The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 70

[Footnote 46: The closing words of the resolution were as follows: "... That Her Majesty's Ministers do not sufficiently possess the confidence of the House of Commons to enable them to carry through the House measures which they deem of essential importance to the public welfare, and that their continuance in office under such circ.u.mstances is at variance with the spirit of the Const.i.tution."]

[Pageheading: PROSPECT OF DISSOLUTION]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

WILTON CRESCENT, _28th May 1841._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to state that Sir Robert Peel yesterday brought forward his motion in a remarkably calm and temperate speech.

Sir John Hobhouse and Mr Macaulay completely exposed the fallacy of his resolution, and successfully vindicated the government. Lord Worsley[47] declared he would oppose the resolution, which declaration excited great anger, and produced much disappointment in the Tory party.

If the debate is carried on till next week, it is probable the Ministers may have a majority of one or two.

The accounts from the country are encouraging.

It does not appear that Sir Robert Peel, even if he carries this motion, intends to obstruct the measures necessary for a dissolution of Parliament.

[Footnote 47: M.P. for Lincolns.h.i.+re, who had voted for Lord Sandon's motion.]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

_31st May 1841._

... I beg you _not_ to be alarmed about what is to be done; it is _not_ for a Party triumph that Parliament (_the longest_ that has sat for _many_ years) is to be dissolved; it is the fairest and most const.i.tutional mode of proceeding; and you may trust to the moderation and prudence of my whole Government that nothing will be done without due consideration; if the present Government get a majority by the elections they will go on prosperously; if not, the Tories will come in for a short time. The country is quiet and the people very well disposed. I am happy, dearest Uncle, to give you these quieting news, which I a.s.sure you are _not_ partial....

[Pageheading: KING LEOPOLD'S VIEWS]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN _31st May 1841._

MY DEAREST VICTORIA,--Your Mother[48] is safely arrived, though she was received close to Ostende by a formidable thunderstorm. I had given directions that everywhere great civilities should be shown her.

She stood the fatigues better than I had expected, and is less sleepy than in England. She seems to be pleased with her _sejour_ here, and inclined in fact to remain rather than to go on; but I am sure, when once in Germany she will be both pleased and interested by it. It will amuse you to hear from herself her own impressions.

I cannot help to add a few political lines. I regret much, I must confess, that the idea of a dissolution has gained ground, and I will try to show in a very few words why I am against it.

In politics, a great rule ought to be to rule with the things which one _knows already_, and not to jump into something entirely new of which no one can do more _than guess the consequences._ The present Parliament has been elected at a moment most favourable to the present Administration after a most popular accession to the throne, everything new and fresh, and with the natural fondness of the great ma.s.s of people, a change is always popular; it was known that you were kindly disposed towards your Ministers, everything was therefore _a souhait_ for the election of a new Parliament. In this respect Ministers have nothing like the favourable circ.u.mstances which smiled upon them at the last general election. Feeling this, they raise a cry, which may become popular and embarra.s.s their antagonists about _cheap_ bread! I do not think this is quite befitting their dignity; such things do for revolutionaries like Thiers, or my late Ministers.... If the thing rouses the people it may do serious mischief; if not, it will look awkward for the Ministers themselves.

If you do not grant a dissolution to your present Ministers you would have, at the coming in of a new Administration, the right to tell them that they must go on with the present Parliament; and I have no doubt that they could do so. The statistics of the present House of Commons are well known to all the men who sit in it, and to keep it a few years longer would be a real advantage.

You know that I have been rather maltreated by the Tories, formerly to please George IV., and since I left the country, because I served, in their opinion, on the revolutionary side of the question. I must say, however, that for your service as well as for the quiet of the country, it would be good to give them a trial. If they could not remain in office it will make them quieter for some time. If by a dissolution the Conservative interest in the House is too much weakened the permanent interests of the country can but suffer from that. If, on the contrary, the Conservatives come in stronger, your position will not be very agreeable, and it may induce them to be perhaps less moderate than they ought to be. I should be very happy if you would discuss these, my _hasty_ views, with Lord Melbourne. I do not give them for more than what they are, mere _practical_ considerations; but, as far as I can judge of the question, if I was myself concerned I should have no dissolution; if even there was but the very _ba.n.a.le_ consideration, _qu'on sait ce qu'on a, mais qu'on ne sait nullement ce qu'on aura_. The moment is not without importance, and well worthy your earnest consideration, and I feel convinced that Lord Melbourne will agree with me, that, notwithstanding the great political good sense of the people in England, the machine is so complicated that it should be handled with great care and tenderness.

To conclude, I must add that perhaps a permanent duty on corn may be a desirable thing, but that it ought to be sufficiently high to serve as a real protection. It may besides produce this effect, that as it will be necessary, at least at first, to buy a good deal of the to be imported corn with _money_, the currency will be seriously affected by it. The countries which would have a chance of selling would be chiefly Poland in all its parts, Prussia, Austria, and Russia, the South of Russia on the Black Sea, and maybe Sicily. Germany does not grow a sufficient quant.i.ty of wheat to profit by such an arrangement; it will besides not buy more from England for the present than it does now, owing to the Zollverein,[49] which must first be altered. But I will not bore you too long, and conclude with my best love to little Victoria, of whom her Grandmama speaks with raptures. Ever, my dearest Victoria, your devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 48: The d.u.c.h.ess of Kent had left England for a tour on the Continent.]

[Footnote 49: After the fall of Napoleon, the hopes of many Germans for a united national Germany were frustrated by the Congress of Vienna, which perpetuated the practical independence of a number of German States, as well as the predominance within the Germanic confederation of Austria, a Power largely non-German. One of the chief factors in the subsequent unification of Germany was the Zollverein, or Customs Union, by which North Germany was gradually bound together by commercial interest, and thus opposed to Austria.

The success of this method of imperial integration has not been without influence on the policies of other lands.]

[Pageheading: THE OPPOSITION ELATED]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

_WILTON CRESCENT, 5th June 1841._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to state that the House divided about three this morning.

For Sir Robert Peel 312 Against 311 --- Majority 1

The Opposition were greatly elated by this triumph. Lord Stanley, and Sir Robert Peel who spoke last in the debate, did not deny that the Crown might exercise the prerogative of dissolution in the present case. But they insisted that no time should be lost in previous debates, especially on such a subject as the Corn Laws.

Lord John Russell spoke after Lord Stanley, and defended the whole policy of the Administration.

After the division he stated that he would on Monday propose the remaining estimates, and announce the course which he meant to pursue respecting the Corn Laws.

[Pageheading: MARRIAGE OF LORD JOHN RUSSELL]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

_6th June 1841._

... Now, many thanks for two letters of the 31st ult. and 4th June.

The former I shall not answer at length, as Albert has done so, and I think has given a very _fair_ view of the state of affairs. Let me only repeat to you again that you need not be alarmed, and that I think you will be pleased and _beruhigt_ when you talk to our friend Lord Melbourne on the subject...

I fear you will again see nothing of the Season, as Parliament will probably be dissolved by the 21st....

As to my letters, dear Uncle, I beg to _a.s.sure_ you (for Lord Palmerston was _most indignant_ at the doubt when I once asked) that _none_ of our letters nor any of those _coming_ to us, are ever opened at the Foreign Office. My letters to Brussels and Paris are _quite safe_, and all those to Germany, which are of any _real_ consequence, I always send through Rothschild, which is perfectly _safe_ and very quick.