st
course, admitting as I do that it involves the necessity for the
immediate consideration of the alterations to be made in the existing
Corn Law, such alterations to take effect after the period of
suspension. I should rather say it involves the question of the
principle and degree of protection to agriculture."[85]

Several of the Cabinet Ministers sent replies to the Premier's
memorandum before the day for their next meeting, which replies he
thought might lead to long discussions without any practical result, so
on the 2nd of December he brought before them, in another memorandum,
what he calls a specific measure--the announcement, in fact, that if the
ports were once opened the Corn duties could not be re-imposed; and
whether the ports were or were not opened, he said the state of those
laws must be re-considered--nay more, that they must gradually, but, "at
no distant day," be repealed. He finally stated in this paper the
principles on which he was ready to undertake that repeal.

When this last memorandum was prepared, the Cabinet was in a sort of
permanent session: Sir Robert Peel tells us its discussions continued
from the 25th of November to the 5th of December. With the exception of
the Duke of Buccleugh and Lord Stanley, his colleagues gave their
consent to his proposal; in some instances, however, he felt it was a
reluctant consent. Under such circumstances, he considered he could not
succeed in a complete and final adjustment of the Corn Law; so, on the
5th of December, he repaired to Osborne and placed his resignation in
the hands of the Queen.

Lord John Russell was summoned by the Queen on the 8th of December; he
was still at Edinburgh and was unable to present himself before her
Majesty until the 11th. He was in the unfortunate position of being in a
minority in the House of Commons. However, being empowered to form an
administration, he asked for time to consult his political friends;
besides which he also opened a communication with the late First Lord,
to see how far he could reckon on his support, at least with respect to
the question of the Corn Laws. He received from Sir Robert Peel what
seemed a kind and re-assuring answer; but although Sir Robert, in his
letter to the Queen of the 8th of December, told her Majesty he would
support the new Government in carrying out the principles, to carry out
which a majority of the members of his own Cabinet refused to aid him;
still he did not, when inte