thought he would very likely end
by convoking the Chambers.

I went immediately to John Russell and told him what a state
Guizot was in, and showed him the papers. He said they were aware
yesterday of the Constantinople news; that on receiving the
propositions of the Pasha by Rifat Bey, the Conference,
considering them as a refusal, had immediately proposed to
Redschid Pasha to pronounce his deposition;[5] he agreed, and
proposed to name a successor; they objected to this, but
ultimately consented to the appointment of a provisional
successor in the person of the Seraskier commanding the Turkish
troops in Syria; that it was not intended really to deprive
Mehemet Ali of Egypt, and the sentence of deposition was only
fulminated as a means of intimidation, and to further the object
of the treaty; Palmerston wrote to Lord Granville, and desired
him to make an immediate communication to Thiers to this effect.
Lord John admitted that it was all very bad, but seemed to think
he could do nothing more, and that nothing was left but to wait
and to preach patience. I went from him to Guizot, and told him
what had passed; but he said, with truth, that this resolution to
drive matters to extremity, and to go even beyond the Treaty,
made it very difficult to do any good here, and that the public
would not be able to draw those fine diplomatic lines and
comprehend the difference between a provisional and an actual
successor to Mehemet Ali. He was going to Palmerston, and I told
him Palmerston would no doubt tell him what had been conveyed to
Lord Granville.

[5] [The Conference of the Ambassadors of the Four Powers
at Constantinople, in which Lord Ponsonby played the
most prominent part, and laboured to drive matters to
the last extremity.]

[Page Head: LORD HOLLAND'S VIEW OF THE CASE.]

I then went to Holland House, found Lord Holland alone, and he
entered fully, and without reserve, into the whole question. From
him I learned that Metternich has expressed his strong
disapprobation of the violent steps that have been taken, and
that he wrote as much to Stuermer. Holland seemed to think that
there had been a great difference of opinion among the Ministers
of the Conference at Constantinople, but that Ponsonby had
ultimately prevailed in persuading them to depose the Pasha; that
he had concealed the fact of the division of opinion which had
been revealed here by Lord Beauvale's letter from V