First Lord of the Treasury Earl of Derby Lord Chancellor Lord Chelmsford Lord President Marquis of Salisbury Lord Privy Seal Earl of Hardwicke Chancellor of the Exchequer Mr. Disraeli Home Secretary Mr. Walpole Foreign Secretary Earl of Malmesbury Colonial Secretary Lord Stanley War Secretary Colonel Peel Board of Control Earl of Ellenborough Board of Trade Mr. Henley Duchy of Lancaster Duke of Montrose Admiralty Sir John Pakington Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland Earl of Eglinton Chief Secretary Lord Naas Woods and Forests Lord John Manners] [Sidenote: LORD DERBY'S ADMINISTRATION.] _March 2nd._--Last night Derby made his statement. He was very nervous and unlike himself, scarcely audible at first, much less fluent than usual, and he spoke from notes, which I never saw him do before. It was, however, a very judicious and becoming speech. Granville and Clarendon both spoke very well, and the whole affair was very creditable and satisfactory, civil, courteous, and good-humoured on all sides. Clarendon made a very plausible defence of his own conduct in not answering Walewski's despatch, which was so good that Hardwicke crossed the House to compliment him, and said if that speech had been made in the House of Commons there would have been no division. The impression left on me is that though it was a pretty good defence, he would have exercised a sounder discretion if he had sent an answer, and that there was no difficulty in doing so. Clanricarde has given notice of what the 'Times' calls favouring the House with some leaves of his autobiography. He has been advised to take this course by some of his friends and colleagues, particularly Lord Lansdowne; but in spite of such respectable authority, I think it an ill-advised step, from which he is likely to derive little if any benefit. He is going to defend himself against something intangible, for no accuser will appear, and there is no charge which he is called upon to rebut. No doubt his appointment has been the real cause of the downfall of the Government. It is this which ruined the popularity of Palmerston. It is only fair to admit that they could not have been expected to anticipate all the hubbub it made, nor anything like it.