Lady B---- has ten times the sense of her mother, and a little residue of her folly.
[Footnote 119: Ex-First Commissioner of Land Revenue.] [Footnote 120: See _ante_, pp.

293 and 335-6.
(Ch.

X, 'Lord Brougham'; 'Peers and Audiences')] [Footnote 121: Francis William, fifth Viscount Charlemont (1775-1863), created a Peer of the United Kingdom in 1837.] [Pageheading: GOVERNOR-GENERALSHIP OF INDIA] [Pageheading: LORD ELLENBOROUGH] _Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria._ _9th October 1841._ Sir Robert Peel, with his humble duty to your Majesty, begs leave to inform your Majesty that in consequence of the opinion which your Majesty was graciously pleased to express when Sir Robert Peel last had the honour of waiting upon your Majesty, with respect to the superior qualifications of Lord Ellenborough for the important trust of Governor-General of India, Sir Robert Peel saw his Lordship yesterday, and enquired whether he would permit Sir Robert Peel to propose his appointment to your Majesty.
Lord Ellenborough was very much gratified by the proposal, admitted at once that it was very difficult to find an unexceptionable candidate for an office of such pre-eminent importance, but made some difficulty on two points.
First--Considerations of health, which though disregarded personally, might, he feared, interfere with the execution of such unremitting and laborious duties as would devolve upon the Governor-General of India.
Secondly--The consideration that on his acceptance of the office he would be required by law to give up during his tenure of it no less than L7,500 per annum, the amount of compensation now paid to him in consequence of the abolition of a very valuable office[122] which he held in the Courts of Law.
During Lord Ellenborough's conversation with Sir Robert Peel, and while the mind of Lord Ellenborough was very much in doubt as to the policy of his acceptance of the office, the box which contained your Majesty's note of yesterday was brought to Sir Robert Peel.
Sir Robert Peel humbly acquaints your Majesty that he ventured to read to Lord Ellenborough on the instant the concluding paragraph of your Majesty's note, namely-- "The more the Queen thinks of it, the more she thinks that Lord Ellenborough would be far the most fit person to send to India." Sir Robert Peel is perfectly convinced that this opinion of your Majesty, so graciously expressed, removed every doubt and difficulty from Lord Ellenborough's mind, and decided him to forgo every personal consideration rather than appear unmindful of such a favourable impression of his qualifications for public service on the part of his Sovereign.
Sir Robert Peel humbly hopes that your Majesty will not disapprove of the use which he made of a confidential note from your Majesty.
As your Majesty kindly permitted Sir Robert Peel to send occasionally letters to your Majesty of a private rather than a public character, he ventures to enclose one from the Duke of Wellington on the subject of the appointment of Governor-General.
Sir Robert Peel had observed to the Duke of Wellington that he had great confidence in Lord Ellenborough's integrity, unremitting industry, and intimate knowledge of Indian affairs; that his only fear was that Lord Ellenborough might err from _over-activity_ and eagerness--but that he hoped his tendency to hasty decisions would be checked by the experience and mature judgment of Indian advisers on the spot.
The Duke of Wellington's comments have reference to these observations of Sir Robert Peel.

Your Majesty will nevertheless perceive that the Duke considers, upon the whole, "that Lord Ellenborough is better qualified than any man in England for the office of Governor-General." [Footnote 122: He was Joint Chief Clerk of the Pleas in the Queen's Bench, a sinecure conferred on him by his father, who was Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, 1802-1818.] [Pageheading: AFFAIRS IN SPAIN] _Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._ WINDSOR CASTLE, _12th October 1841._ MY DEAREST UNCLE,--- ...

Respecting the Spanish affairs,[123] I can give you perfectly satisfactory intelligence concerning the Infants' return.