The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Ii Part 56

EATON SQUARE, _29th November 1849._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty. In answer to your Majesty's enquiry, he has to state that a very short conversation took place in the Cabinet on the affairs of Germany upon an enquiry of Lord John Russell whether the Diet of Erfurt[22] might not be considered a violation of the Treaties of 1815. Lord Palmerston thought not, but had not examined the question.

The affairs of Germany are in a critical position; Austria will oppose anything which tends to aggrandise Prussia; Prussia will oppose anything which tends to free Government; and France will oppose anything which tends to strengthen Germany. Still, all these powers might be disregarded were Germany united, but it is obvious that Bavaria and Wurtemberg look to Austria and France for support, while Hanover and Saxony will give a very faint a.s.sistance to a Prussian League.

The matter is very critical, but probably will not lead to war.

[Footnote 22: In order to effect the consolidation of Germany, the King of Prussia had summoned a Federal Parliament to meet at Erfurt.]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

FOREIGN OFFICE, _30th November 1849._

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and in reply to your Majesty's enquiry as to what the measures would be which Sir William Parker[23] would have to take in order to support Mr Wyse's[24] demands for redress for certain wrongs sustained by British and Ionian subjects, begs to say that the ordinary and accustomed method of enforcing such demands is by reprisals--that is to say, by seizing some vessels and property of the party which refuses redress,[25] and retaining possession thereof until redress is granted.

Another method is the blockading of the ports of the party by whom redress is refused, and by interrupting commercial intercourse to cause inconvenience and loss. Viscount Palmerston, however, does not apprehend that any active measures of this kind will be required, but rather expects that when the Greek Government finds that the demand is made in earnest, and that means are at hand to enforce it, satisfaction will at last be given. The refusal of the Greek Government to satisfy these claims, and the offensive neglect with which they have treated the applications of your Majesty's representative at Athens have, as Viscount Palmerston is convinced, been the result of a belief that the British Government never would take any real steps in order to press these matters to a settlement.

[Footnote 23: Commanding the Mediterranean Fleet.]

[Footnote 24: British Envoy at Athens.]

[Footnote 25: _See_ Introductory Note for 1850, _post_, p.

231.]

[Pageheading: DEATH OF QUEEN ADELAIDE]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

OSBORNE, _11th December 1849._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Thank you much for your kind letter of the 6th; you will have received mine of the 4th shortly after you wrote. I know _how_ you would mourn with us over the death of our beloved Queen Adelaide. _We_ have lost the kindest and dearest of friends, and the _universal_ feeling of sorrow, of regret, and of _real_ appreciation of her character is very touching and gratifying. _All_ parties, _all_ cla.s.ses, join in doing her justice. Much was done to set Mamma against her, but the dear Queen ever forgave this, ever showed love and affection, and for the last eight years their friendship was as great as ever. Ever yours affectionately,

VICTORIA R.

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

TO CHAPTER XIX

The Ministry were still (1850) able, relying on the support of Sir Robert Peel, to resist the attacks of the Protectionists in the House of Commons, though their majority on a critical occasion fell to twenty-one; but they were rehabilitated by the discussions on foreign policy. One Don Pacifico, a Portuguese Jew, a native of Gibraltar and a British subject, had had his house in Athens pillaged by a mob; he, with Mr Finlay, the historian, who had a money claim against the Greek Government, instead of establishing their claims in the local courts, sought the intervention of the home Government; Lord Palmerston, whose relations with the Court were even more strained than usual, resolved to make a hostile demonstration against Greece, and a fleet was sent to the Piraeus with a peremptory demand for settlement. The House of Lords condemned this high-handed action, but a friendly motion of confidence was made in the Commons, and Lord Palmerston had an extraordinary triumph, by a majority of forty-six, notwithstanding that the ablest men outside the Ministry spoke against him, and that his unsatisfactory relations with the Queen were about to culminate in a severe reprimand.

Sir Robert Peel's speech in this debate proved to be his last public utterance, his premature death, resulting from a fall from his horse, taking place a few days later; Louis Philippe, who had been living in retirement at Claremont, pa.s.sed away about the same time. Another attack on the Queen, this time a blow with a cane, was made by one Robert Pate, an ex-officer and well-connected; the plea of insanity was not established, and Pate was transported.

Public attention was being drawn to the projected Exhibition in Hyde Park, Prince Albert making a memorable speech at the Mansion House in support of the scheme; the popular voice had not been unanimous in approval, and subscriptions had hung fire, but henceforward matters improved, and Mr Paxton's design for a gla.s.s and iron structure was accepted and proceeded with.

The friction with Lord Palmerston was again increased by his action in respect to General Haynau, an Austrian whose cruelty had been notorious, and who was a.s.saulted by some of the _employes_ at a London brewery. The Foreign Office note to the Austrian Government nearly brought about Palmerston's resignation, which was much desired by the Queen.

At the close of the year the whole country was in a ferment at the issue of a Papal Brief, re-establishing the hierarchy of Bishops in England with local t.i.tles derived from their sees; and Cardinal Wiseman, thenceforward Archbishop of Westminster, by issuing a pastoral letter on the subject, made matters worse. The Protestant spirit was aroused, the two Universities presented pet.i.tions, and the Prime Minister, in a letter to the Bishop of Durham, helped to fan the "No Popery" flame. Just at a time when a coalition of Whigs and Peelites was beginning to be possible, an Ecclesiastical t.i.tles Bill, almost fatal to mutual confidence, became necessary.

CHAPTER XIX

1850

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _5th February 1850._

MY DEAR UNCLE,--We had the house full for three days last week on account of our theatrical performances on Friday, which went off extremely well. The Grand d.u.c.h.ess Stephanie was here, _tres aimable_, and not altered. She spoke much of Germany and of politics, and of _you_ in the highest terms--"Comme le Roi Leopold s'est bien tenu"--and that she had mentioned this at Claremont, and then felt shocked at it, but that the poor King had answered: "Il avait mon exemple devant lui, et il en a profite!" She thought the whole family _tres digne_ in their _malheur_, but was struck with the melancholy effect of the whole thing.

Our affairs have gone off extremely well in Parliament, and the Protectionists have received an effective check; the question of the Corn Laws seems _indeed settled_. This is of great importance, as it puts a stop to the excitement and expectations of the farmers, which have been falsely kept up by the aristocracy....

I must now conclude. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

_Viscount Palmerston to Lord John Russell._

CARLTON GARDENS, _15th February 1850._

MY DEAR JOHN RUSSELL,--I have altered this draft so as I think to meet the views of the Queen and of yourself in regard to the continuance of the suspension.[1] I should not like to put into a despatch an instruction to accept less than we have demanded, because that would imply what I don't think to be the fact, viz. that we have demanded more than is due. If the demands were for the British Government, we might forego what portions we might like to give up, but we have no right to be easy and generous with the rights and claims of other people. Besides, if we get anything, we shall get all. The whole amount is quite within the power of the Greek Government to pay. Yours sincerely,

PALMERSTON.

[Footnote 1: _I.e._ of hostilities against the Greek Government, designed to extract compensation for the injuries inflicted on British subjects. See _ante_, p. 231.]

[Pageheading: THE DRAFT TO GREECE]