confidence of the
House of Commons, or to be responsible for the granting of a committee
which the cabinet had unanimously felt to be unprecedented,
unconstitutional, and dangerous. Lord Palmerston met all this by a
strong practical clincher. He said that the House of Commons was
becoming unruly from the doubts that had gone abroad as to the
intentions of the government with respect to the committee; that the
House was determined to have it; that if they opposed it they should be
beaten by an overwhelming majority; to dissolve upon it would be
ruinous; to resign a fortnight after taking office would make them the
laughingstock of the country.

Mr. Gladstone, Herbert, and Graham then resigned. Of the Peelite group
the Duke of Argyll and Canning remained.

_Feb. 22._--After considering various _sites_, we determined to ask
the Manchester school to yield us, at any rate for to-morrow, the
old place devoted to ex-ministers.[343] Sir J. Graham expressed his
wish to begin the affair, on the proposal of the first name [of the
committee].

Cardwell came at 4 to inform me that he had declined to be my
successor; and showed me his letter, which gave as his reason
disinclination to step into the cabinet over the bodies of his
friends. It seems that Palmerston and Lord Lansdowne, who assists
him, sent Canning to Lord Aberdeen to invoke his aid with Cardwell
and prevail on him to retract. But Lord Aberdeen, though he told
Canning that he disapproved (at variance here with what Graham and
I considered to be his tone on Monday, but agreeing with a note he
wrote in obscure terms the next morning), said he could not make
such a request to Cardwell, or again play the peculiar part he had
acted a fortnight ago. The cabinet on receiving Cardwell's refusal
were at a deadlock. Application was to be made, or had been made,
to Sir Francis Baring, but it seems that he is reluctant; he is,
however, the best card they have to play.

_Feb. 28._--On Sunday, Sir George Lewis called on me, and said my
office had been offered him. This was after being refused by
Cardwell and Baring. He asked my advice as to accepting it. This I
told him I could not give. He asked if I would assist him with
information in case of his accepting. I answered that he might
command me precisely as if instead of resigning I had only removed