Lord John's Views on the Ministry--Gloomy Prospects--Attacks on Lord Raglan--Russian and Prussian Diplomacy--Lord Palmerston more in favour--French View of the British Army--Russian Negotiations--Lord John Russell in Paris--Conference at Vienna--Lord Raglan unmoved--Terms proposed to Russia--Failure of the Duke of Newcastle--Hesitation of Austria and France--Deplorable State of the Armies--Chances of Peace--Meeting of Parliament--Further Negotiations--Lord John Russell resigns--Ministers stay in--The Debate on Roebuck's Motion--Resignation of Lord Aberdeen--Lord John Russell's real Motives--Lord Derby sent for--and fails--Wise Decision of the Queen--Ministerial Negotiations--Lord Palmerston sent for--The Peelites refuse to join--Lord Palmerston forms a Government--Lord Palmerston's Prospects--Lord John Russell sent to Vienna--Lord Palmerston in the House of Commons--General Alarm--Difficulties of Lord Palmerston--The Peelites secede--Lord John accepts the Colonial Office--Sir George Lewis Chancellor of the Exchequer--Death of the Emperor Nicholas of Russia--Lord Palmerston supposed to be a weak Debater--Weakness of the Government--Fresh Arrangements--The Budget--The Press. LORD JOHN RUSSELL'S POSITION. _January 2nd,_ 1855.--I received yesterday a letter from the Duke of Bedford relating to the views and position of Lord John Russell. He had talked over his position with the Duke, disclaimed any wish to be again Prime Minister, but desired Lord Lansdowne should be in the post; that he liked personally both Aberdeen and Newcastle but thought them unfit for the emergency. He had proposed that Palmerston should be War Minister but was overruled, and now (the Duke asks) what is he to do if a vote of censure on the management of the war is proposed in the House of Commons, thinking as he does that it has been mismanaged? He would willingly break up this Government, which he really thinks a very bad one (what he wrote to Clarendon being his deliberate opinion), if he could see a chance of a better being substituted, and if he thought Derby could carry on the war more efficiently, which he does not. This letter is a complete reply to the objection Clarendon urged against Palmerston's being War Minister, for if Lord John himself wished it, nobody else could well object. He ought to have insisted on it, and, if he had, it must have been done.