On his return to town he immediately
summoned his late colleagues to meet him. All but two agreed to enter
the Cabinet again. These were Lord Stanley and the Duke of Buccleugh;
the former stood firm to his principles of protection, the latter asked
time for consideration, which resulted in his re-accepting his former
place; the rapid changes and events since the 6th of December giving, he
said, such a new character to things, that he was now of opinion that a
measure for the absolute repeal of the Corn Laws, at an early period,
was the true policy. Thus, after an interregnum of fifteen days, the old
Government, Lord Stanley excepted, was back in power. Mr. Gladstone
replaced Lord Stanley at the Colonial Office, giving "the new
administration the weight of his high character, and great abilities and
acquirements."[87]
FOOTNOTES:
[68] Letter of 17th October: Peel Memoirs, part 3.
[69] Writer of the article Sir R. Peel, in Encycl. Brit.
[70] Memoirs, part 3, page 100.
[71] Ibid.
[72] Memoirs, part 3, page 98.
[73] A short time after this speech was delivered, Mr. D'Israeli
commented upon it with great severity, and made it the ground work of
one of his most bitter attacks on Sir Robert Peel, in the course of
which he made use of the celebrated phrase, "organized hypocrisy.
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