culated to prevent so great a breach of
the constitution from being drawn into a precedent."

On the first point thus raised, for the dismissal of the late ministry
without any such cause as is usually furnished by an adverse vote of one
of the Houses of Parliament, Peel frankly admitted that his acceptance
of office rendered him constitutionally responsible, though, as he also
said, it was notorious that in fact he had, and could have had, no
previous knowledge of it; but he denied that any constitutional question
whatever was involved in it, since the King's right was denied by no
one; and he could, therefore, only consent to discuss it as a question
of policy and expediency. And, looking at it in this light, he regarded
his defence as easy and complete. He contended that the events of the
past year, the resignation of several of the subordinate ministers, and
finally of Lord Grey himself, and the proposal which had been made to
him (Peel) and several of his friends to coalesce with Lord Melbourne,
rendered the act by which the late government had been removed perfectly
justifiable on the part both of the King and of himself; that the King
was justified in thinking a wholly fresh arrangement preferable to a
re-arrangement of Lord Melbourne's cabinet; and he himself in obeying
his sovereign's commands to form a new administration.

The wisdom and propriety of the dissolution, too, could only be examined
as a question of expediency; but in this instance every consideration
not only recommended but compelled it. "When he undertook the arduous
duties now imposed upon him, he did determine that he would leave no
constitutional effort untried to enable him satisfactorily to discharge
the trust imposed in him. He did fear that if he had met the late
Parliament he should have been obstructed in his course, and obstructed
in a manner and at a season which might have precluded an appeal to the
people. It was the constant boast of the late government that the late
Parliament had unbounded confidence in them. And, if that Parliament
was, as had been constantly asserted, relied upon as ready to condemn
him without a hearing, could any one be surprised at his appeal to the
judgment of another, a higher and a fairer tribunal, the public sense of
the people?" Precedent, too, was in his favor on this point, since,
"whenever an extensive change of government had occurred, a dissolution
of Parliament had followed;" and he referred to th