een hopes soon to receive the returns for the Fortification
Department, which is fully two months in arrear....

With respect to the list for the Bath, the Queen is somewhat startled
by the large number. Before sanctioning it, she thinks it right to ask
for an explanation of the services of the officers, and the reasons
for which they are selected for the honour. She returns the list for
that purpose to Lord Panmure, who will perhaps cause the statement
to be attached to each name. This, of course, does not apply to the
foreigners. Amongst the Sardinians, however, the Queen observes the
absence of the names of the Military Commissioners attached first to
Lord Raglan and afterwards to General Simpson. The first was a Count
Revel, who has frequently applied for the honour, and the Queen thinks
ought to have it.

[Pageheading: FRANCE AND RUSSIA]

_The Earl of Clarendon to Queen Victoria._

FOREIGN OFFICE, _10th November 1856_.

Lord Clarendon presents his humble duty, and humbly begs to transmit
a letter from the Empress which was left here this afternoon by M. de
Persigny, who also left a despatch from Count Walewski, of which Lord
Clarendon begs to transmit a copy.[54] It is a most unsatisfactory
result of all the tripotage that has been going on, as it is an
invitation _pur et simple_ to reassemble the conference with Prussia,
and to abide by the decision of the majority.

Lord Clarendon is to see M. de Persigny to-morrow morning.

[Footnote 54: Count Walewski had written to Count Persigny:
"The communications which I have received give us cause to
fear that Her Majesty's Government may persist in declining
the proposal to reassemble the Conference.... We only know
of five Powers which have had an opportunity to express an
opinion on the point at issue.... It appears that Sardinia has
not yet formed her decision. We cannot therefore foresee in
what sense the majority will pronounce, and it is evident to
us that the reunion will realise the object desired, that of
bringing on a decision which cannot be questioned by any one,
seeing that it will have been obtained by the concurrence of
the Representatives of all the Powers."]

[Pageheading: NEUCHATEL]

_The Empress of the French to Queen Victoria._

COMPIEGNE, _le 7 Novembre 1856_.

MADAME ET TRES CHERE S[OE]UR,--Je viens apres plus de deux mois
m'excuser pres de votre Majeste d'une faute bien i