HAM PALACE, _17th July 1854._

The Queen has just received Lord Aberdeen's letter, and has fully
considered the contents of it. She has finally decided to make no
change in her intended departure, from a conviction that her doing so
might shake confidence in the result of this night's Debate. Should
anything serious occur, she would be ready to return to-morrow or at
any time that her presence in town was considered of importance to the
public service.

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

OSBORNE, _19th July 1854._

The Queen has received Lord John Russell's letter of yesterday, and
was very glad to hear that both the meeting and the Debate went off so
well. The party which supports the Government is certainly "a strange
basis for a Government to rest upon," but such as it is we must
make the best of it, and nothing will contribute more to keeping
it together than to give it the impression that the Government is
thoroughly united.[44]

[Footnote 44: During a desultory discussion on the 13th of
July, Mr Disraeli had assailed the Government and its chief in
the Commons, to such purpose that Lord John Russell, stung
by his sarcasms, and mortified by his own failure, asked Lord
Aberdeen to relieve him of the Leadership of the House. The
Queen, to whom he had also written, entreated Lord John not to
let his opponent see that his object in making his attack had
been successful. A meeting of the Ministerialists was held
on the 17th at the Foreign Office, at which one hundred and
eighty members of the House of Commons were present, and some
diversity of opinion was expressed; the result of the meeting
was that the Government was more satisfactorily supported.]

[Pageheading: INDIAN AFFAIRS]

_Queen Victoria to the Marquis of Dalhousie._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _26th July 1854._

It is a very long time since the Queen has had the pleasure of hearing
from Lord Dalhousie, but she supposes that (fortunately) there is very
little to say, everything being so quiet and prosperous. The Queen
highly appreciates and values Lord Dalhousie's kind offer to remain
in India while there is any prospect of difficulty being caused by
the present War, which will be a source of great satisfaction and
tranquillity to her, as she feels that her Indian Dominions cannot be
in safer hands.

The Queen wishes to tell Lord Dalhousie how much interested and
pleased we have been in