wer, and that I should
give my opinion in the written form of a Memorandum, with which Anson
should betake himself to town. He was to read it aloud to Melbourne,
and orally to add what amplifications might be necessary.

And so it was done.

[Pageheading: RELATIONS WITH PEEL]

My Memorandum was as follows:--

Sir Robert Peel has yet to make his position opposite[113] the
Queen, which for him to obtain is important and desirable for
obvious reasons. I have good cause to doubt that Sir Robert
is sure within himself of the good-will and confidence of the
Queen. As long as the secret communication exists between Her
Majesty and Lord Melbourne, this ground, upon which alone Sir
Robert could obtain the position necessary to him as Premier,
must remain cut away from under his feet. I hold, therefore,
this secret interchange an _essential injustice_ to Sir
Robert's present situation. I think it equally wrong to call
upon the Prince to give an opinion on the subject, as he has
not the means to cause his opinion to be either regarded or
complied with. In this particular matter nobody has paramount
power to do right or wrong but the Queen, and more especially
Lord Melbourne himself. To any danger which may come out of
this to Her Majesty's character, the caution and objection
must come from him, and from him alone; and if I was standing
in his shoes I would show the Queen, of my own accord,
and upon constitutional grounds _too_, that a continued
correspondence of that sort must be fraught with imminent
danger to the Queen, especially to Lord Melbourne, and to the
State.

[Footnote 113: _I.e._ with.]

I then gave Anson the further arguments with which he was to accompany
the reading out of this Memo.

[Pageheading: DISCRETION URGED ON MELBOURNE]

[Pageheading: MELBOURNE'S INFLUENCE]

On the next day Anson went to Melbourne and told him that his note to
him had raised a great consultation, that the Prince felt much averse
to giving any opinion in a case upon which he could exercise no
control, and in which, if it was known that he had given his sanction,
he would be held responsible for any mischief which might arise. He
had consulted Baron Stockmar, who had written the enclosed opinion,
which the Prince had desired Anson to read to Lord Melbourne.
Melbourne read it attentively twice through, with an occasional change
of c