Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria.
6th July 1839.
Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to report that Mr. Rice yesterday brought forward his financial statement with great ability.
He moved a resolution in favour of a penny postage, which Sir Robert Peel declared it to be his intention to oppose on the report. This will be on Friday next. This seems a mistake on the part of the Opposition.46
Footnote 46: The penny postage scheme came into operation on 10th January 1840.
Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne.
THE QUEEN AND PRINCE ALBERT
Buckingham Palace, 12th July 1839.
(20 minutes to 12.)
The Queen is really quite shocked to see that her box was taken to Lord Melbourne to Park Lane, and she fears (by the manner in which Lord Melbourne's note is written) that he was at dinner at Lady Elizabeth H. Vere's when he got it. The Queen had imagined that the House of Lords was still sitting, and therefore desired them to take the box there, but never had intended it should follow him to dinner; she begs Lord Melbourne to excuse this mistake which must have appeared so strange.