The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Ii Part 52

[Footnote 4: This book was probably _Popular Education, as regards Juvenile Delinquency_, by Thos. Bullock, 1849.]

[Footnote 5: Lord Lansdowne, in his reply, undertook "to combine instruction in the Gaelic with the English language in the Highland as well as the Welsh schools, and to have a view to it in the choice of Inspectors."]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

OSBORNE, _6th March 1849._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Your dear letter reached me yesterday, and I thank you warmly for it. I wish you could be here, for I never remember finer weather than we have had since we came here; perfect summer, and so sweet, so enjoyable, and then with all the pleasures and beauties of Spring you have that beautiful sea--so blue and smooth as it has been these three days. If we have no mountains to boast of, we have the _sea_, which is ever enjoyable. We have camelias which have stood out two winters covered with _red_ flowers, and scarlet rhododendrons in brilliant bloom. Does this not sound tempting? It seems almost wrong to be at home, and Albert really hardly is.

I wish you joy of your _twenty-four_ foxes. If there was a black one amongst them I should beg for one, as the skin you sent me last year was _not_ a black one.

The news from India are very distressing, and make one very anxious, but Sir Charles Napier is instantly to be sent out to supersede Lord Gough, and he is so well versed in Indian tactics that we may look with safety to the future _after_ his arrival.

The Italian Question remains very complicated, and the German one a very perplexing, sad one. Prussia must protect the poor Princes and put herself at the head, else there is no hope. Austria should behave better, and not oppose the consolidation of a central Power, else I know not what is to become of poor Germany.

Pray use your influence to prevent more fatal mischief.

Now adieu, dearest Uncle. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

CHESHAM PLACE, _16th March 1849._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to state that the debate last night was brought to a close.[6]

Mr Cobden and Mr Disraeli made very able speeches at the end of the debate.

The debate has been a remarkable one, and the division shows tolerably well the strength of parties. The Protectionists, animated by the cry of agricultural distress, are disposed to use their power to the utmost. Mr Disraeli shows himself a much abler and less pa.s.sionate leader than Lord George Bentinck.

On the other hand, the friends of Sir Robert Peel and the party of Mr Cobden unite with the Government in resisting the Protectionist party.

The House of Commons thus gives a majority, which, though not compact, is decided at once against the extreme Tory and the extreme Radical party. With such a House of Commons the great interests of the Throne and the Const.i.tution are safe. An abrupt dissolution would put everything to hazard.

[Footnote 6: On Mr Disraeli's motion for payment of the half of local rates by the Treasury, which was defeated by 280 to 189.]

[Pageheading: END OF THE SIKH WAR]

[Pageheading: MRS GEORGE LAWRENCE]

_The Earl of Dalhousie to Queen Victoria._

CAMP, FEROZEPORE, _24th March 1849._

The Governor-General presents his most humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour of acknowledging the receipt of the letter which your Majesty most graciously addressed to him on the 5th of February.

He is deeply sensible of your Majesty's goodness, and most grateful for the expression of approbation which it has conveyed.

The Governor-General is not without fear that he may have intruded too often of late upon your Majesty's time. But he is so satisfied of the extreme pleasure which your Majesty would experience on learning that the prisoners who were in the hands of the Sikhs, and especially the ladies and children, were once again safe in the British camp, that he would have ventured to convey to your Majesty that intelligence, even though he had not been able to add to it--as happily he can--the announcement of the surrender of the whole Khalsa army, and the end of the war with the Sikhs.

Major-General Gilbert pushed on rapidly in pursuit of the Sikhs, who were a few marches in front of him, carrying off our prisoners with them.

At Rawul Pindee, half-way between the Jhelum and Attock, the Sikh troops, as we have since heard, would go no further. They received no pay, they were starving, they had been beaten and were disheartened; and so they surrendered.

All the prisoners were brought safe into our camp. Forty-one pieces of artillery were given up. Chuttur Singh and Shere Singh, with all the Sirdars, delivered their swords to General Gilbert in the presence of his officers; and the remains of the Sikh army, 16,000 strong, were marched into camp, by 1000 at a time, and laid down their arms as they pa.s.sed between the lines of the British troops.

Your Majesty may well imagine the pride with which British Officers looked on such a scene, and witnessed this absolute subjection and humiliation of so powerful an enemy.

How deeply the humiliation was felt by the Sikhs themselves may be judged by the report which the officers who were present have made, that many of them, and especially the grim old Khalsas of Runjeet's time, exclaimed as they threw their arms down upon the heap: "This day Runjeet Singh has died!"

Upwards of 20,000 stands of arms were taken in the hills. Vast quant.i.ties were gathered after the flight of the Sikhs from Gujerat.

As a further precaution, the Governor-General has ordered a disarming of the Sikhs throughout the Eastern Doabs, while they are yet cast down and afraid of punishment. He trusts that these measures may all tend to ensure the continuance of peace.

The Sirdars will arrive at Lah.o.r.e to-day, where they will await the determination of their future places of residence. The officers who were prisoners have also reached Lah.o.r.e, together with Mrs George Lawrence and her children.

It is impossible to speak too highly of the admirable spirit which this lady has displayed during many months of very arduous trial.

By the kindness of others, the Governor-General has had the opportunity of seeing constantly the little notes which were secretly despatched by her from her prison. The gallant heart she kept up under it all, the cheerful face she put upon it, and the unrepining patience with which she bore the privations of captivity and the dangers which it threatened to her children, her husband, and herself, must command the highest respect and make one proud of one's countrywomen.

General Gilbert, by the latest intelligence, had seized the fort of Attock, had crossed the Indus, and was advancing on Peshawur, whither the Afghans had retired.

By next mail the Governor-General trusts that he will be able to announce that every enemy has been swept away by your Majesty's Armies, and that the Afghans have either been crushed like the Sikhs or have fled to Cabul again.

He has the honour to subscribe himself, your Majesty's most obedient, most humble and very faithful Subject and Servant,

DALHOUSIE.

[Pageheading: THE KING OF SARDINIA]

_The King of Sardinia_ (_Victor Emanuel_) _to Queen Victoria._

TURIN, _le 30 Mars 1849._

MA TReS CHeRE S[OE]UR,--La partic.i.p.ation officielle que je m'empresse de vous donner de mon avenement au trone m'offre une occasion que je suis heureux de saisir pour vous exprimer dans une lettre de ma main les sentiments de ma vive grat.i.tude pour l'affection dont ma maison a recu des preuves marquantes et reiterees de votre part, comme pour le bienveillant interet que votre Gouvernement a temoigne a ce pays particulierement dans les graves evenements qui ont eu lieu pendant cette derniere annee.