§ Lord Glenelgthen spoke as follows:—My Lords, I will take this opportunity of saying a few words referring to myself personally. Although I have answered the question put by my noble Friend under the idea that I was responsible for the measures of the Government, I am not at this moment any longer in possession of office, having felt it my duty to tender my resignation to her Majesty, which her Majesty has been pleased graciously to accept this day. I make this communication with a full sense of the peculiar inconvenience of such a step as that to which I have alluded at this period, and with a consciousness that it may cause great delay in your Lordships' proceedings, 184 and cannot but produce considerable embarrassments. But, my Lords, in a few moments I can state the reasons which induced me to come to this resolution. A communication was made to me on Tuesday morning, utterly unforeseen and unexpected by me, which involved—it was a communication from the Cabinet—which involved alterations in, and a fresh disposition of, office—utterly, as I before said, unexpected on my part, but which, it was said, had been resolved upon. My Lords, to that change in the disposition of office, after the maturest consideration, I found it impossible for me to accede; consequently I felt it my duty to tender my resignation. My Lords, among my regrets on this subject, it is painful for me that this event should take place at such a moment as this, when colonial subjects occupy so much of the attention of Parliament. But, my Lords, I can truly say that no other reason but the necessity under which I felt myself placed could have led me to such a step—in fact I found no other alternative before me. I had but one course to pursue. At the same time, my Lords, any of those measures connected with colonial affairs which I have been instrumental in carrying into effect I shall, of course, be ever in my place ready and anxious to justify, and I shall always be ready to give any information and supply any explanations which it may be in my power to give with respect to the discharge of that duty which has been intrusted to me.
Nothing further was said on the subject.