funds, indicating a reviving confidence in peace. Have
seen nobody since I came back.

September 22nd, 1840 {p.307}

[Page Head: ALARM OF LORD MELBOURNE AND LORD JOHN.]

Came from Gorhambury yesterday. Got a letter from the Duke of
Bedford, in which he says, 'John has been here for the last week
and has spoken very freely and openly to me on the state of our
foreign relations. Matters are very serious, and may produce
events both at home and abroad which neither you nor I can
calculate upon. John is very uneasy and talks of going to town.
You are aware that he came up from Scotland unexpectedly. Between
ourselves, I think he is disposed to make a stand, and to act, if
occasion requires it, a great part--whether for good or evil, God
alone knows. Nobody, not even his colleagues, except Melbourne,
knows what is passing.' In a postscript he said that Lord John
had urged Melbourne to summon a Cabinet, and, accordingly, one is
summoned to meet next Monday. This is mysterious, but it can only
mean one thing. Lord John, already alarmed by Lord Spencer's
letter, and dreading the possibility of a war, is resolved to
oppose Palmerston's headlong policy, and, if it be necessary, to
risk a rupture in the Cabinet, and take upon himself the
administration of Foreign affairs. The Foreign Office was
originally that which he wished to have, and when Melbourne
returned to office, they proposed to Palmerston to take either
the Home or Colonial, but he would not hear of anything but the
Foreign department.

I talked over this letter with Clarendon last night (from whom I
have no secrets), and he, while fully agreeing in the propriety
of calling the Cabinet together, and making the future
transaction of foreign affairs a matter for the Government and
not for the Foreign Office only, and of course well disposed to
buckle on his armour on this question, acknowledged that
Palmerston would have very good reason to complain of any strong
opposition from that quarter, inasmuch as he had been all along
encouraged to proceed in his present line of policy by the
concurrence and support of John Russell, who was in fact just as
much responsible as Palmerston himself for the present state of
affairs.

The beginning of the business may be traced to a Cabinet held at
Windsor last autumn, when the general line of policy, since acted
upon by Palmerston, was settled. From that time, however, the
rest of the Ministers seem never to have interfere