The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 122

The Queen thinks this of the greatest importance with respect to the effect it may have in Ireland, likewise as proving that the Government is willing to show great forbearance, and to trust to the good sense of the people; but that if outrages are committed and it is called upon to act, it is not to be trifled with, but will visit wrong-doers with the utmost severity.

[Footnote 45: _I.e._, the Rebecca rioters.]

[Pageheading: MILITARY MEDALS]

_Queen Victoria to Lord Stanley._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _24th June 1843._

The Queen follows Lord Stanley's recommendation to confer the G.C.B.

on Sir Charles Napier with great pleasure, from her high opinion of his late achievements, and she thinks it might be advisable that some of the officers who most contributed to the victories of Meeanee and Hyderabad[46] should receive lower grades of the Bath. The Queen is much _impressed with the propriety_ of a medal being given to the troops who fought under Sir Charles Napier, as the armies under Nott, Pollock, and Sale received such distinctions for actions hardly equal to those in Scinde.

[Footnote 46: See _ante_, p. 481. (Ch. XII, 5th June, 1843)]

_Sir James Graham to Queen Victoria._

WHITEHALL, _24th June 1843._

Sir James Graham, with humble duty, begs to lay before your Majesty the report received from Carmarthen this morning. The Earl of Cawdor went to Carmarthen this morning.[47]

Every effort will be made to trace this lawless outbreak to its source, and to bring the princ.i.p.al offenders to justice.

Sir James Graham encloses two Police Reports, which have been received this morning from Dublin. They would seem to indicate some foreign interference, and some hope of foreign a.s.sistance mingled with this domestic strife. Several Frenchmen have lately made their appearance in different parts of Ireland.

The above is humbly submitted by your Majesty's dutiful Subject and Servant,

J. R. G. GRAHAM.

[Footnote 47: Lord Cawdor was Lord-Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire.]

_Queen Victoria to the d.u.c.h.ess of Norfolk._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _24th June 1843._

MY DEAR d.u.c.h.eSS,--The same right which you feel, and which you had to overcome before you took the final step of tendering your resignation,[48] has kept me from sooner acknowledging the receipt of your letter. Under the circ.u.mstances which you allude to, it is inc.u.mbent upon me to accept of your resignation, but as you throw out yourself a hint that it would be agreeable to you sometimes to perform the duties (which you have hitherto fulfilled), it would give me the greatest gratification if you would let me continue your name on the list of my Ladies of the Bedchamber, and sometimes at your convenience have the pleasure of your society.

I agree with you that for the present your step should not be known, till I shall have had time to find a successor, and I am pleased to think that you will take your waitings, which are at present settled.

With the Prince's kind regards to yourself, and mine to the Duke, believe me, always, yours very affectionately,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 48: Of her position as Bedchamber Woman.]

[Pageheading: DUELLING IN THE ARMY]

_Queen Victoria to the Duke of Wellington_.

(_July 1843._)

The Queen having attentively perused the proposed General Order for the more efficient repression of the practice of duelling in the Army, approves of the same, but recommends that the Duke of Wellington should submit to the Cabinet the propriety of considering of a general measure applicable to _all branches_ of the Naval and Military Service.[49]

[Footnote 49: An influential anti-duelling a.s.sociation had been formed this year, and subsequently public attention was drawn to the question by a duel on 1st July, at Camden Town, in which Colonel Fawcett was shot by his brother-in-law, Lieutenant Munro, who had reluctantly gone out, after enduring much provocation. Mainly owing to Prince Albert's efforts, the Articles of War were so amended as to put a stop to the practice.]

[Pageheading: THE SPANISH MARRIAGE]

_The Prince Albert to Lord Aberdeen._

_20th July 1843._

MY DEAR LORD ABERDEEN,--The Queen and myself have been taken much by surprise by Lord Howard de Walden's despatch marked "most confidential." The opinions of the Portuguese Court must have entirely changed. Although we have not heard anything on the subject, we are fully convinced of the correctness of Lord Howard's statements and of his conjectures. We are both pleased to see the view which he takes, and the good opinion he has of our little cousin. The Queen thinks it right that you should inform Lord Howard that the possibility of a marriage between Prince Leopold[50] and the Queen of Spain has been for some time a favourite thought of hers and mine, and that you thought that this combination had some advantages which hardly any other could offer. But that the matter had been and was treated here as one purely and solely Spanish, in which we carefully abstained from interfering with, and that we leave it to work itself out or not by its own merit.

That you wished him to take the same view, but not to lose sight of it, and to report to you whatever he might hear bearing upon the subject. Believe me, etc.,

ALBERT.

[Footnote 50: Son of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, and brother of the King of Portugal. See _ante_, p. 378, and _post_, p. 486. (Ch. XI, Footnote 11; Ch. XII, 'The Spanish Marriage')]

_Queen Victoria to the d.u.c.h.ess of Norfolk._

DEAR d.u.c.h.eSS,--I write to inform you that I have named your successor,[51] who is to be Lady Douro.[52] The great regret I experience at your leaving me is certainly diminished by the arrangement which we have agreed upon together, and which will still afford me the pleasure of having you occasionally about me. I trust that the Duke's health will admit of your taking your waiting in September, but think it right to tell you that we shall probably at that time be making some aquatic excursions in our new yacht, and consequently be from home the greater part of your waiting.

With the Prince's best regards to yourself, and mine to the Duke, believe me, always, yours very affectionately,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 51: As Bedchamber Woman.]