themselves assiduously
with the Reform Question, but hopes that they will not come to a final
decision without having first ascertained how the proposed plan will
operate when practically applied to the present state of the Franchise
and Suffrage. The Queen is very anxious to arrive at a definite
opinion on this subject herself.

The Queen sees from the Manchester Speeches that the _Ballot_ is to be
made the stalking-horse of the Radicals.

[Pageheading: LORD PALMERSTON'S LETTERS]

_The Marchioness of Normanby to Colonel Phipps._

PARIS, _7th December 1851._

MY DEAR CHARLES,--I have an opportunity of writing to you _not_
through the Foreign Office, which I shall take advantage of, as at
present the Post is not to be trusted, and I am afraid I do not think
the Office is either.

Palmerston has taken lately to writing in the most extraordinary
manner to Normanby.[31] I think he wants to fix a quarrel with him,
which you may be sure Normanby will avoid at present, as it would have
the worst possible effect; but I do not understand it at all, and I
wish you could in any way explain what it means. Palmerston seems very
angry because Normanby does not unqualifyingly approve of this step
here, and the results; the whole thing is so completely a _coup
d'etat_, and all the proceedings are so contrary to and devoid of law
and justice and security, that even the most violent Tory would be
staggered by them. (For instance, to-day _all_ the English papers,
even Normanby's, are stopped and prohibited; they will of course
allow Normanby's to come, but it is to be under an envelope), and yet
Palmerston, who quarrels with all Europe about a political adventurer
like Kossuth, because he was defending the liberties and constitution
of his country, now tries to quarrel with Normanby, and really writes
in the most impertinent manner, because Normanby's despatches are not
sufficiently in praise of Louis Napoleon and his _coup d'etat_. There
must be some _dessous des cartes_ that we are not aware of. Normanby
has always said, having been undertaken, the only thing now is to hope
and pray it may be successful; but that is another thing to approving
the way it was begun, or the way it has been carried out. The
bloodshed has been dreadful and indiscriminate, no quarter was shown,
and when an insurgent took refuge in a house, the soldiers killed
every one in the house, whether engaged in the _emeute_ or not....
It is very doubtfu