John's, parts of Sir James Graham's, and parts of
Viscount Palmerston's. No mention of course was made in Cabinet of Sir
James Graham having made any suggestion.

When all the other members had left the room Mr Gladstone requested
Viscount Palmerston to submit to your Majesty that he could no longer
continue to carry on the business of his Department.[26] His opinion
strongly was that action and not a Resolution was required, that
one of three courses ought to be pursued: either that the Paper Duty
Repeal Bill should again be sent up to the Lords; or that a Bill
should be sent up for suspending the Paper Duties for a year; or that
a Bill should be sent up reducing those duties gradually year by year;
or fourthly that with the Repeal of the Paper Duties should be coupled
the imposition of Spirit Duties. Viscount Palmerston said he really
could not undertake the communication which Mr Gladstone wished to
be submitted to your Majesty, and earnestly entreated Mr Gladstone to
reconsider the matter; he urged in detail all the reasons which ought
to dissuade such a step, and he thought that he had produced some
impression on Mr Gladstone. It was agreed between them that Viscount
Palmerston, instead of giving notice this afternoon of a Motion
to-morrow, and laying the Resolution on the table this evening, should
give notice this afternoon of a Motion for Thursday, and promise to
lay the Resolution on the table to-morrow. This gives Mr Gladstone
more time to think, and more room to turn round in. Mr Milner Gibson
has no intention of going out, and has so told Mr Gladstone, strongly
advising him to stay in; and Viscount Palmerston's impression is
that Mr Gladstone, having failed to become master of the Cabinet by a
threat of resignation, will in the end yield to the almost unanimous
decision of his colleagues. The only person who supported Mr
Gladstone's views, except Mr Milner Gibson, was the Duke of
Argyll, who, however, like Mr Gibson, had no intention whatever of
accompanying Mr Gladstone in resignation.[27]...

[Footnote 26: This is said to have been an incident of
frequent occurrence during the second administration of Lord
Palmerston.]

[Footnote 27: The Queen wrote to King Leopold: "As I told
you in my little note of Sunday, Lord John became _quite_
reasonable, and is very moderate about this affair; on the
other hand Mr Gladstone has threatened to resign--and it is
still uncertain if h