for your Majesty's
consideration that those Garters might appropriately be conferred upon
Lord Canning for his great services in India, upon Lord John Russell
for his long political services under your Majesty, and upon the
Duke of Somerset, senior Duke after the Duke of Norfolk, and the able
administrator of an important branch of your Majesty's service.[17]

Viscount Palmerston is not aware whether by the regulations of the
Order the Garter could be sent out to Lord Canning in India. If that
were possible, it might have the double advantage of strengthening his
hands during the remainder of his stay, by affording so public a mark
of your Majesty's approval; and moreover of making sure that Lord
Canning should receive this mark of your Majesty's royal favour, while
the Government is in the hands of an administration similar to that
at whose recommendation he was sent out, which perhaps might be more
agreeable to his feelings than running the chance, always possible,
though Viscount Palmerston hopes it may not be probable, that
political combinations might, before his return in May or June 1862,
have produced administrative changes.

[Footnote 17: The Duke was First Lord of the Admiralty. All
the three Peers mentioned received the Garter early in 1862.]

[Pageheading: DEATH OF LORD CAMPBELL]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

_24th June 1861._

The Queen approves of Sir R. Bethell[18] as Lord Campbell's successor.
Lord Palmerston is aware of the Queen's objections to the appointment;
they will have weighed with him as much as with her. If therefore he
finally makes this recommendation, the Queen must assume that under
all the circumstances he considers it the best solution of the
difficulty, and that his Colleagues take the same view.

[Footnote 18: Lord Campbell died at the age of eighty-two; his
successor was created Lord Westbury.]

[Pageheading: THE DUCHESS OF SUTHERLAND]

_The Duchess of Sutherland to Queen Victoria._

STAFFORD HOUSE, _26th June 1861_.

MADAM,--I shall never forget your Majesty and the Prince's
kindness.[19]

I am anxious to tell your Majesty as strongly as _it was_, what _his_
feeling was of my service to your Majesty; he approved and delighted
in it; dear as it was to me--it could not have been if this had not
been so, nor those occasional absences, if he had not had devoted
children when I was away; still, when the great parting comes one