h a post, would be such an announcement to all
Europe of the intentions of the British Government to persevere
in the extreme line of his policy, that he could not for a moment
contemplate such a thing. Therefore, if Lord John persisted, the
Government was at an end. Shortly after, Palmerston called on
Lord John. He admitted that he had done wrong--that he ought to
have consulted him, and have made him privy to his answer, but
that he had attached so little importance to the proposal, and
had considered it so totally out of the question, that he had
replied offhand.

[Page Head: LORD PALMERSTON DEFENDS LORD PONSONBY.]

They then went into the question itself, when Palmerston took
that advantageous ground which he has always held and asked him
how he reconciled his present opinions with his strenuous support
of the Treaty itself, and complained again of his acting as he
had done, while success was attending the coalition. They seem to
have parted much as they met, with mutual dissatisfaction, but
without any quarrel. Lord John, however, resolved upon action,
and ultimately determined to propose the recall of Ponsonby as
the _sine qua non_ of his continuance in office. The violence of
these disputes, and the peril in which the existence of the
Government seemed to be placed, brought Melbourne up to town, and
Lord John came to meet him, and imparted to him his intentions.
Just in the nick of time, however, arrived the news of the Emir's
flight, which seemed to be almost conclusive of the Syrian
question. On this, Palmerston took courage, and, no longer
insisting upon supporting Ponsonby _a tort et a travers_,
entreated that a damp might not be cast upon the enterprise just
as the final success was at hand; and employed the argument _ad
misericordiam_ with regard to Ponsonby by saying, that he would
be entitled to a pension if he was left there till December, and
it would be hard to recall him before that term was accomplished.
Lord John (never sufficiently firm of purpose) at last agreed to
wait for the receipt of the official accounts of recent events in
Syria which was expected in a few days, and to defer his demand
for Ponsonby's recall till then, and Palmerston seems to have
satisfied him that he is not at all desirous of quarrelling with
France. Indeed, Palmerston himself threw out, that it might be
expedient to find a provision for the family of the Pasha, and
render the grant of some appointments to his sons ins