rrogated on the subject, pledge himself to
support Lord John who then saw the promised aid could not be relied on;
for any change in the programme might be regarded as a change of
principle, and no minister takes up the precise programme of his
predecessor. Still, on the 18th Lord John undertook to form a
Government; on the 20th, he writes to the Queen to say he found it
impossible to do so. It was no secret, that Lord Grey's objection to
_one_ appointment was the immediate cause of this failure, nor was it a
secret, that the person objected to was Lord Palmerston.[86] Some,
however, thought that this incident was cleverly laid hold of by Lord
John, to free himself from an untenable position. On the same day Sir
Robert Peel found himself again in the Queen's presence, who at once
announced to him, that instead of taking leave of him, she must request
him to continue in her service. On his return to town he immediately
summoned his late colleagues to meet him. All but two agreed to enter
the Cabinet again. These were Lord Stanley and the Duke of Buccleugh;
the former stood firm to his principles of protection, the latter asked
time for consideration, which resulted in his re-accepting his former
place; the rapid changes and events since the 6th of December giving, he
said, such a new character to things, that he was now of opinion that a
measure for the absolute repeal of the Corn Laws, at an early period,
was the true policy. Thus, after an interregnum of fifteen days, the old
Government, Lord Stanley excepted, was back in power. Mr. Gladstone
replaced Lord Stanley at the Colonial Office, giving "the new
administration the weight of his high character, and great abilities and
acquirements."[87]

FOOTNOTES:

[68] Letter of 17th October: Peel Memoirs, part 3.

[69] Writer of the article Sir R. Peel, in Encycl. Brit.

[70] Memoirs, part 3, page 100.

[71] Ibid.

[72] Memoirs, part 3, page 98.

[73] A short time after this speech was delivered, Mr. D'Israeli
commented upon it with great severity, and made it the ground work of
one of his most bitter attacks on Sir Robert Peel, in the course of
which he made use of the celebrated phrase, "organized hypocrisy."
"Dissolve if you please," said Mr. D'Israeli, "the Parliament you have
betrayed, and appeal to the people, who, I believe, mistrust you. For me
there remains this at least--the opportunity of expressing thus publicly
my belief, that a Conservative Government i