After a long pause he said, "_I certainly cannot think it right_," though he felt sure that some medium of communication of this sort was no new precedent.

He took care never to say anything which could bring his opinion in opposition _to Sir Robert's, and he should distinctly advise the Queen to adhere to her Ministers in everything,[116] unless he saw the time had arrived at which it might be resisted_.[117] The principal evil, replied Anson, to be dreaded from the continuance of Lord Melbourne's influence was, according to the Baron's opinion, that so long as the Queen felt she could resort to Lord Melbourne for his advice, she never would be disposed (from not feeling the necessity) to place any real confidence in the advice she received from Peel.
[Footnote 114: No doubt Lord Melbourne said an "apple-pie" opinion.] [Footnote 115: At the opening of the Session Lord Ripon had reprobated the late Government for resorting to temporary expedients, and Lord Melbourne, on the second reading of the Exchequer-bills Funding Bill, caustically but good-humouredly replied to the attack.] [Footnote 116: _Note by Baron Stockmar._--If he wishes to carry this out consistently and quite honestly, what then is the value of his advice, if it be only the copy of that of Sir R.Peel ?] [Footnote 117: _Note by Baron Stockmar._--This means, in my way of reading it: "The Queen, by her correspondence with me, puts Peel into my hands, and there I mean to let him stay unhurt, until time and extraneous circumstances--but more especially the advantage that will accrue to me by my secret correspondence with the Queen--shall enable me to plunge, in all security, the dagger into his back."] _The Earl of Liverpool to Baron Stockmar._[118] FIFE HOUSE, _7th October 1841._ MY DEAR BARON,--Peel sent for me this morning to speak to me about the contents of his letter to me.

After some general conversation on matters respecting the Royal Household, he said that he had had much satisfaction in his intercourse lately with Her Majesty, and specifically yesterday, and he asked me whether I had seen Her Majesty or the Prince yesterday, and whether they were satisfied with him.

I told him that except in public I had not seen Her Majesty, and except for a moment in your room I had not seen the Prince; but that as he spoke to me on this matter, I must take the opportunity of saying a word to him about _you_, from whom I had learnt yesterday that both the Queen and Prince are extremely well pleased with him.

That I had known you very long, but that our great intimacy began when King Leopold sent you over just previous to the Queen's accession; that we had acted together on that occasion, and that our mutual esteem and intimacy had increased; that your position was a very peculiar one, and that you might be truly said to be a species of second parent to the Queen and the Prince; that your only object was their welfare, and your only ambition to be of service to them; that in this sense you had communicated with Melbourne, and that I wished that in this sense you should communicate with him (Peel).