Earl Russell informed the Lords on Tuesday night that his
resignation had been accepted. Her Majesty had at first con- sidered the vote a question of detail, and requested him to resume office, but after explanations not described to the House had agreed to the measure. His reason for resignation was, in brief, the defeat of his Reform Bill, which he ascribed to Lord Derhy's failure to keep his promise to "treat the Bill fairly." Either he had broken his promise, or the members who attended the meetings at Lord Salisbury's residence were very bad pupils, for they were not fair. This called up Lord Derby, who in a bitter speech declared that the amendments had not come from him, but from the Liberal members, and insinuated that the Cabinet never meant their resignations to be accepted. Lord Granville answered this by an assurance that the Cabinet had been unanimous, told the Peers they were less fair to him than working men had been to Lord Elcho, reminded Lord Derby that one amendment had been proposed by his own son, and declared that a majority of the Cabinet wished to resign after the division on Earl Grosvenor's motion.
