The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-13 00:00:00

•
THE DOG, IN THE MANGER.

• (From the. l'inzes.of this day.)
On the afternociti:of Saturday Lord Granville
received a summons from the Queen to wait upon
her Majesty at Buckingham Palace at four.o!clock.
We have reason to believe that her Majesty after
listening to 'all the objections' which Lore Gra-
nville had to offer, commanded him :to attempt to
form an Administration which• should at once be
strong in ability and Parliamentary influence, and
should at the same time comprehend within itself
a full and fair representation of all the sections
into which the Liberal party. lug, notoriously been

Feeling, probably, that it might be urged as an
objection to this course that Lord Granville, who
has never yet held the office of Prime Minister,
would thus be placed in a position paramount
to that occupied by Lord Palmerston and
Lord John Russell, who had each filled
the office of First Minister of the Crown, and

led the Liberal party in the House of Com-
mons, her Majesty was pleased to observe that
she had, iu the first instance, turned her thoughts
towards Lord Palmerston and Lord John Russell,
each of whom had served her long and faithfully
in many high offices of State. Her Majesty felt,
however, that to make so marked a distinction as is

implied in the choice of one or other as a Prime
Minister of two statesmen so full of years and
honours, and possessing so just a claim on the con-
sideration of the Queen, would, be a most inviduous
and unwelcome task. Her Majesty also observed

that Lord John Russell and -Lor'd Palmerston
appeared to represent different sections of the
Liberal Party—Lord Palmerston the more Con-
servative, and Lord John Russell the more popular
section. Impressed with these difficulties, her
Majesty cast her eyes upon Lord Granville, the
acknowledged leader of the Liberal party in the
House of Lords, in whom both Lord John Russell
and Lord Palmerston had been in the habit of
placing confidence, and who might have greater
facilities for uniting the whole Liberal party under
one Administration than could be enjoyed by
either of the sectional leaders.
Furnished with this commission Lord Granville
waited upon Lord Palmerston, and communicated
to him the vieWs of the Queen. In the hand-
somest manner, and without the slightest hesi-
tation, Lord Palmerston consented to waive
whatever claims he might be supposed to have,
and to act under Lord Granville as Prime Minis-
ter. Lord Granville 'then secured the co-opera-
tion of those statesmen who appeared to him most
likely to form the nucleus of a strong and efficient
Administration ; but in his first interview with
Lord John Russell Lord Granville fouwd that Lord
John was disposed to insist upon conditions which
would render any union or co-operation with Lord
Palmerston impossible,whether the Government was
presided over by Lord Granville or any other person.
On a second interview with Lord John Russell, Lord
Granville ascertained that, instead of being, as her
Majesty clearly intended he should be, a means of
facilitating the union between Lord John Russell
and Lord Palmerston, his Premiership would only
be an obstacle in the way of agreement, and that if
Lord John Russell or Lord Palmerston were sent '
for an arrangement was still possible. Lord Gran-
ville immediately informed the Queen of this state
of facts, and pointed out to her Majesty that ho
would be really counteracting her Majesty's wishes
and intentions were he to continue his efforts to
perform the task which the Queen had so gra-
ciously, and at the same time so unexpectedly,
imposed upon him. Upon being satisfied that this
was the case, the Queen sent for Lord Palmerston,
who went to Buckingham Palace at a quarter
to six o'clock yesterday evening and had an
audience of her Majesty, which lasted for an
hour and a half. On his return from the Palace
Lord Palmerston immediately set out for Rich-
mond to confer with Lord John Russell. We
have good reason to believe that Lord Palmerston
will succed in forming an Administration which
will command the support of the Liberal Party, and
save them from the great disgrace with which they
were at one moment threatened, of being unable,
after the victory of Friday night, procured by the
union of all sections of the Liberal Party, to form
a Liberal Government.

Our information is as yet too imperfect, and
matters are still in too incomplete a state, to justify
us in hazarding any detailed or very confident
criticism on the negotiations related above. It
seems quite clear that the Queen has devoted her
best exertions towards that object which has been
so long the earnest desire of the Liberal Party,—
the reconciling and associating in one Government
the two leaders of the Opposition. To this object
Lord Granville and Lord Palmerston seem to have
have given their best assistance, and if the measure
failed in its original shape it has been through the
resistance of Lord John Russell. Of the causes and
grounds of that resistance we cannot now speak.
Whatever they were, they seem to have been re-
moved by the retirement of Lord Granville from the
task imposed upon him by the Queen. It would
seem that, though willing to serve under
Lord Palmerston, Lord John Russell will serve
under no other Premier, and thus that the
contrivance of introducing a third party
would defeat the very end for which it was
intended. Lord John Russell has undertaken to
serve under Lord Palmerston, but not under any
other person, and he appears to stand by the letter
of his agreement. Under such circumstances, we
shall best discharge our duty by simply remarking
how heavy would be the responsibility incurred by
any statesman who should throw back the Govern-
ment into the hands of a party already declared by
the Hoilse of Commons nnfit to hold it, and how
absolutely necessary it is, as remarked by. Lord
Derby in his speech on Saturday night, that in the
present state of foreign affairs no time should be
lost in organising the Executive of a nation which
may at any moment find itself called upon to fight,
to mediate, or to arbitrate.