to his father (July 9, 1850):--

The letter in which you expressed a desire to be informed by me, so
far as I might be able to speak, whether there was anything in the
rumours circulated with regard to my becoming the leader in
parliament of the conservative party, did not come to my hands
until yesterday. The fact is, that there is nothing whatever in
those rumours beyond mere speculation on things supposed probable
or possible, and they must pass for what they are worth in that
character only. People feel, I suppose, that Sir Robert Peel's life
and continuance in parliament were of themselves powerful obstacles
to the general reorganisation of the conservative party, and as
there is great annoyance and dissatisfaction with the present state
of things, and a widely spread feeling that it is not conducive to
the public interests, there arises in men's minds an expectation
that the party will be in some manner reconstituted. I share in the
feeling that it is desirable; but I see very great difficulties in
the way, and do not at present see how they are to be effectually
overcome. The House of Commons is almost equally divided, indeed,
between those professing liberal and those professing conservative
politics; but the late division [Don Pacifico] showed how ill the
latter could hang together, even when all those who had any
prominent station among them in any sense were united....

Cornewall Lewis wrote,'Upon Gladstone the death of Peel will have the
effect of removing a weight from a spring--he will come forward more and
take more part in discussion. The general opinion is that Gladstone will
renounce his free trade opinions, and become leader of the
protectionists. I expect neither the one event nor the other.'[230] More
interesting still is something told by the Duke of Buccleuch. 'Very
shortly,' said the duke in 1851, 'before Sir Robert Peel's death, he
expressed to me his belief that Sidney Herbert or Gladstone would one
day be premier; but Peel said with sarcasm, If the hour comes, Disraeli
must be made governor-general of India. He will be a second
Ellenborough.'[231]

FOOTNOTES:

[227] Parker, iii. p. 536.

[228] Fragment of 1897.

[229] Mr. Gladstone's Don Pacifico speech is still not quite out of
date.--June 27, _Hansard_, 1850.

[230] _Letters_, p. 226.

[231] Dean Boyle's _Recollections_, p. 32.