m;
but that his majesty begged to assure his most faithful commons that he
should call upon his privy-council without delay, for a report of the
proceedings they had adopted on the subject, in order to enable his
majesty to judge what would be the best mode of carrying into effect
the wishes of his faithful commons respecting a charter to the London
University, and what might be the conditions on which it should be
granted." These questions, however, did not distinctly affect the
government. Frequent hints, indeed, were given to Sir Robert Peel that
he ought to retire; but as yet no motion was ventured which, if carried,
must necessarily have led to that result. On one occasion, Lord John
Russell having remarked that all the prerogatives of the crown seemed in
a fair way of being successively compromised, in the course of what he
called an attempt on the part of the administration to govern with
a majority of tire house of commons against them, Sir Robert-Peel
complained that the opposition did not bring the question of the
retirement of the ministry to a fair issue. No one was more anxious for
this, he said, than he himself was; and if the opposition could not find
a day for the purpose, he would facilitate their views. He asked Lord
John Russell whether, if ministers had thrown up the government, he
would not have turned round on them and said, "You are guilty of a
cowardly abandonment of office; you never meant to remove grievances; we
never brought forward a direct vote of censure; we were prepared to hear
your propositions; but you yourself have shrunk from the trial." Mr.
Hume admitted that ministers had reason to complain that the question
had not yet been brought to an issue; but he hinted at the same time the
opposition would take their own time and day for the attack. Lord John
Russell said, that if a direct vote of want of confidence had been
brought forward, ministers might have gained a number of votes on the
plea of being unfairly treated. They might have said to the opposition,
"You now preclude us from being heard; you want to condemn us without
trial; and to reject our reforms before you are able to judge of them."
He would not expose himself to the chance of receiving such an answer;
he would wait for the promised measures of reform. The reply sent by
the king to the house of commons on the 1st of April created great
dissatisfaction in the minds of the liberal members, and among their
supporters in the