GREAT BRITAIN.


   Besides the premiership to Mr. Disraeli, it seems to be quite settled
 that the place of principal secretary for foreign affairs will be confided
 to Lord Derby. But though it Is pretty generally understood that places
 will be assigned to a number of other gentlemen, whose names are men-
 tioned, yet the actual cast of parts will not probably be completed for
sev-
 eral days. It is useless to speculate on what the full arrangement may be.
 The telegraph will have given it all to you before this can reach Wash-
 ington; and next week Mr. Moran, in my absence, will probably be able
 to furnish you in a dispatch a formal and official list.
   I will content myself now, without indulging in any speculation on
 the causes that may have helped to bring about this change of govern-
 ment, by saying only that there does not appear to be any reason for
 supposing that it is likely to produce any alteration in policy or dispo-
 sition toward the United States.,
       I am, &c.,
                                            ROBT. C. SCHENCK.




                               No.! 298.

                       Mr. Moran to Mr. Fish.

No. 452.]                 LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
                  London, February 25, 1874. (Received March 11.)
   SIR.: General Schenck, in: his No. 569, of the 18th instant, reported
to
you the resignation of the Gladstone ministry and the formation of a
new government by Mr. Disraeli. The majority of the new ministers
received their seals of office at Windsor on Saturday, the 21st instant,
and with few exceptions the cabinet offices were filled up that day.
There has been the usual delay in selecting persons for the minor offices,
such as the under-secretaryships, but this work will soon be accom-
plished and the organization be completed in all its parts.
  The following are the names of the members of the new cabinet so
far as at present known: Mr. Disraeli, first lord of the treasury; Lord
Cairns, lord chancellor; Duke of Richmond, lord president of council;
Lord Malmesbury, lord privy seal; Lord Derby, foreign affairs; Lord
Salisbury, India; Lord Carnarvon, the colonies; Mr. Gathorne Hardy,
war; Mr. R. A. Cruss, home; Mr. Ward Hunt, admiralty; Sir Stafford
Northcote, chancellor of exchequer; Lord John Manners, postmaster-
general.
  On the 21st instant, Lord Granville communicated the fact of his
resignation of the office of principal secretary of state for foreign affairs
to the legation in a note addressed to General Scheuck, and the same
day Lord Derby announced his accession to-that post. I inclose copies
of these letters and of my replies dated the 22d instant.
  In accordance with the invitation in Lord Derby's note of Saturday,
he formally received the heads of the various embassies and legations
now in London, at the foreign office at 3 p. m. yesterday. My interview
was of short duration, and his lordship was courteous and friendly. I
told him that I had no special business to bring to his notice. The only
,thing in my mind was a report which you had sent to General Schenck,
from the. consul of the United States at Tripoli, about the slave-trade
which has, until recently at least, been carried on between that place
and the Levant ports of Turkey and Egypt via Malta.
      32 F


497