The Chancellor,[23] Palmerston, and Hobhouse are strongly for dissolution, but the opinion of the majority is the other way, and in that opinion Lord Melbourne is strongly inclined to agree.
Lord Melbourne will have the honour of waiting upon your Majesty to-morrow at three.
[Footnote 23: The Earl of Cottenham.] [Pageheading: SIR ROBERT PEEL] _Memorandum by Mr Anson._ NOTES UPON AN INTERVIEW WITH SIR ROBERT PEEL (NO.

1).[24] _9th May 1841._ Told Sir Robert that I had wished to have sought him through the medium of a common friend, which would have given him a greater confidence than I had now a right to expect at his hands, but I felt upon so delicate a mission it was safer, and would be more in accordance with his wishes, to come direct.
That the Prince had sent me to him, with the object of removing difficulties upon his coming into office.
That Her Majesty was anxious that the question of the removal of the Ladies of the Bedchamber should not be revived, and would wish that in any personal communication with Sir Robert this question might be avoided.
That it might be arranged that if Sir Robert would not insist upon carrying out his principle, Her Majesty might procure the resignation of any Ladies whom Sir Robert might object to; that I thought there might be a disposition to yield to the removal of the Mistress of the Robes, Lady Normanby, and the Duchess of Bedford, as being connected with leading political persons in Government.
Endeavoured to impress upon Sir Robert that if he acts fairly and kindly towards the Queen, he will be met in the same spirit.
Sir Robert said he had considered the probable object of my interview, and thought, from my former position with Lord Melbourne, that Lord Melbourne would be aware of my coming.

He must be assured of this before he could speak confidentially to me.
Upon this I admitted that Lord Melbourne had knowledge of my intention, but that I was not authorised to say that he had.
Sir Robert said, "I shall put aside all form, and treat you frankly and confidentially.

You may depend upon every word you say being held as sacred.

No part, without further permission, shall be mentioned even to the Duke, much less to any of my other colleagues.
"_I would waive every pretension to office, I declare to God! sooner than that my acceptance of it should be attended with any personal humiliation to the Queen._" He thought that giving in the names of those Ladies whom he considered obnoxious was an offensive course towards the Queen.
For the sake of office, which he did not covet, he could not concede any constitutional principle, but it was not necessary that that principle should be mooted.
"It would be repulsive to my feelings that Her Majesty should part with any of her Ladies, as the _result of a forced stipulation on my part_; in a party sense it would doubtless be advantageous to me to say that I had demanded from the Queen, and the Queen had conceded to me the appointments of these three Ladies." The mode he would like, and which he considered as least objectionable for Her Majesty, was for Her Majesty to say to him, "There is no occasion to revive this constitutional question, as those ladies immediately connected with prominent members of the Administration have sent in their resignation." The vacancies existing before Sir Robert Peel sees Her Majesty, there is no necessity for discussion.
On the one hand, by this means, there was less appearance of insult to the Queen, and on the other, there was no appearance of concession of principle upon his.
Sir Robert was ready to make any personal sacrifice for Her Majesty's comfort, except that of his honour.