scruples in doing that lest Palmerston should make him an answer
calculated to exclude all hope of accommodation; but Melbourne
hinted that he would take care of this, and accordingly he took
it to Palmerston this morning. He read it, said it was very
moderate, and praised the tone and language. But when Bourqueney
began to ask what he had to say to the _fond_, he only talked of
the practical difficulties, and ended without saying anything the
least promising or satisfactory, though nothing decidedly the
reverse. Bourqueney had previously been with Billow, who is just
come back, and who desires no better on the part of his
Government than to join in any conciliatory measure we may adopt;
and Esterhazy, who is expected every hour, will, he doubts not,
be equally well disposed. But although such is the disposition
both of Austria and Prussia, though the Queen is earnestly
desirous of seeing tranquillity and security restored, and almost
all, if not quite all, the Cabinet, are in favour of an
accommodation with France, and France herself is prepared to
accept the slightest advance offered in a conciliatory spirit,
the personal determination of Palmerston will probably
predominate over all these opinions and inclinations. He will put
down or adjourn every proposal that is made, and if any should be
adopted in spite of him, he will take care to mar it in the
execution, to remove no difficulties, and create them where they
don't already exist. The most extraordinary part of the whole
affair is, that a set of men should consent to go on with another
in whom they have not only no confidence, but whom they believe
to be politically dishonest and treacherous, and that they should
keep gravely discussing the adoption of measures with a full
conviction that he will not fairly carry them out. It is like
Jonathan Wild and his companions playing together in Newgate. I
understand the last decision of the Cabinet is that Guizot is to
be invited to say what would suit his case. There would be a
difficulty in specifying what concessions we should make, either
for Mehemet Ali or his sons, because events are proceeding
rapidly in Syria, and we _might be_ offering what we have already
restored to the Sultan, and what the Porte has assisted to
recover for itself. It is settled that all this shall be fairly
stated to Guizot, with an assurance that we are desirous of
assisting him, together with our willingness to concert with him
the means.