hiers, and either getting rid of him, or, what
would probably be more convenient and safe, reducing him to a
dependence on himself.

Livermere, October 17th, 1840 {p.339}

All this week at Newmarket, where I received regular information
of all that went on. Before I left town I saw Lord Holland and
Lord John Russell. The latter expressed himself better satisfied
than he had yet been, but was still doubtful how far Palmerston
could be trusted. Palmerston made no communication to Guizot, and
seemed resolved to interpose every delay, though everybody kept
on urging that something should be done without loss of time. But
he assured Melbourne that in a few days we should hear of the
total evacuation of Syria, and that then we should be in a better
condition to treat. His colleagues, however, began to get alarmed
at these delays, and none more than Melbourne, who would not say
or do anything to accelerate Palmerston's movements, though he
acknowledged to others that, so far from partaking of his
confidence in the success of the operations in Syria, he expected
no good news from that quarter. Palmerston went to Windsor, and
there the Queen herself began to urge him more strongly than she
had ever done, for she hears constantly from Leopold, who is mad
with fright, and who imparts all his fears to her. All this did
at last produce something, for there was a Cabinet the day before
yesterday, at which a despatch to Ponsonby was read, in which he
was desired to move the Sultan to reinstate the Pasha in the
hereditary government of Egypt, and this had been shown to
Guizot, who had expressed himself satisfied with it. This, it may
be hoped, will be sufficient, for the Note _requires_ no more
than this, and it may be taken as an earnest of our desire to
meet the wishes of France. If it only produces a pacific
paragraph in the King's speech the crisis will be over.

I do not quite understand how we can consistently send such an
instruction to our Ambassador _separately_. The Sultan pronounced
the deposition of Mehemet Ali by the advice of the Four Powers
(that is, by that of the four Ambassadors), and I know not how we
are entitled to do this act rather than any other without the
concurrence of the rest. It was admitted that we could make no
overture to France, no pacific communication even, without the
consent of all. The Pasha has been solemnly deposed, all the
Powers advised this measure, and now we are alone and separately