Ending Parliament for the summer, the Queen's message (written by the Prime Minister) contained the following, carefully worded paragraph: "The Civil War between the Northern and Southern States of the North American Union, still unfortunately continues and is necessarily attended with much evil, not only to the contending parties, but to nations which have taken no part in the contest. Her Majesty has seen no reason, however, to depart from the strict neutrality which Her Majesty has observed from the beginning of the contest." (By John Osborne)