e could well get through. He would be a loss to Viscount
Palmerston in the House of Commons, especially after the removal of Mr
Sidney Herbert to the House of Lords;[1] and speaking confidentially
to your Majesty with regard to the future, Viscount Palmerston would
think himself doing better service by recommending the House of Lords
for Mr Gladstone, than for Lord John Russell.

Mr Herbert will take the title of Lord Herbert of Lea, the title of
Herbert being that borne by his elder brother during the life of the
late Lord Pembroke.

The other letter from Lord Malmesbury relates to a communication
which he made to Viscount Palmerston last year from Lord Derby and Mr
Disraeli at the beginning of the Session, to the effect that, if
the Government were then to break up from internal dissensions, the
Conservative Party would support during the then ensuing Session any
administration which Viscount Palmerston might be able provisionally
to make, to carry through the business of the Session.[2] Viscount
Palmerston is not aware of any circumstances which can have led to the
expectation that the present administration is likely to be broken up
by internal divisions in the course of this next Session. There are
no questions ahead so likely to produce discord as the Reform Bill of
last year, and the differences between the two Houses about the Paper
Duties, about which it was very difficult to prevent Lord John and Mr
Gladstone from flying off, or the Fortification Question, upon which
Mr Gladstone announced to his colleagues, nearly a dozen times, that
he was firmly resolved to resign. Viscount Palmerston has asked Lord
Malmesbury to come over to him to Broadlands at any time before the
21st or 22nd of this month, which is the probable time at which the
Cabinet will have to meet in London.

Viscount Palmerston finds he has not got Lord John Russell's letter
at hand, but the only thing of any interest in it was the intimation
which Viscount Palmerston quoted.

[Footnote 1: Mr Herbert had been latterly in bad health, and
resigned office in the summer. He died on the 2nd of August.]

[Footnote 2: In his memoirs, Lord Malmesbury describes an
interview with Lord and Lady Palmerston on the 1st of June
1860, apparently the one at which this communication was made.
"It is evident," he writes, "he [Lord Palmerston] does not
wish to lose Lord John, though he would be very glad if
Gladstone resigned."