f business by lodging summaries, then was or was not our
agent to change tack and lodge his summary? Or was the arbitration, and
with the arbitration the whole treaty, to fall to the ground for want of
it? On this question Mr. Gladstone thought it his duty to mention to the
Queen that it had not yet (June 13) been found possible to bring the
cabinet to a decision. For a day or two it looked as if the ministry might
fall to pieces, but the head of it was indomitable:--

_June 13_ (Thursday).--Since Tuesday morning I have constantly
resolved or discussed this proposition: that we should not be
justified in breaking off the proceedings at Geneva (if an
adjournment can be had after presentation of the summary), upon a
refusal to present it. My determination upon it is now firmly
rooted and tested by all the mental effort I can apply, and the
time I thought had come to-day for looking forward as well as
backward. I therefore wrote to the Queen in terms which might a
little prepare her for difficulties in the cabinet. I saw
Granville first, who had not reached my point, but seemed to come
up to it; then arranged for him to see Halifax, Ripon to see
Kimberley, and the chancellor [Lowe] to see Cardwell; as the
_knot_ of the probable difficulty is in these three. On the whole,
I hope we shall, in one way or another, work through. _At any
rate, if anything like a government can be held together, I will
not shrink._

_June 15._--Cabinet 12-2-1/4, and with brief intervals to 7-1/2.
Dined with Princess Louise. After dinner Granville and I went to
see Mr. Hammond, then on to the F. 0., where we got (before
midnight) the protocol of to-day from Geneva. Thank God that up to
a certain point the indications on this great controversy are
decidedly favourable.

_June 16._--Sunday (Bunker Hill anniversary? [No--June 17]). Cabinet
here 1-1/2-3-1/4. We sent off a telegram, which I hope may finish
the good work at Geneva.

What happened at Geneva was this. When the day came, the British agent did
not lodge his summary, but asked for an adjournment for eight months, as
the two governments did not agree upon the scope of the arbitration. This
looked dark enough, and the treaty seemed doomed. It was saved by Mr.
Adams, the American nominee on the tribunal. When he reached Geneva and
learned how things stood, he decided that the knot which t