ne down to Wilton, and
as Viscount Palmerston is going this afternoon to Broadlands to
remain there till Tuesday morning, he proposes during the interval to
communicate with Mr Herbert, Wilton being not much more than an hour's
distance from Broadlands by the Salisbury railway.

[Footnote 88: Mr. Matthew Talbot Baines died prematurely in
1860. His abilities were of a solid rather than a brilliant
kind.]

[Footnote 89: Mr. Labouchere became Colonial Secretary. See
List of Cabinet as it stood in 1858, _post_, 25th February, 1858.]

[Pageheading: MR HERBERT DECLINES OFFICE]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

BROADLANDS, _11th November 1855_.

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs
to state that he has seen Mr Sidney Herbert, who declines joining the
Government, because he thinks that his doing so would expose both him
and the Government to the suspicion of having altered their opinions.
The difference between him and the Government is not as to the
necessity of prosecuting the war with vigour, but as to the conditions
of peace with which he would be satisfied. He would consent to accept
conditions which he is aware that the country would not approve, and
to which he does not expect that the Government would agree. Viscount
Palmerston will have to consider with his Colleagues on Tuesday what
arrangement it will be best for him to submit for the sanction of your
Majesty.

[Pageheading: PEACE NEGOTIATIONS]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Clarendon._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _13th November 1855_.

The Queen returns the enclosed most important letters. She has read
them with much interest, but not without a very anxious feeling that
great changes are taking place in the whole position of the Eastern
Question and the War, without our having the power to direct them
or even a complete knowledge of them.[90] Should Austria really be
sincere,--if the Emperor Napoleon is really determined not to carry on
the war on a large scale without her joining, we shall be obliged by
common prudence to follow him in his negotiations. He may mistrust our
secrecy and diplomacy, and wish to obtain by his personal exertions
a continental league against Russia. The missions to Stockholm and
Copenhagen, the language to Baron Beust and M. von der Pfordten and M.
de Bourqueney's single-handed negotiation, seem to point to this.
Can Russia have secretly declared her readine