Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria.
DEFEAT OF THE GOVERNMENT
Chesham Place, 21st February 1851.
Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to report that on a motion of Mr Locke King's5 yesterday the Government was defeated by a hundred to fifty-two.
This is another circumstance which makes it probable the Ministry cannot endure long. The Tories purposely stayed away.
Footnote 5: For equalising the County and the Borough franchise.
Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians.
Buckingham Palace, 21st February 1851.
My dearest Uncle,—I have only time just to write a few hasty lines to you from Stockmar's room, where I came up to speak to Albert and him, to tell you that we have got a Ministerial crisis; the Ministers were in a great minority last night, and though it was not a question vital to the Government, Lord John feels the support he has received so meagre, and the opposition of so many parties so great, that he must resign! This is very bad, because there is no chance of any other good Government, poor Peel being no longer alive, and not one man of talent except Lord Stanley in the Party;... but Lord John is right not to go on when he is so ill supported, and it will raise him as a political man, and will strengthen his position for the future.
Whether Lord Stanley (to whom I must send to-morrow after the Government have resigned) will be able to form a Government or not, I cannot tell. Altogether, it is very vexatious, and will give us trouble. It is the more provoking, as this country is so very prosperous.