Majesty's truly gracious words have melted it from
his heart; and still encourage him to believe that your Majesty will
not regard it as obtrusive.

Lord Dalhousie will not mingle the other topics, on which it is his
duty to address your Majesty, with this respectful expression of the
enduring gratitude, with which he has the honour to subscribe himself,
your Majesty's most obedient, most humble, and most faithful Subject
and Servant,

DALHOUSIE.

[Footnote 21: Lady Dalhousie died on the 6th of May, on her
passage home from India.]

[Pageheading: PALMERSTON'S ATTITUDE]

_The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria._

LONDON, _11th September 1853._

Lord Aberdeen presents his most humble duty to your Majesty....

Lord Aberdeen has by no means forgotten the conversation to which your
Majesty has referred; but after full consideration he believes that
the safest and best course has been adopted.[22] Trusting to your
Majesty's gracious condescension, and the confidence with which Lord
Aberdeen has been honoured, he will humbly venture to lay before your
Majesty, without any reserve, the motives which have induced him to
offer this advice to your Majesty.

The situation of Lord Palmerston is peculiar.[23] Unless he should
continue to be a cordial member of your Majesty's Government, he may
very easily become the leader of Opposition. Lord Aberdeen is at this
moment ignorant of his real views and intentions. He has been recently
more than once thwarted in his endeavours to press a hostile policy
upon the Cabinet; and it has been reported to Lord Aberdeen that he
has expressed himself in terms of great hostility. This cannot perhaps
be avoided, and is only the result of taking different views of the
public interest; but it is very essential that Lord Palmerston should
have no personal or private cause of complaint against Lord Aberdeen.
From his office of Home Secretary he might naturally expect to have
the honour of attending your Majesty; and should this not be the
case he might probably resent it and attribute it to the jealousy and
ill-will of Lord Aberdeen. But whether he did this, or not, himself,
the Public and the Press would not fail to do so, and would convert
this neglect into the ground of the most hostile and bitter attacks.

Your Majesty may perhaps be aware that there is no amount of flattery
which is not offered to Lord Palmerston by the Tory party, with the
hope of separating him altog