inks it
natural that Lord John should wish to bring a matter which may cause
a rupture in the Government before the Cabinet, but thinks his having
summoned the Cabinet only for Monday will leave Lord Palmerston at
liberty in the intermediate time to have his reception of Kossuth, and
then rest on his _fait accompli_. Unless, therefore, Lord John
Russell can bind him over to good conduct, all the mischief which
is apprehended from this step of his will result; and he will have,
moreover, the triumph of having carried his point, and having set the
Prime Minister at defiance....

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

PEMBROKE LODGE, _1st November 1851._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty; he is
deeply sensible of your Majesty's kindness and indulgence. He feels
that he is at times overwhelmed by the importance and variety of the
questions of which the principal weight lies upon him.

He now lays before your Majesty a copy of the letter he has written
to Lord Palmerston.[21] With a grateful sense of your Majesty's
confidence, he is now of opinion that the Cabinet should decide, and
that no part of the burden should be placed upon your Majesty.

He therefore returns the letter to Lord Palmerston.

He summoned the Cabinet for Monday, as so many members of it are at a
distance. He does not think Lord Palmerston will come to town before
Monday.

[Footnote 21: The letter is printed in Lord Palmerston's
_Life_. The Premier stated that the question, being one of
grave public importance, must be decided by argument, not
passion, and would be considered by the Cabinet on the
following Monday. _See_ Walpole's _Russell_, chap. xxii.]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _1st November 1851._

The Queen has to acknowledge Lord John Russell's letter of this day,
and returns the copy of his to Lord Palmerston. She feels that she has
the right and the duty to demand that one of her Ministers should not
by his private acts, compromise her and the country, and therefore
omitted in her letter to Lord Palmerston all reference to Lord John
Russell's opinion; but she of course much prefers that she should
be protected from the wilful indiscretions of Lord Palmerston by the
attention of the Cabinet being drawn to his proceedings without her
personal intervention.[22]

[Footnote 22: The Cabinet met, and having listened to the
statement of the Prem