DILLY, _31st October 1855_.

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs
to state that he has this morning seen Lord Stanley, and offered to
him the post of Secretary of State for the Colonies.[87] Lord Stanley
expressed himself as highly gratified personally by an offer which
he said he was wholly unprepared to receive, and which was above
his expectations and pretensions; but he said that as he owed to his
father Lord Derby whatever position he may have gained in public
life, he could not give an answer without first consulting Lord Derby.
Viscount Palmerston said that of course in making the proposal, he had
taken for granted that Lord Stanley would consult Lord Derby first,
because a son would not take a decision on such a subject without
consulting his father, even if that father were merely in private
life; and next because such a course would be still more natural in
this case, considering Lord Derby's political position with reference
to those with whom Lord Stanley has more or less been generally
acting. Lord Stanley said that he should go down to Knowsley by the
five o'clock train this afternoon, and that he would at an early
moment communicate his answer to Viscount Palmerston; but he said
that if he was to state now his anticipation of what Lord Derby would
recommend and wish him to do, it would rather be to decline the offer.

[Footnote 87: Sir William Molesworth, who had represented
Radicalism in the Cabinets of Lord Aberdeen and Lord
Palmerston, died on the 22nd, at the age of forty-five. The
Premier thereupon offered the vacant place to Lord Stanley,
one of his political opponents, then only twenty-eight, who
was the son of the leader of the Conservative Opposition,
and had already held office under his father. Lord Stanley's
temperament was, in fact, more inclined to Liberalism than
that of Lord Palmerston himself, and, twenty-seven years
later, he took the office in a Liberal Government which he now
declined.]

[Pageheading: MR SIDNEY HERBERT]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

PICCADILLY, _10th November 1855_.

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and
begs to state that in consequence of some things that passed in
conversation at Sir Charles Wood's two days ago, when Mr and Mrs
Sidney Herbert dined there, Sir Charles Wood is under a strong
impression that Mr Herbert would be willing