The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Ii Part 83

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

OSBORNE, _22nd November 1851._

The Queen has just received Lord Palmerston's letter.

The Queen does not think it necessary for her to announce the King of Hanover's death to other Sovereigns, as there is a head of that branch of her Family who would have to do so. She declared the present King's marriage in Council, but she does not think that she announced it.

This Lord Palmerston would perhaps be able to ascertain at the Office.

[Pageheading: THE REFORM QUESTION]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

OSBORNE, _3rd December 1851._

The Queen has received Lord John Russell's letter of the 30th ult., and has carefully considered his Memorandum on the report of the Committee of the Cabinet; she now returns Sir Charles Wood's Memorandum.

Considering the question of Reform under its two bearings--on the Franchise and on the Suffrage--the Queen thinks the proposal of merely adding neighbouring towns to the small boroughs an improvement on the original plan, which contemplated the taking away of members from some boroughs, and giving them to others. Thus the animosity may be hoped to be avoided which an attack upon vested interests could not have failed to have produced. Much will depend, however, upon the completeness, fairness, and impartiality with which the selection of the towns will be made which are to be admitted into the electoral district of others. Sir Charles Wood's Memorandum being only a sketch, the Queen hopes to see a more complete list, stating the principle also upon which the selection is made.

With regard to the Suffrage, the proposals of the Committee appear to the Queen to be framed with a due regard to the importance of not giving an undue proportion of weight to the Democracy. In the Queen's opinion, the chief question to consider will be whether the strengthening of the Democratic principle will upset the balance of Const.i.tution, and further weaken the Executive, which is by no means too strong at present. The Queen is well aware of the difficulty of forming a correct estimate beforehand of the moral effect which such extensive changes may produce, but thinks that they cannot even be guessed at before the numerical results are accurately ascertained; she hopes therefore that the statistics will be soon in a state to be laid before her.

The Queen regrets that the idea of reviving the Guilds had to be abandoned, but can quite understand the difficulty which would have been added to the measure by its being clogged with such an additional innovation.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

OSBORNE, _2nd December 1851._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Accept my best thanks for your kind letter of the 28th. I am truly grieved to hear that you have got so bad a cold; nothing is more trying and annoying than those heavy colds, which render _all_ occupation irksome and trying in the highest degree. I hope that it will soon be past.

It is a great pity that you do not venture to come to us, as I am sure you might do it easily. I do not think that there will be any outburst yet awhile in France....

I am rather unhappy about dear Uncle Mensdorff, who, I hear, has arrived at Vienna with gout in his head. I hope, however, soon to hear of his being much better....

[Pageheading: THE COUP D'eTAT]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

OSBORNE, _4th December 1851._

DEAREST UNCLE,--I must write a line to ask what you say to the _wonderful_ proceedings at Paris, which really seem like a _story_ in a book or a play! What is to be the result of it all?[28]

I feel ashamed to have written _so positively_ a few hours before that nothing would happen.

We are anxiously waiting for to-day's news--though I should hope that the Troops were to be depended upon, and _order_ for the present would prevail. I hope that none of the Orleans Family will move a limb or say a word, but remain perfectly pa.s.sive.

I must now conclude. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 28: On the 2nd of December, Louis Napoleon seized the Government of France, arrested his chief opponents, put an end to the National a.s.sembly and Council of State, and declared Paris in a state of siege.]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

OSBORNE, _4th December 1851._

The Queen has learnt with surprise and concern the events which have taken place at Paris.[29] She thinks it is of great importance that Lord Normanby should be instructed to remain entirely pa.s.sive, and to take no part whatever in what is pa.s.sing. Any word from him might be misconstrued at such a moment.

[Footnote 29: On the 3rd the tidings of the _coup d'etat_ reached London. Count Walewski announced it to Lord Palmerston, who expressed his approval of it, and wrote to Lord Normanby the letter printed in his _Life_, disavowing surprise that the President had struck the blow when he did, "for it is now well known here that the d.u.c.h.ess of Orleans was preparing to be called to Paris this week with her younger son to commence a new period of Orleans dynasty."]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

DOWNING STREET, _4th December 1851._ (6 P.M.)

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty. Your Majesty's directions respecting the state of affairs in Paris shall be followed. Lord Normanby[30] has asked whether he should suspend his diplomatic functions; but the Cabinet were unanimously of opinion that he should not do so.

The result is very uncertain; at present the power is likely to rest in the Army, to whose memory of victories and defeats the President has so strongly appealed.

[Footnote 30: Lord Normanby, having applied for instructions as to his future conduct, was desired to make no change in his relations with the French Government, and to abstain from even the appearance of interference in her internal affairs. Having made a communication to this effect to M. Turgot, the latter replied that M. Walewski had notified to him that Lord Palmerston had already expressed to him his "entire approbation of the act of the President," and his "conviction that he could not have acted otherwise."]

[Pageheading: LOUIS NAPOLEON]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _5th December 1851._