Item 175 - Richard Jones to William Whewell

'There exists no foundation on which a communication to Scholefield [James Scholefield] would properly be made about his resignation. It is by no means clear Tate [Alexander Tate] has had any communication with him and the letter sent to me looks a little like a meddling volunteer feeler of Mr Tate's own. If I had not seen a much wider field of discussion on such subjects looming in the distance I should have taken no notice of it' [see RJ to WW, 24 Nov. 1852]. In politics RJ considers 'the Whigs crushed but they have still faith in their strategy'. The cabinet of Lord Derby's is 'shaken to pieces and recomposed with Peelites and Palmerstonians will probably be the next move and a really able liberal conservative administration might have a long and prosperous reign'.