friction between the two countries. M'Leod was acquitted 12th
October 1841.]

[Pageheading: PORTUGAL]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Aberdeen._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _31st October 1841._

The Queen received yesterday evening Lord Aberdeen's letter with the
accompanying despatches and draft. She certainly _is_ surprised at the
strange and improper tone in which Lord Howard's[148] despatches are
written, and can only attribute them to an over-eager and, she fully
believes, mistaken feeling of the danger to which he believes the
throne of the Queen to be exposed.

The Queen has carefully perused Lord Aberdeen's draft, which she
highly approves, but wishes to suggest to Lord Aberdeen whether upon
further consideration it might not perhaps be as well to _soften_ the
words under which she has drawn a pencil line, as she fears they might
irritate Lord Howard very much.

The Queen is induced to copy the following sentences from a letter she
received from her cousin, the King of Portugal, a few days ago, and
which it may be satisfactory to Lord Aberdeen to see:--

"_Je dois encore vous dire que nous avons toutes les raisons de nous
louer de la maniere dont le Portugal est traite par votre Ministre des
Affaires Etrangeres, et nous ferons de notre cote notre possible pour
prouver notre bonne volonte."_

[Footnote 148: Lord Howard de Walden, Minister Plenipotentiary
at Lisbon.]

[Pageheading: SECRETARIES OF STATE]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

SOUTH STREET, _1st November 1841._

... Now for His Royal Highness's questions....

How the power of Prime Ministry grew up into its present form it is
difficult to trace precisely, as well as how it became attached, as
it were, to the office of First Commissioner of the Treasury. But
Lord Melbourne apprehends that Sir Robert Walpole was the first man
in whose person this union of powers was decidedly established, and
that its being so arose from the very great confidence which both
George I. and George II. reposed in him, and from the difficulty which
they had in transacting business, particularly George I., from their
imperfect knowledge of the language of the country.

With respect to the Secretary of State, Lord Melbourne is not prepared
from memory to state the dates at which the different arrangements of
that office have taken place. There was originally but one officer,
and at the present the three are but the heads of the dif