The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Ii Part 30

[Pageheading: THE IRISH ELECTIONS]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

PEMBROKE LODGE, _21st August 1847._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to state that Lord Fitzwilliam writes that he shall feel hurt if the Earldom of Strafford should be given to Lord Strafford.

To save his feelings on this subject (Lord Fitzwilliam having the first Wentworth Earl of Strafford's property), Lord John Russell would humbly propose that Lord Strafford should be created Earl of Middles.e.x.

But as the relations of the late Duke of Dorset might also object, Lord John Russell will adhere to his original proposal if your Majesty should deem it best.

In fact, many t.i.tles have been given in succession to different families. Leinster, Orford, Westmorland, are familiar instances.

Lord John Russell has drawn up a paper respecting the Irish elections, on which the Prince wished to have his remarks. The subject is a dark and a dreary one....

Changes of Ministry may occur, but it is to be hoped that your Majesty may be enabled to keep the present Parliament for five or six years.

For nothing tends so much to favour such reformations, to impede sober improvements, and to make members stand in servile awe of their const.i.tuents, as frequent General Elections.

Lord John Russell is happy to see in the newspapers the successful progress of your Majesty's journey. It has occurred to Lord John Russell that as the harvest is very promising, and the election heats will have subsided, it may be desirable that your Majesty should go for three days to Ireland on your Majesty's return. The want of notice might in some respects be favourable, and would be an excuse to many Irish peers, who might otherwise complete their ruin in preparations.

_Queen Victoria to Earl Fitzwilliam._

_3rd September 1847._

The Queen has received Lord Fitzwilliam's letter of the 31st.[8] As she sees Lord Strafford's elevation to an Earldom already announced in the _Gazette_ of the same day, it will be impossible for the Queen to have the question of Lord Fitzwilliam's adverse claim reconsidered.

She thinks it right, however, to say, that, knowing that the Wentworth property came to Lord Fitzwilliam, it was only after the Heralds College had proved that Lord Strafford was the representative of the Earl of Strafford of the Second Creation, whilst Lord Fitzwilliam was not properly considered the representative of the first, that the Queen approved the selection of the t.i.tle of Earl of Strafford for the present Lord. The Queen is very sorry to find that this step should have been annoying to Lord Fitzwilliam, for whom she has ever entertained a sincere regard. She has sent his letter on to Lord John Russell.

[Footnote 8: On John, Baron Strafford, who as Sir John Byng had been distinguished in the Peninsula and at Waterloo, receiving the Earldom of Strafford, Lord Fitzwilliam had written: "Your Majesty has, undoubtedly, the power of conferring this, or any other t.i.tular dignity, according to your good pleasure, but I venture to hope that, if it be your Majesty's pleasure to revive the Earldom of Strafford, it will not be bestowed upon any other person than the individual who has now the honour of addressing your Majesty.

"The name and history of the first Earl of Strafford is, of course, familiar to your Majesty, and I venture to conclude that your Majesty is not unaware of my being his descendant, his heir, and his successor. I own his lands, I dwell in his house, I possess his papers, and, if neither my father nor myself have ever applied to the Crown for a renewal of his t.i.tles, it has not been because either of us was indifferent to those honours or to the favour of the Sovereign, but because we were well aware of the embarra.s.sment which such applications frequently occasion to the Crown and its advisers."]

[Pageheading: MISSION TO THE VATICAN]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

ARDVERIKIE, _3rd September 1847._

The Queen has received Lord John Russell's two letters of the 31st and 1st inst., and is glad to find that the views expressed in the Prince's Memorandum coincide with those entertained by Lord John and Lord Palmerston, and also by Lord Minto, as she infers. As it seems difficult to find a person of inferior rank and position than Lord Minto, and of equal weight, the Queen sanctions his undertaking the mission on the understanding that the object of it will be communicated beforehand to the Courts of Vienna and Paris, and that both these Governments will be made fully acquainted with the position England thinks herself bound to take with regard to the Italian controversy.[9] After this shall have been done, the sending of Sir William Parker with his fleet to the West Coast of Italy strikes the Queen as a very proper measure to give countenance to the Sovereigns engaged in Liberal Reform, and exposed alike to the inroads of their absolutist neighbour, and to the outbreaks of popular movements directed by a republican party, and perhaps fostered by the Austrian Government.

[Footnote 9: Lord John Russell proposed that Lord Minto should be sent on a special mission to the Vatican. _See_ Introductory Note for the Year, _ante_, p. 115.]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

ARDVERIKIE, _7th September 1847._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I thank you much for your kind letter of the 28th.

Mamma writes me _such_ a good report of you both, which gives us the greatest pleasure. I hope you like young Ernest? This horrid Praslin tragedy [10] is a subject one cannot get out of one's head. The Government can in no way be accused of these murders, but there is _no_ doubt that the _standard of morality_ is _very low_ indeed, in France, and that the higher cla.s.ses are extremely unprincipled. This must shake the security and prosperity of a nation. In my opinion, nothing has gone on so well since the _unfortunate_ false move of the Spanish marriages, and I think you will admit _que cela n'a pas porte bonheur au Roi_. I am very anxious to explain that I was out of spirits, and, I fear, humour, when I wrote to you last, for I _love_ this place dearly, and the quiet, simple and wild life we lead here, particularly, in spite of the _abominable_ weather we have had; and I _am not_ the enemy of _La Cha.s.se_, as I expressed myself--on the contrary, I am very keen about it, and am only annoyed at being unable to see it all. Really, when one thinks of the _very dull life_, and particularly the life of constant _self-denial_, which my poor, dear Albert leads, he deserves _every_ amus.e.m.e.nt in the world, and even about his amus.e.m.e.nts he is so accommodating that I am deeply touched by it. He is very fond of shooting, but it is all with the greatest moderation. Do you know that you never wished Albert joy of his birthday?

The state of politics in Europe is very critical, and one feels _very_ anxious for the future.

With my dearest Albert's love, and mine, to my beloved Louise. Believe me, ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 10: The sensational murder in Paris of the d.u.c.h.esse de Praslin, daughter of the diplomatist, Sebastiani, by her husband, who committed suicide. This event, as well as the affair of the Spanish marriages, largely contributed to the Orleanist catastrophe of 1848, for it was suspected that the Court and the police had not merely connived at, but had actually furnished the means for, the Duke's suicide, in order to prevent certain exposures which would have resulted from his trial.]

[Pageheading: PORTUGAL]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _9th October 1847._

The Queen has just received these drafts, which she has read attentively, and thinks very proper; she only perceives _one_ omission which should be rectified, viz. the one in which Lord Palmerston directs Sir H. Seymour and the Admiral to remain perfectly neutral in case of a conflict, and that is that our Fleet should naturally give protection to the persons of the King and Queen and Royal Family in case of danger, for we cannot allow them to be _murdered_, even if we should not be able to prevent their losing their Crown (which G.o.d forbid).

The Queen must _again_ observe that the drafts have since some weeks past been sent to her _after_ they were gone, so that she can make no remark upon them. The Queen wishes to have copies of these drafts.

[Pageheading: CRISIS IN THE CITY]

[Pageheading: MR COBDEN]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

CHESHAM PLACE, _14th October 1847._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty. He has seen the Governor (Mr Morris) and Deputy-Governor (Mr Prescott) of the Bank, Mr Jones Loyd[11] and Mr Newman. Sir Charles Wood has seen many others connected with the City, and they have both made statements to the Cabinet.

The general result is: That an unsound state of trade has prevailed for some time.