(Ch. X, 'Lord Brougham'; 'Peers and Audiences')]

[Footnote 121: Francis William, fifth Viscount Charlemont
(1775-1863), created a Peer of the United Kingdom in 1837.]

[Pageheading: GOVERNOR-GENERALSHIP OF INDIA]

[Pageheading: LORD ELLENBOROUGH]

_Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria._

_9th October 1841._

Sir Robert Peel, with his humble duty to your Majesty, begs leave
to inform your Majesty that in consequence of the opinion which your
Majesty was graciously pleased to express when Sir Robert Peel last
had the honour of waiting upon your Majesty, with respect to the
superior qualifications of Lord Ellenborough for the important
trust of Governor-General of India, Sir Robert Peel saw his Lordship
yesterday, and enquired whether he would permit Sir Robert Peel to
propose his appointment to your Majesty.

Lord Ellenborough was very much gratified by the proposal, admitted at
once that it was very difficult to find an unexceptionable candidate
for an office of such pre-eminent importance, but made some difficulty
on two points.

First--Considerations of health, which though disregarded personally,
might, he feared, interfere with the execution of such unremitting and
laborious duties as would devolve upon the Governor-General of India.

Secondly--The consideration that on his acceptance of the office he
would be required by law to give up during his tenure of it no less
than L7,500 per annum, the amount of compensation now paid to him in
consequence of the abolition of a very valuable office[122] which he
held in the Courts of Law.

During Lord Ellenborough's conversation with Sir Robert Peel, and
while the mind of Lord Ellenborough was very much in doubt as to the
policy of his acceptance of the office, the box which contained your
Majesty's note of yesterday was brought to Sir Robert Peel.

Sir Robert Peel humbly acquaints your Majesty that he ventured to read
to Lord Ellenborough on the instant the concluding paragraph of your
Majesty's note, namely--

"The more the Queen thinks of it, the more she thinks that Lord
Ellenborough would be far the most fit person to send to India."

Sir Robert Peel is perfectly convinced that this opinion of your
Majesty, so graciously expressed, removed every doubt and difficulty
from Lord Ellenborough's mind, and decided him to forgo every personal
consideration rather than appear unmindful of such a favourable
impression of his qualifications for pu