the News – the independent, but Liberal News, of June 17th: “The Conservative Government has been defeated by a majority of 13 on the vote of Want of Confidence, the numbers being 310 for & 323 against. The combinations of the various sections of the Liberal Party has thus proved too strong for Lord Derby, who submits with considerable dignity to a defeat at the hands of a House of his own assembling. Whether or not the somewhat heterogeneous materials of the Cabinet now in course of formation will adhere remains to be proved. Lord Palmerston is to be Premier, and Lord John Russell Foreign Secretary. Some of the other offices are to be distributed (so far as we can learn) as follows: Home Secretary, Sir G.C. Lewis; Secretary of War, Rt. Hon. Sidney Herbert; Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt. Hon. W. E. Gladstone, etc. There can be no doubt that in point of personal ability and political experience the new Ministry is superior to the old. It is due, however, to Lord Derby and Lord Malmesbury to concede that very much of what was said to their discredit as statesmen was totally without foundation. It was the mere offspring of that faction’s malevolence which can see no virtue on the ‘other side’ of the House, but arrogates all perfection to its own. This is the bane of English politics, and due allowance must always be made for it when we listen to one party or another. The Foreign correspondence just published on the Italian question proves that the late Government really acted up to professed neutrality. The alleged Austrian leanings do not show themselves in the diplomacy. We confess to a fear that their successors will evince a more decided bias towards France than the others did towards Austria. There is truth sometimes in a joke, and the sobriquet given by Punch to our new leaders, is, we fear, too indicative of the fact to be treated altogether as a jest. Our facetious contemporary introduces the Premier as Louis Napoleon Palmerston, and the Foreign Secretary as Victor Emmanuel Russell.”
The New Ministry: On the 2nd of July the St. Leonards Gazette was enabled to give a complete list of the new Ministry as enlarged and perfected up to that time, together with the names of all the subordinate officers. The members of the Cabinet (only) were:
| Viscount Palmerston | First Lord of the Treasury |
| Mr. Gladstone | Chancellor of the Exchequer |
| Lord John Russell | Foreign Secretary |
| Sir G. C. Lewis | Home Secretary |
| Duke of Newcastle | Colonial Secretary- |
