the matter, and must have been foreseen by Lord Palmerston.
By the delay and Lord Normanby's various conversations with M.
Bastide[36] and General Cavaignac it has now become difficult to
depart from the precedent of the Belgian and Sardinian Missions
without giving offence at Paris. The Queen must, however, insist upon
this precedent being fully adhered to. She accordingly sanctions Lord
Normanby's appointment as Ambassador Extraordinary, on the _distinct
understanding_ that there is to be no Ambassador sent in return to
London now, and that a Minister is to be appointed to Paris when the
diplomatic intercourse is permanently to be settled. The Queen
wishes Lord Palmerston to bear this in mind, and to submit to her the
arrangement which he thinks will be best calculated to carry this into
effect.

[Footnote 36: Minister of Foreign Affairs.]

[Pageheading: LORD NORMANBY'S APPOINTMENT]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

OSBORNE, _11th August 1848._

The Queen has to acknowledge Lord John Russell's letter of to-day.
The Queen is highly indignant at Lord Palmerston's behaviour now again
with respect to Lord Normanby's appointment; he knew perfectly well
that Lord Normanby could not accept the post of Minister, and had
written to the Queen before that such an offer could not be made, and
has now made it after all, knowing that, by wasting time and getting
the matter entangled at Paris, he would carry his point. If the French
are so anxious to keep Lord Normanby as to make any sacrifice for that
object, it ought to make us cautious, as it can only be on account of
the ease with which they can make him serve their purposes. They,
of course, like an _entente cordiale_ with us at the expense of
Austria;... but this can be no consideration for us....

Threatening the Austrians with war, or making war upon them in case
they should not be inclined to surrender their provinces at his
bidding [Lord Palmerston] knows to be impossible; therefore the
_entente_ with the Republic is of the greatest value to him, enabling
him to threaten the Austrians at any time with the French intervention
which he can have at command if he agrees to it.[37] The Queen has
read the leading articles of the _Times_ of yesterday and to-day on
this subject with the greatest satisfaction as they express almost
entirely the same views and feelings which she entertains. The Queen
hopes that Lord John Russell will read them; indeed, the