e Lords
have or have not overstepped their proper functions, the opinion of
the great majority of the public is that the Lords have done a right
and useful thing (in confirmation of which it may be stated that the
people in the gallery of the House of Lords are said to have joined
in the cheers which broke out when the numbers of the division were
announced).

Viscount Palmerston, at the meeting of the House, gave notice
accordingly that he should on Thursday move for a Committee to search
the Lords' Journals--a usual form of motion; and that he should on
Friday move to appoint a Committee to search for precedents in order
to ascertain facts; but he added that he did not take this course with
any view of hostility towards the House of Lords. An attempt was made
by Mr Whalley and Mr Digby Seymour to set up a complaint that this was
not the sort of proceeding which the gravity of the occasion required,
but this endeavour was put down by an unmistakable manifestation of a
contrary opinion by the rest of the House....

_Queen Victoria to the Duke of Somerset._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _29th June 1860_.

Before sanctioning the proposed change in the Naval Uniform,[25] the
Queen wishes to know what the State occasions are on which the full
dress is to be worn. The officers generally wear an undress without
epaulettes, which in consequence are of little inconvenience to
them. She has always understood the Service to cling very much to its
present uniform, and she would be sorry to shock their feelings.

[Footnote 25: The principal change proposed was that full
dress should cease to be obligatory at Courts-Martial.]

[Pageheading: MR GLADSTONE SUGGESTS RESIGNATION]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

HOUSE OF COMMONS, _2nd July 1860_.
(8.30 P.M.)

Viscount Palmerston has had the honour of receiving your Majesty's
letter of this afternoon. Nothing of much importance as to Foreign
Affairs was done at the Cabinet to-day.... The material question for
discussion was the course to be pursued about the Tax Bill Report.
Lord John Russell had altered his opinion since Saturday, and had
yesterday sent Viscount Palmerston a Draft of Resolution which he
wished to be circulated to the members of the Cabinet before their
meeting at twelve to-day....

After a long discussion, the draft, of which the enclosed is a copy,
was agreed to by all except Mr Gladstone. This draft is a combination
of parts of Lord