so that the Queen might hope to get a
strong Government. Lord Grey thought there was little chance of this.
The next Government could never be as moderate again as this had been;
this he had always dreaded, and was the reason why he lamented that
Lord John had failed in his negotiation with the Peelites this winter,
upon Lord Palmerston's dismissal; but the fact was Lord John had never
wished it to succeed, and it had been unfair that he had not stated
to them (the Peelites) that all his colleagues were ready to give up
their places.

_Lord Granville_ had seen Lord Malmesbury several times, who appeared
to him to take pains about informing himself on the state of Foreign
Affairs, but seemed inclined to be ambitious of acquiring the merit of
being exclusively _English_ in his policy; this was quite right, but
might be carried too far; however, Lord Malmesbury was cautious and
moderate.

_The Chancellor of the Exchequer_ (_Sir Charles Wood_) was not
surprised at the fate of the Government, although they had not
expected to be defeated on the Militia Bill; in fact, a division had
hardly been looked for, as Lord John had talked the day before with
Lord Palmerston, and satisfied him that all his objections should be
provided against in the Bill. He thought it was better, however, that
the Caffre Debate had not been waited for, which must have been a
personal and very acrimonious one. He thought Lord Grey had not been
very discreet in his language to the Queen on Lord John. Sir J. Graham
had been in a difficulty with his own Party, and therefore had not
wished to encourage Lord John's negotiation with the Peelites. He
promised that, for his part, he would do all he could to keep his
Party from doing anything violent, but that he was afraid many others
would be so, and that he and Lord Grey had in vain tried to persuade
Mr Cobden to remain quiet.

Lord Derby had then an Audience to explain what should be done at the
Council. He regretted the Duchess of Northumberland's declining to
be Mistress of the Robes, on account of ill-health, which had been
communicated to the Queen by her father, Lord Westminster. He proposed
the Duchess of Argyll, whom the Queen allowed to be sounded (though
feeling certain, that, considering the Liberal views of her husband,
she will not accept it), and sanctioned his sounding also the Duchess
of Athole, whom the Queen wished to make the offer to, in case the
Duchess of Argyll declined. Lord Derb