Lord Melbourne has no doubt that Sir Robert Peel has the most anxious wish to do everything that can be agreeable to your Majesty.
Your Majesty should not omit to speak fully and seriously to him upon the disposal of great appointments.

Their Diplomatic Corps, from which Ambassadors and Governors are generally taken, is the weakest part of their establishment.

They have amongst them men of moderate abilities and of doubtful integrity, who yet have held high offices and have strong claims upon them.

The public service may suffer most essentially by the employment of such men.

Lord Melbourne would say to Peel that "affairs depend more upon the hands to which they are entrusted than upon any other cause, and that you hope he will well consider those whose appointment to high and important situations he sanctions, and that he will not suffer claims of connection or of support to overbalance a due regard for your Majesty's service and the welfare of the country." Such an expression of your Majesty's opinion may possibly be a support to Sir Robert Peel against pretensions which he would be otherwise unable to resist; but this is entirely submitted to your Majesty's judgment, seeing that your Majesty, from an exact knowledge of all that is passing, must be able to form a much more correct opinion of the propriety and discretion of any step than Lord Melbourne can do....
Lord Melbourne has a letter from Lord John Russell, rather eager for active opposition; but Lord Melbourne will write to your Majesty more fully upon these subjects from Woburn.
[Pageheading: CANADA] _Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._ WOBURN ABBEY, _12th September 1841._ Lord Melbourne has this morning received your Majesty's letter of yesterday.