keeping now your
old Ministers, you will have reason to congratulate yourself on the
result; it is likely to strengthen them, by showing the Radicals what
may be the consequences.

Rumour spoke of their wishing to add some Radicals to the Cabinet;
I don't see that they could improve the Ministry by it, which is
perfectly well composed as it is at present, and new elements often
have a dissolving effect. It was very kind of you to have explained
everything so clearly to me, but I deserve it for the _great interest_
I take in all that concerns you....

[Pageheading: A SMALL LIBERAL MAJORITY]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

_6th June 1839._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has
the honour to report that Sir Robert Peel's Bill[44] was discussed
yesterday in the House of Commons, with great fairness and an entire
absence of party spirit.

Viscount Melb