icial appointments which the
death of Earl Spencer had rendered necessary, Lord John Russell being
the individual selected as leader of the house of commons; but the king
thought that business could not be carried on by such a ministry as
it was proposed to construct, and he expressed his opinion that Lord
Brougham could not continue chancellor, as well as his dissatisfaction
with the selection of the members of the cabinet who were to frame
the Irish church bill. The king, in fact, announced that he should
not impose upon Lord Melbourne the task of completing the official
arrangements, but would apply to the Duke of Wellington.

SIR ROBERT PEEL APPOINTED PRIME-MINISTER.

Having thus dismissed the cabinet, his majesty sent for the Duke of
Wellington, who advised him to entrust the government to Sir Robert
Peel. As Sir Robert, however, was in Italy, he offered to carry on
the public business till his return. This course was adopted, and as
a temporary arrangement, his grace was appointed first lord of the
treasury, and sworn in as one of the principal secretaries of state. On
the 21st of November, Lord Lyndhurst received the great seal, and
took the oaths as lord-chancellor, but he did not resign the office of
lord-chief-baron till the settlement of the ministry in December. Sir
Robert Peel, who had been sent for by a special messenger, arrived on
the 9th of that month, and one of his first steps was to propose to
Lord Stanley and Sir James Graham that they should be members of the new
administration; but they both declined pledging themselves to the extent
to which they might be considered bound by the acceptance of office. The
official arrangements, however, were completed by the end of December,
and the new cabinet consisted of the following members:--Sir Robert
Peel, first lord of the treasury; Lord Lyndhurst, lord-chancellor;
the Earl of Rossyln, president of the council; Lord Wharncliffe,
lord-privy-seal; the Duke of Wellington, secretary-of-state for foreign
affairs; Mr. Goulburn, secretary-of-state for the home department; the
Earl of Aberdeen, colonial secretary; Mr. Alexander Baring, president of
the board or trade; Sir George Murray, master-general of the ordnance;
Sir E. Knatchbull, paymaster of the forces; Earl de Grey, first lord
of the admiralty; Lord Ellenborough, president of the board of
control; Lord Maryborough, postmaster-general; the Earl of Jersey,
lord-chamberlain; the Earl of Roden, lord-s