The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Iii Part 45

The Queen wishes Lord Palmerston to show this letter to the Cabinet.

[Pageheading: LETTER FROM THE EMPEROR]

_The Emperor of the French to Queen Victoria._

PARIS, _le 12 Avril 1856_.

MADAME ET TReS CHeRE S[OE]UR,--Votre Majeste m'a fait grand plaisir en me disant qu'elle etait satisfaite de la conclusion de la paix, car ma constante preoccupation a ete, tout en desirant la fin d'une guerre ruineuse, de n'agir que de concert avec le Gouvernement de votre Majeste. Certes je concois bien qu'il ait ete desirable d'obtenir encore de meilleurs resultats, mais etait-ce raisonnable d'en attendre de la maniere dont la guerre avait ete engagee? J'avoue que je ne le crois pas. La guerre avait ete trop lentement conduite par nos generaux et nos amiraux et nous avions laisse le temps aux Russes de se rendre presque imprenables a Cronstadt comme en Crimee. Je crois donc que nous aurions paye trop cherement sous tous les rapports les avantages que nous eussions pu obtenir. Je suis pour cette raison heureux de la paix, mais je suis heureux surtout que notre Alliance sorte intacte des conferences et qu'elle se montre a l'Europe aussi solide que le premier jour de _notre union_. (Je prie le Prince Albert de ne pas etre jaloux de cette expression.)

Nous avons appris avec la plus vive satisfaction que les projets que votre Majeste avait concus pour le bonheur de la Princesse Royale allaient bientot se realiser. On dit tant de bien du jeune Prince Frederic Guillaume que je ne doute pas que votre charmante fille ne soit heureuse. L'Imperatrice, qui attend avec impatience le moment de pouvoir ecrire a votre Majeste, a ete bien touchee de votre aimable lettre. Vers le commencement de Mai nous irons a St Cloud ou votre souvenir nous y accompagne toujours, car ces lieux nous rappellent le sejour de votre Majeste et nous faisons des v[oe]ux pour qu'un si heureux evenement puisse se renouveler.

Je prie votre Majeste de me rappeler au souvenir du Prince Albert et de recevoir avec bonte l'a.s.surance des sentiments de respectueuse amitie avec lesquels je suis, de votre Majeste, le devoue Frere et Ami,

NAPOLeON.

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Hardinge._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _21st April 1856_.

The Queen has heard from Colonel Phipps that Lord Hardinge is most anxious for her sanction to the paper submitted yesterday, if even as merely a temporary measure, before the mail goes this evening, as all the s.h.i.+pping at Balaklava is waiting for it. She hopes Lord Hardinge will see how inconvenient and unpleasant it must be to the Queen to have important matters submitted at such short notice that they cannot even be discussed by her without detriment to the public service, and trusts that she may not again be placed in a similar position. She has now signed the paper, but _only_ as a temporary measure, and upon the understanding that Lord Hardinge will submit to her, between this and the next mail, the arrangements which are now wanting.

She has also signed the proposal about Canada, but must express her conviction that General Le Marchant,[25] as Civil Governor of the Colony, cannot possibly attend to the command of the Brigade, which ought to have a distinct Commander. There may be Artillery in Canada, but is it horsed? and in Batteries?

We are rapidly falling back into the old ways!

[Footnote 25: Sir John Gaspard Le Marchant, 1803-1874, Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia from 1852 to 1857.]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _6th May 1856_.

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Having returned late from a drive, I have but little time to spare to thank you for your kind letter of the 2nd.

Last Thursday (1st) was our darling Arthur's sixth birthday, which he enjoyed duly. On the 3rd we received Brunnow[26]--who was so nervous and humble, and so _emu_ that he could hardly speak. He dines with us to-night, and the dinner is given for him, being a _funny collection of antagonistic elements_--Granville, Clarendon, Lansdowne, Aberdeen, Graham, John Russell, Derby, and Malmesbury! "The Happy Family," I call it.

The Opposition have taken the line of disapproving the Peace and showing great hostility to Russia.

To-morrow we have a Levee, and on Thursday a ball in our fine new room, which we open on that day; and on Friday there is a _Peace_ Fete at the Crystal Palace. On Sat.u.r.day we go out of town; and now I must end, begging to be forgiven for so hurried a scrawl, but I had to write a long letter and to _sit_ to Winterhalter. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 26: He had come to England, charged with a special mission.]

[Pageheading: COLONIAL GOVERNORs.h.i.+PS]

_Queen Victoria to Mr Labouchere._

OSBORNE, _14th May 1856_.

The Queen has received Mr Labouchere's letter, and hastens to express her opinion that Mr Wilson[27] would not be at all a proper person to be Governor of so large and important a Colony as Victoria. It ought to be a man of higher position and standing, and who could represent his Sovereign adequately....

She wishes further to observe that Mr Labouchere should in future take care that, while he tries to ascertain the feelings of people as to their accepting the offer of a Colonial appointment, before he submits them to the Queen, that these enquiries should be made in such a manner as not to lead these persons to _expect_ the appointment, else, if the _Queen_ does not approve of them, the whole odium of the refusal will fall upon her. The best way, and the way in which similar appointments are conducted in the other Offices, would be to mention the names first to the Queen, and if she approves of them, to ascertain the feelings of the respective candidates. This would avoid all difficulties on the subject.

[Footnote 27: James Wilson, the founder of _The Economist_, was at this time Financial Secretary to the Treasury. In 1859 he accepted the new office of Financial Member of the Council of India, but died in the following year.]

_Queen Victoria to Mr Labouchere._

_14th May 1856_.

The Queen would quite approve of the selection of Sir H. Bulwer, Lord Lyttelton, or Sir H. Barkly for Victoria. She is decidedly of opinion that the Governor should be an Englishman and not a Colonist. Now that self-Government has been established in the Colonies, the person of the Governor is the only connection remaining with the Mother Country; and if the Government were once filled from among the public men in the Colonies, this would become a precedent most difficult to break through again, and possibly paving the way for total separation.[28]

[Footnote 28: Sir Henry Bulwer declined. Sir Henry Barkly was appointed.]

[Pageheading: NAVAL POLICY]

_Queen Victoria to Sir Charles Wood._

OSBORNE, _18th May 1856_.

The Queen has to thank Sir C. Wood for his long and clear statement as to the present position of the Naval Force, which she quite understands. She attaches the greatest importance to perfect faith being kept with the sailors, and on that account was distressed to hear of the misapprehension at Portsmouth the other day.

A good system for a Naval Reserve would be most important. The Queen thinks a Commission, composed chiefly of _younger officers_ still conversant with the _present_ feelings of our sailors, would best be able to advise on the subject; the old Admirals are always and not unnaturally somewhat behind their time.

With respect to the policy of not too rapidly reducing our naval armaments, Sir C. Wood only antic.i.p.ates the Queen's most anxious wish on this subject, for we cannot tell what may not happen anywhere at any moment; our relations with America are very unsettled, and our Alliance with France _depends_ upon the life of one man. And it is best to be prepared, for else you excite suspicion if you have suddenly to make preparations without being _able_ to state for what they are intended.

With regard to the Sailors' Homes, the Queen concurs in the advantage of leaving them to private management; but the Government, having so large a stake in the sailors' welfare, would act wisely and justly to make a handsome donation to all of them at the present moment, taking care that this should be used by the different establishments for their permanent extension. Five thousand pounds amongst them would be by no means an unreasonable sum to give as a token of the interest taken in the well-being of these brave men when no immediate return in shape of service was expected for it.