The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Iii Part 94

[Footnote 13: Perim had been permanently taken possession of by Great Britain, in 1857.]

[Footnote 14: See _ante_, p. 310, note 2.]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

CHESHAM PLACE, _9th March 1860_.

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to submit a despatch which he received in a private letter from Lord Cowley.

The strange scene related in it will remind your Majesty of some scenes already famous in the history of Napoleon I. and Napoleon III.

Lord John Russell requests your Majesty's permission to write a secret despatch in answer, entirely approving the conduct and language of Lord Cowley.

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN'S APPROVAL]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

OSBORNE, _10th March 1860_.

The Queen, in returning Lord Cowley's private letter and secret despatch, agrees with Lord John Russell, that he has deserved praise for his mode of answering the Emperor's Napoleonic address.[15] ...

[Footnote 15: The ratification by the House of Commons of the Commercial Treaty, and Mr Gladstone's message to the Emperor, enclosing a copy of his Budget speech, gave the Emperor an opportunity of making amends to Lord Cowley for his hasty language.]

_Queen Victoria to Sir Charles Wood._

OSBORNE, _12th March 1860_.

The Queen is sorry to find that Lord Canning does not approve of any of the modes suggested by Sir Charles Wood, for giving the Chiefs security of t.i.tle and possession. The object appears to the Queen so important as a means of protection against the temptation of our own representatives to seize upon the possessions of these Chiefs at any convenient opportunity--and as a means of giving confidence to those Chiefs that the Queen's Government is not actuated by rapacity--that she must hope Lord Canning will indicate some mode, appearing less objectionable to him, for attaining the same object. The Queen would be glad to have a copy of Lord Canning's letter.

[Pageheading: SWISS CLAIMS]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _25th March 1860_.

The Queen has just seen the Swiss Note, and has returned it to the Foreign Office.[16] With reference to Lord John Russell's letter of this morning, she has only to express her anxiety that her Government should not look upon this question as one of an _optional_ character to take up or not. We have no choice, and the consideration whether what we are doing may be pleasing or displeasing to France cannot be entertained for a moment, although the Queen is grieved to find from Lord Cowley's last letter that he considers the question from that point of view. We are parties to a treaty of guarantee together with other Powers, and have as such a clear and solemn _duty_ to perform.

We should therefore openly and avowedly call upon our partners in this treaty and guarantee to consider the note addressed by the Swiss Confederation to us.

The proper course would be to summon the Ministers of the Contracting Powers to the Foreign Office (not excluding the French Amba.s.sador), and to go with them into the matter. This would take it out of the hands of the Emperor and M. de Thouvenel, and make (the Queen is certain of it) a deep impression upon them.

The Queen wishes this letter to be shown to Lord Palmerston and Lord John's other colleagues.

[Footnote 16: The Swiss Government claimed that the districts of Chablais and Faucigny (being parts of Savoy which had been handed over to Sardinia by the Treaty of Vienna under a guarantee for their neutrality) should be given to Switzerland for the protection of their frontier. The French Emperor maintained that it was sufficient for him to guarantee the neutrality of those districts. Speaking on the night of the 26th, Lord John Russell said: "The powers of Europe, if they wish to maintain peace, must respect each other's limits, and, above all, restore and not disturb that commercial confidence which is the result of peace, which tends to peace, and which ultimately forms the happiness of nations."]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _2nd April 1860_.

The Queen has received Lord John Russell's letter and Memorandum.[17]

In whatever Lord John might say in the House of Commons, care should be taken not to give the French a handle to make the other Powers believe that there exists an understanding between them and us. It is by making each of them believe in their turn that the others have agreed with France that the Emperor paralyses their action. If he will promise distinctly to give up the neutral territory to Switzerland, that would be an understanding which we might well avow, but the Queen fears Count Persigny with all his anxiety to smooth matters (as he says) will not be able to give this a.s.surance, and consequently if Lord John sent the Commons home with a declaration that matters would be _satisfactorily_ settled, and the Emperor intends to keep the neutral territory after all, it would unnecessarily make them dupes once more, as the Government have from time to time given a.s.surances based on French promises, which were belied by subsequent acts.

Is the Memorandum for the Queen to keep?

The Conference should be here, and on _no_ account at Paris.

[Footnote 17: Describing a conversation between Lord Palmerston and Persigny, the former suggesting that a statement should be made by Lord John in the House, in reference to the securities to be given for the neutrality and independence of Switzerland, such as would pacify the Emperor.]

[Pageheading: DEATH OF PRINCE HOHENLOHE]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _25th April 1860_.

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I write to you on this paper to-day, as it is our good Alice's birthday--her seventeenth! She is a good, dear, amiable child, and in very good looks just now. Her future is still undecided, she is quite free, and _all_ we wish is a good, kind husband--_no_ brilliant position (which there is not to be got), but a quiet, comfortable position.

Bertie returned last night delighted with his tour,[18] and with our beloved old Coburg, in _spite of snow_. I will tell him to give you an account of it. He made a very favourable impression there. He gives a good account of dear Stockmar too.

Many, many thanks for your dear kind letter of the 20th, with the enclosure from dear Charlotte, whose happy, contented disposition is a great blessing.

I was sure you would grieve for poor, dear, honest Ernest Hohenlohe[19]; Feodore feels it dreadfully, and writes beautifully about it. Thank G.o.d! she has every comfort in her second son, Hermann, who--by an arrangement made last year with the eldest and poor Ernest--has the entire management of everything; Charles has a certain income and Weikersheim[20]; while Hermann has Langenburg and the management of everything else; he naturally leaves the Austrian Service.

We are too delighted to hear that you are, D.V., ready to come by the 2nd of June; it will be so great a pleasure, and to dear Mamma too, who is _unberufen_ wonderfully well. She is here again since yesterday, and will stay till the 2nd. Clem was quite astonished at her looks. The poor Queen will be seventy-eight to-morrow. She is very tolerably well.

How well do I remember that speech of Oscar's in the carriage. It certainly took us _all_ in....

I fear I must end for to-day. With Albert's affectionate love, ever your devoted Niece,