f abroad that it represents
more or less the feelings of the Government) how great the injury is
which it inflicts upon the best interests of this country. She has,
however, refrained from doing so, trusting in the chance of a change
in tone, and feeling that Lord Palmerston might not like to enter into
discussion with the Editors of the _Times_....

The Queen believes that Lord Palmerston is the only person who could
exercise any influence over Mr Delane, and even if this should not
be much, it will be important that that gentleman should know the
mischief his writings are doing, and that the Government sincerely
deplore it.

[Footnote 49: At Bonn, in September 1860, Captain Macdonald, a
railway passenger, had been ejected from his seat in the
train by the railway authorities, and committed to prison.
The incident became the subject of considerable diplomatic
correspondence, as well as of some fierce attacks on Prussia
in the _Times_.]

[Pageheading: THE ENGLISH PRESS]

_Mr Delane to Viscount Palmerston._[50]

16 SERJEANT'S INN, _28th October 1861_.

MY DEAR LORD,--I shall be very glad to give the Prussians a respite
from that most cruel of all inflictions--good advice.

Indeed, I would not have intruded anything so unwelcome during the
splendid solemnities of the Coronation had not the King uttered those
surprising anachronisms upon Divine Right.

Pray observe, too, in extenuation of my offence that I sent a faithful
chronicler to Koenigsberg, who has described all the splendours in a
proper and reverent spirit, and done what man can do to render such
ceremonies intelligible, and the recital of them not too wearisome to
those who believe in Divine Right as little as your Lordship's very
faithful Servant,

JOHN T. DELANE.

[Footnote 50: Enclosed in the following letter.]

[Pageheading: THE _TIMES_]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _30th October 1861_.

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs
to state that when he received a few days ago from Lord Russell the
Memorandum which your Majesty intended for him, and which he returned
to Lord Russell, he wrote to Mr Delane in accordance with your
Majesty's wishes, and he has this morning received the accompanying
answer.

Viscount Palmerston would, however, beg to submit that an erroneous
notion prevails on the Continent as to English newspapers.

The new