o report to your Majesty that
Lord Canning arrived at Madras on the 14th inst., and that he will
assume the Government of India on the last day of this month.

The Governor-General will report hereafter Lord Canning's arrival at
Fort William; and he has now the honour to subscribe himself, your
Majesty's most obedient, most humble and devoted Subject and Servant,

DALHOUSIE.

[Footnote 14: In a letter of the 13th, Mr Vernon Smith had
told the Queen that the Press rumours of "annexation" were
premature, and that the use of the word itself had been
avoided in Lord Canning's correspondence with the Court of
Directors.]

[Footnote 15: The earlier annexations were those of the Punjab
(1849), Pegu (1852), and Nagpur (1853); some minor additions
were also made under what was called the "doctrine of lapse."]

[Pageheading: PRELIMINARIES OF PEACE]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _27th February 1856_.

The Queen returns Lord Clarendon's letter.

The matter becomes very serious, and it would be a bad position for
us to be left quite alone in the Conference, which the Russians, the
Queen has every reason to believe, are anxiously striving to bring
about. In fact, well-informed persons pretend that this was the main
aim of Russia in accepting the Austrian ultimatum and going to Paris.

Would it not answer to take this line: to say to Russia, "You have
accepted the ultimatum, _pur et simple_, and have now again recognised
its stipulations as preliminaries of peace. You will, therefore, first
of all, have to execute them; you may then come to the question of
Kars and say you mean to keep it--then you will see that Europe, bound
to maintain the integrity of Turkey, will be obliged to go on with
the war, and it will be for you to consider whether you mean to go on
fighting for Kars; but at present this is not in question, as you are
only called upon to fulfil the engagements to which you have solemnly
pledged yourself"?

Perhaps Lord Palmerston will discuss this suggestion with his
colleagues to-night.

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

PICCADILLY, _27th February 1856_.

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs
to state that as the result of the deliberations of the Cabinet this
evening, the accompanying telegraphic message is proposed to be sent
to-morrow morning to Lord Clarendon. It is founded upon the s