Difficulties ahead--Lord John Russell resigns--Conduct of the Opposition--Lord Stanley waits on the Queen--Sir James Graham's Views--Ministerial Negotiations--Lord Stanley attempts to form a Ministry--Lord Stanley fails--The Whig Ministry returns to Office--Sir James Graham stands aloof--Dislocation of Parties--Embarrassments arising from the Papal Aggression Bill--Weakness of the Government--Relations of Sir James Graham and the Whigs--Debate on the Papal Aggression Bill--A Measure of Chancery Reform--Lord Stanley at Newmarket--Hostility of the Peelites--Opening of the Great Exhibition--Defeats of the Ministry--The Exhibition saves the Government--M. Thiers in London--Close of the Season--The Jew Bill--Overture to Sir James Graham--Which is declined--Autumn Visits and Agitation--Lord John Russell's Reform Bill--The Creed of a Capuchin--Kossuth's Reception in England--The Kossuth Agitation in England--Mr. Disraeli on Lord George Bentinck--Sir James Graham's Fears of Reform--Dangers from Lord Palmerston's arbitrary Conduct--Case of Greece--Case of Sicily--The _Coup d'…tat_ of the 2nd December. _London, February 20th_, 1851.--I broke off what I was writing two months ago, having been attacked by a severe fit of the gout, which has tormented me on and off ever since, partly deterring and partly disabling me from writing anything whatever. Indeed I have been in a hundred minds whether I should not here and now close my journalising, for I don't feel as if I had, or was likely to have, anything more to say worth writing about. It is perhaps no loss to have omitted any notice of the meeting of Parliament, and what has taken place with reference to the Anti-Papal Bill, and other matters. Are not these things amply narrated in all the newspapers of the day?--and I do not think I have acquired any knowledge or information besides, or at least none of any importance. I shall therefore not attempt to go over the ground or any part of it, that we have been travelling over for the last two months; but I am induced to forego my purpose of shutting up my books and abandoning this occupation, partly from reluctance to quit it entirely, and partly because I think we are in a very precarious and difficult state, and that a crisis seems imminent, fraught with great interest and great danger. In such circumstances I like to write what I know and hear, and to record my own impressions and opinions. [Sidenote: LORD JOHN RUSSELL RESIGNS.]