UCKINGHAM PALACE, _9th May 1858_.

The Queen has received Lord Derby's letter of yesterday. She is
very sorry for the further complication likely to arise out of the
communication to the House of Commons of the despatch in full,
which is most unfortunate, not less so than the communication of it
previously to Mr Bright and his friends. The Queen is anxious not to
add to Lord Derby's difficulties, but she must not leave unnoticed the
fact that the despatch in question ought never to have been written
without having been submitted to the Queen. She hopes Lord Derby will
take care that Lord Ellenborough will not repeat this, which must
place her in a most embarrassing position.

[Pageheading: ELLENBOROUGH'S RESIGNATION]

_The Earl of Ellenborough to Queen Victoria._

EATON SQUARE, _10th May 1858_.

Lord Ellenborough presents his most humble duty to your Majesty, and
regarding the present difficult position of your Majesty's Government
as mainly occasioned by the presentation to Parliament of the letter
to the Governor-General with reference to the Proclamation in Oudh,
for which step he considers himself to be solely responsible, he deems
it to be his duty to lay his resignation at your Majesty's feet.

Lord Ellenborough had no other object than that of making it
unmistakably evident to the Governor as well as to the governed in
India that your Majesty was resolved to temper Justice with Clemency,
and would not sanction any measure which did not seem to conduce to
the establishment of permanent peace.[30]

[Footnote 30: On the same day Lord Shaftesbury in the
Lords and Mr Cardwell in the Commons gave notice of Motions
censuring the Government for Lord Ellenborough's despatch. The
debates commenced on the 14th.]

[Pageheading: A CRISIS]

[Pageheading: ELLENBOROUGH'S STATEMENT]

_Memorandum by the Prince Albert._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _11th May 1858_.

Lord Derby had an Audience at twelve o'clock. He said he had received
a copy of Lord Ellenborough's letter, and had told him that should
the Queen consult him (Lord Derby) he should advise her to accept the
resignation, Lord Ellenborough had behaved in the handsomest
manner, and expressed his belief that he had brought bad luck to the
Government, for this was now the second difficulty into which they had
got by his instrumentality, the first having been the Election Clause
in the India Bill. Lord Derby hoped that this resignation wo