as taken. In the
opinion of Mr. Henry Taylor this decision led to
twenty-six years of misgovernment in the Colonies, and
at length to the outbreak of the negroes in Jamaica in
October 1865, which was only suppressed by the energy
of Governor Eyre. Government by the Crown, which the
Colonial Department had vainly advocated in 1839, was
established in 1866, with excellent results to the
Colony.]

May 10th, 1839 {p.199}

I left town on Monday, having in the morning seen Le Marchant,
who knows better than anybody the numbers and details of
divisions; and he told me that they should have a majority of
twenty: little, therefore, was I prepared to hear on Tuesday
morning that they had been left with only a majority of five. It
was not till they were in the House of Commons that they were
aware of the defections, and of the probability of a close
division, if not of a defeat. About ten of the Radicals voted
against them, and ten or a dozen stayed away; six of the Tories
voted with Government, but the balance was quite enough to reduce
the old majority to an equality. On Tuesday the Cabinet met, and
resolved to resign. The Queen had not been prepared for this
catastrophe and was completely upset by it. Her agitation and
grief were very great. In her interview with Lord John Russell
she was all the time dissolved in tears; and she dined in her own
room, and never appeared on the Tuesday evening. Melbourne
advised her to send for the Duke, and on Wednesday morning she
sent for him. By this time she had regained her calmness and
self-possession. She told him that she was very sorry for what
had occurred, and for having to part with her Ministers,
particularly Lord Melbourne, for whom she felt the warmest
regard, and who had acted an almost parental part towards her.
The Duke was excessively pleased with her behaviour and with her
frankness. He told her that his age and his deafness
incapacitated him from serving her as efficiently as he could
desire, and that the leader of the House of Commons ought to be
her Prime Minister, and he advised her to send for Peel. She
said, 'Will you desire him to come to me?' He told her that he
would do anything; but, he thought, under the circumstances, it
would be better that she should write to him herself. She said
she would, but begged him to go and announce to Peel that he
might expect her letter. This the