r Gladstone and Mr S. Herbert
had voted against them, the latter even misrepresenting what Lord
John had said. No Government could stand against incessant motions of
censure upon every imaginable department of the Executive Government.
The Prime Minister would either have to take the management of all
the departments into his own hands, and to be prepared to defend every
item, for which he (Lord John) did not feel the moral and physical
power, or he must succumb on those different points which the
Opposition with divided labour could single out. Lord Palmerston's
conduct was the more reprehensible as he had asked him the day before
about his objections to the Bill, and had (he thought) satisfied him
that the four points upon which he had insisted were provided for in
the Bill.

[Footnote 14: On the Militia Bill.]

He thought he could not (in answer to the Queen's enquiry) dissolve
Parliament, and that Lord Palmerston had no Party. But he supposed
Lord Derby was prepared to form a Protection Government. This
Government would pass the estimates and the Mutiny Bill, and would
then have to proceed to a Dissolution. Lord John had merely seen Lord
Lansdowne, who had approved of the course he meant to pursue, though
afraid of the imputation that the Government had run away from the
Caffre debate. He had summoned the Cabinet, and would report their
resolution. Speaking of Lord Palmerston, Lord John said he had heard
that Lord Palmerston had said that there was one thing between them
which he could not forgive, and that was his reading the Queen's
Minute to the House of Commons.

At a quarter past four Lord John came back from the Cabinet, and
formally tendered the resignations of himself and colleagues. The
Cabinet had been unanimous that there was no other course to pursue,
and that it would not be advisable to make use of the Queen's
permission to advise a Dissolution. Lord Granville had ascertained
through Dr Quin from Lord Lyndhurst that Lord Derby was prepared with
an Administration, having obtained Mr Thomas Baring's consent to act
as Leader of the House of Commons.

Sir Stratford Canning at Constantinople was supposed to be intended
for the Foreign Office. Lord Lyndhurst said, though the materials were
there, they were very bad ones, and it was a question whether they
would stand long. He himself would keep out of place.

We advised Lord John to keep his Party well under discipline in
Opposition, so that whils