made him the coveted communication:--

_Whitehall, May 13, 1843._

MY DEAR GLADSTONE,--I have proposed to the Queen that Lord Ripon
should succeed my lamented friend and colleague, Lord Fitzgerald,
as president of the board of control. I, at the same time,
requested her Majesty's permission (and it was most readily
conceded) to propose to you the office of president of the board of
trade, with a seat in the cabinet. If it were not for the occasion
of the vacancy I should have had unmixed satisfaction in thus
availing myself of the earliest opportunity that has occurred since
the formation of the government, of giving a wider scope to your
ability to render public service, and of strengthening that
government by inviting your aid as a minister of the crown. For
myself personally, and I can answer also for every other member of
the government, the prospect of your accession to the cabinet is
very gratifying to our feelings.--Believe me, my dear Gladstone,
with sincere esteem and regard, most truly yours,

ROBERT PEEL.

At two to-day (May 13), Mr. Gladstone records, I went to Sir R.
Peel's on the subject of his letter. I began by thanking him for
the indulgent manner in which he had excused my errors, and more
than appreciated any services I might have rendered, and for the
offer he had made and the manner of it. I said that I went to the
board of trade without knowledge or relish, but had been very happy
there; found quite enough to occupy my mind, enough responsibility
for my own strength, and had no desire to move onwards, but should
be perfectly satisfied with any arrangement which he might make as
to Lord Ripon's successor. He spoke most warmly of service
received, said he could not be governed by any personal
considerations, and this which he proposed was obviously the right
arrangement. I then stated the substance of what I had put in my
memorandum, first on the opium question, to which his answer was,
that the immediate power and responsibility lay with the East India
Company; he did not express agreement with my view of the
cultivation of the drug, but said it was a minor subject as
compared with other imperial interests constantly brought under
di