No answer to his letter is to be published. We are to wait till we can have a protocol. Laval would not sign any joint letter to the Residents. Being so near he prefers waiting for the orders of his Court. House. King's Signature Bill passed, with some amendments. It is to last till the end of the Session. The King's command is to be signified by _word of mouth_, a very inconvenient mode to a sick man. East Retford for a House. All Columbia is at war again. The Mexicans are urging the Haytians to land 5,000 men in Cuba. Peel fears war will begin there by the Americans taking Texas. Fitzgerald writes from Paris that he thinks the French will not retain Algiers. That an energetic demand on our part would have drawn from Polignac a distinct disavowal of the intention. That he does not think the channel (Lord Stuart) a good one. I think Fitzgerald would not at all dislike being made Ambassador at Paris. It seems there is a very sore feeling indeed excited by de Peyronnet's appointment. He thinks the only safety of the Government is in throwing themselves upon the ultra-Royalists. The King is a little better. His stomach begins to bear a little light food again. _May 28._ The account of the King not good. Cabinet. Found them talking about Scotch boroughs. Aberdeen presented the papers relative to Leopold in the House. Some conversation as to the correctness in point of form of presenting them printed. The rule is to present papers written by the King's command, and to have them printed for the immediate use of the House. The Commons passed the King's Signature Bill without a word. I thought it necessary to determine at once who should be the new judge at Bombay, and upon full consideration thought Awdry the best man. The Chancellor had no objection, and I immediately wrote to Awdry to tell him I should advise the King to appoint him. _May 29._ Before the Cabinet met Hardinge and walked some time up and down Downing Street with him. He told me the Duke had proposed an exchange between him and Lord F. Leveson. Hardinge declined; however, he was at last induced to acquiesce. There cannot be a better thing for him, for the Government, and for Ireland, than his going there. I have always told him so. We may now be satisfied things will go on well there. Lord F. Leveson is a mere boy, and quite unequal to the situation. Hardinge will do admirably and be very popular. So will she. They will like an Irishwoman. _June 1._ The King had a quiet night. In other respects he is much the same. _June 2._ Employed all the morning on the Greek papers. Cabinet dinner at Peel's. The King rather better. They have opened punctures above the knees. 400 papers were stamped. Lord Farnborough was the stamper. The King was perfectly alive to all that was going on.