as the Commissioner despatched by
the French Government to Athens to assist in arranging the
dispute.]

[Footnote 5: See subsequent correspondence between Lord John
and Lord Palmerston, Walpole's _Russell_, vol. ii. chap. xix.]

[Pageheading: RE-ARRANGEMENT SUGGESTED]

[Pageheading: LORD JOHN RUSSELL'S PLAN]

_Memorandum by the Prince Albert._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _3rd March 1850._

Before leaving Town yesterday we saw Lord John Russell, who came to
state what had passed with reference to Lord Palmerston. He premised
that Lord Palmerston had at all times been a most agreeable and
accommodating colleague; that he had acted with Lord John ever since
1831, and had not only never made any difficulty, but acted most
boldly and in the most spirited manner on all political questions;
besides, he was very popular with the Radical part of the House of
Commons as well as with the Protectionist, so that both would be ready
to receive him as their Leader; he (Lord John) was therefore most
anxious to do nothing which could hurt Lord Palmerston's feelings, nor
to bring about a disruption of the Whig Party, which at this moment
of Party confusion was the only one which still held together. On the
other hand, the fact that the Queen distrusted Lord Palmerston was a
serious impediment to the carrying on of the Government. Lord John was
therefore anxious to adopt a plan by which Lord Palmerston's services
could be retained with his own goodwill, and the Foreign Affairs
entrusted to other hands. The only plan he could think of was to give
Lord Palmerston the lead in the House of Commons--the highest position
a statesman could aspire to--and to go himself to the House of Lords.
He had communicated his views to Lord Lansdowne, who agreed in them,
and thought he could do nothing better than speak to Lord Palmerston
at once. Lord Palmerston said that he could not have helped to have
become aware that he had forfeited the Queen's confidence, but he
thought this had not been on _personal_ grounds, but merely on account
of his line of policy, with which the Queen disagreed. (The Queen
interrupted Lord John by remarking that she distrusted him on
_personal_ grounds also, but I remarked that Lord Palmerston had so
far at least seen rightly; that he had become disagreeable to the
Queen, not on account of his person, but of his political doings,
to which the Queen assented.) Lord Palmerston appeared to Lord John
willing t