his clear to the Cabinet. Lord Aberdeen
has declared that he is quite willing to yield his post to Lord
John--but that it would not suffice to have got a head--that there
must be some Members also, and where are they to be found? He is
certain that not one of the present Cabinet could now serve under Lord
John. An attempt to solve the question how the present Government is
to be maintained, naturally leads everybody to the same conclusion:
that Lord Palmerston must be substituted for Lord John as the Leader
of the House of Commons. Disagreeable as this must be ... to Lord
Aberdeen, and dangerous as the experiment may turn out, we agreed with
Lord Aberdeen that he should make the offer to him with the Queen's
consent. An alternative proposed by Lord Clarendon, that Lord
Aberdeen should ask Lord John what he advised him to do under the
circumstances, was strongly condemned by me, as depriving Lord
Aberdeen of all the advantage of the initiative with Lord Palmerston.
Lord Aberdeen states his great difficulty to be not only the long
antecedent and mutual opposition between him and Lord Palmerston, but
also the fact that Lord Palmerston loved war for war's sake, and he
peace for peace' sake.... He consoled himself, however, at last by the
reflection that Lord Palmerston was not worse than Lord John in
that respect, and, on the other hand, gave greater weight to the
consideration of what was practicable. It remains open for the present
whether Lord John is to act as the organ for the Government during the
short Session, and resign afterwards, or to resign now.

ALBERT.

[Pageheading: LORD ROKEBY]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Hardinge._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _10th December 1854._

The Queen is glad to hear of Lord Rokeby's readiness to go out, as she
is sure that he will prove himself an efficient officer in command of
that noble Brigade of Guards.[71]

The Queen must repeat again her opinion relative to General Bentinck.
She thinks that he ought to go out again, and that, if a division
were offered to him, he would not hesitate (when he has recruited his
health) to go out. For the sake of example it would be most desirable,
for there evidently is an inclination to ask for leave to go home,
which would be very detrimental to the Army.

[Footnote 71: Lord Rokeby had on the previous evening been
offered and had accepted the command.]

[Pageheading: LORD JOHN RUSSELL]

_The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen