ustria, France, and Russia on account of her Minister.
I was therefore prepared to state on Monday that it is for Her Majesty
to consider what course it will be best for her and for the country to
pursue.

1. I am quite ready to resign my office, but I could not make Lord
Palmerston the scapegoat for the sins which will be imputed to the
Government in the late negotiations.

2. I am ready, if it is thought best, to remain in office till
questions pending in the two Houses are decided. If unfavourably, a
solution is obtained; if favourably, Lord John Russell will no longer
remain in office with Lord Palmerston as Foreign Secretary.

These are hasty and crude thoughts, but may be matured by Monday.

[Pageheading: LORD JOHN RUSSELL'S REPORT]

_Memorandum by the Prince Albert._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _20th May 1850._

Lord John Russell came to-day to make his report to the Queen on
his final determination with respect to the Greek question and Lord
Palmerston. He said it was quite impossible to abandon Lord Palmerston
upon this question, that the Cabinet was as much to blame (if there
were cause for it) as Lord Palmerston, and particularly he himself,
who had given his consent to the measures taken, and was justly held
responsible by the country for the Foreign Policy of the Government.
Admitting, however, that Lord Palmerston's personal quarrels with all
Governments of foreign countries and the hostility with which they
were looking upon him was doing serious injury to the country, and
exposing the Crown to blows aimed at the Minister, he had consulted
Lord Lansdowne.... Lord Lansdowne fully felt the strength of what I
said respecting the power of the Leader of the House of Commons, and
the right on the part of the Queen to object to its being conferred
upon a person who had not her entire confidence. I said I hoped Lord
Lansdowne would consider the communication of the letter as quite
confidential, as, although I had no objection to telling Lord
Palmerston anything that was said in it myself, I should not like that
it should come to his ears by third persons or be otherwise talked
of. Lord John assured me that Lord Lansdowne could be entirely relied
upon, and that he himself had locked up the letter under key the
moment he had received it, and would carefully guard it.

The result of our conference was, that we agreed that Lord Clarendon
was the only member of the Government to whom the Foreign Affairs
coul