d I could not meet the House of Commons in
the position I was in last Session."

[Footnote 70: Parliament was to meet on the 12th, chiefly for
the purpose of passing a Foreign Enlistment Bill, authorising
the immediate enlistment of 15,000 (afterwards reduced to
10,000) foreigners, to be drilled in this country.]

In answer to Lord Palmerston's enquiry what he would do, and how he
could expose the Country to such fearful risks at such a moment, he
said that he would support the Government out of office. "You will
support it at the head of a very virulent Opposition," was Lord
Palmerston's reply; "and when you have succeeded in overthrowing the
Government, which has difficulty enough to hold its ground even with
your assistance, what will you say to the Country? Will you say:
'Here I am. I have triumphed, and have displaced, in the midst of most
hazardous operations, all the ablest men the Country has produced;
but I shall take their place with Mr Vernon Smith, Lord Seymour, Lord
Minto, and others....'"

Sir Charles Wood is the only person who says it is all nothing, and he
knows Lord John, and it is sure to blow over.

Lord Aberdeen said it is come to a point where this is no longer
possible, as he laid his ground not only on the position that the war
had been badly conducted, but that it _would_ be so for the future.

At the Cabinet yesterday a significant incident occurred: Lord John
asked what should become of Reform. Lord Aberdeen's answer was, that
it had been set aside on account of the war, and that as the war was
now raging at its height, it could not be brought on again. Later,
when they came to the passage about Education, Lord John made an
alteration in the Draft, adding something about strengthening the
institutions of the Country. Lord Palmerston started up and asked:
"Does that mean Reform?" Lord John answered: "It might or might not."
"Well, then," said Lord Palmerston, with a heat of manner which struck
the whole Cabinet, and was hardly justified by the occasion, "I wish
it to be understood that I protest against any direct or indirect
attempt to bring forward the Reform question again!" Lord John,
nettled, muttered to himself, but loud enough to be heard by
everybody: "Then I shall bring forward the Reform Bill at once."

It is evident to me that after this a junction between Lord Palmerston
and Lord John is impossible, and that it must have been Lord
Palmerston's object to make t