vice as to
his course of Sir James Graham, who has returned to Netherby, and
of Lord Aberdeen; and by them he will probably be guided. Should he
finally refuse, Lord Stanley _must_ take India; and the Colonies must
be offered in the first instance to Sir E. B. Lytton, who probably
will refuse, as he wants a Peerage, and is doubtful of his
re-election; and failing him, to Sir William Heathcote, the Member for
the University of Oxford, who, without official experience, has great
Parliamentary knowledge and influence, and, if he will accept, is
quite equal to the duties of the office. Lord Derby trusts that your
Majesty will forgive this long intrusion on your Majesty's patience.
He has preferred the risk of it, to leaving your Majesty uninformed as
to anything which was going on, or contemplated....

If Lord Dalhousie should be in a state to converse upon public
affairs, there is no one with whom Lord Derby could confer more
confidentially than with him; nor of whose judgment, though he regrets
to differ with him as to the annexation of Oudh, he has a higher
opinion. He will endeavour to ascertain what is his present state
of health, which he fears is very unsatisfactory, and will see and
converse with him, if possible.

[Footnote 35: Especially Outram's remonstrance against what he
considered the excessive severity of the Proclamation.]

[Footnote 36: See Mr Disraeli's curious letter printed in
Morley's _Gladstone_, vol. i. p. 587, asking Mr Gladstone
whether the time had not come when he might deign to be
magnanimous. Sir E. B. Lytton accepted the office.]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Derby._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _4th June 1858_.

The Queen has to thank Lord Derby for his satisfactory letter received
yesterday. She has heard from Mr Disraeli to-day relative to the
answer given by him to the question asked yesterday in the House of
Commons as to what the Government meant to do.[37] He says that he
hears there are rumours of other Motions on the subject. These the
Queen hopes there will be no difficulty in defeating.

The Duke of Cambridge seems rather uneasy altogether, but the Queen,
though equally anxious about it, owns she cannot contemplate
the possibility of any _real_ attempt to divest the Crown of its
prerogative in this instance. The Army will not, she feels sure, stand
it for a moment, and the Queen feels sure, that if properly defined
and explained, the House of Commons