would be made in their decision. After first platitudes we had to choose the kind of intercourse we were to have with Ld Granville. He offered us the most open sort if it were to be "conversation" and confidentially kept: we might then meet on the terms of not fearing what we said. It will not need that I should tell you we saw plainly what was intended. There had been a great agitation, headed by Grey, Sewell, and others of our friends; this had taken a shape hostile to the Ministry; we, coming fresh on the scene with actual authority, might throw ourselves into it, and "bring public opinion to bear" just at the meeting of Parliament. Was Lord Granville to be on his guard against us, or not? We decided without hesitation to make such a feeling impossible. Instructed as our first duty to endeavour to renew friendly relations with the English authority, we were very glad to be able to talk freely and openly on both sides; and it is certain that we established in a very short time that kind of intercourse which, whatever it ends in, will at any rate give us infinitely the best chance of success, if success is to be got at all. These terms were obviously, however, compatible only with a present secrecy. Not that you are to suppose for a moment that this will last. We shall almost immediately be able to put so much of what takes place between us on record as we mutually agree shall be recorded; and I anticipate no difficulty whatsoever as to such agreement But to send immediately across the world the conversation we had, without the time or means for revising the accuracy of our rendering, would simply have made such a conversation as we had impossible: and therefore, as between not having it at all and having it without reporting it to you today, we could not hesitate for one