Volume I Part 90 (1/2)
[Pageheading: THE UNITED STATES]
_The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria._
FOREIGN OFFICE, _24th December 1841._
Lord Aberdeen presents his most humble duty to your Majesty. He ventures to request your Majesty's attention for a moment to the character of your Majesty's present relations with the Government of the United States. Your Majesty is aware that several questions of great difficulty and importance have been long pending between the two Governments.[161] Some of these have become more complicated than they were ten years ago; and any of them might, at any moment, lead to consequences of the most disastrous nature.
Instead of continuing negotiations, necessarily tedious and which promise to be interminable, your Majesty's servants are humbly of opinion that an effort ought to be made, by a Special Mission at Was.h.i.+ngton, to bring all these differences promptly to an adjustment.
The public feeling in the United States at this time does not appear to be unfavourable for such an attempt. Should it be undertaken by a person whose rank, character, and abilities would ensure respect, and whose knowledge of the subjects under discussion, and of the people of the country, together with his conciliatory manners, would render him generally acceptable, your Majesty might perhaps indulge the hope of a successful result.
Lord Aberdeen humbly ventures to think that such a person may be found in Lord Ashburton,[162] whom he submits for your Majesty's gracious approbation.
[Footnote 161: The question of the North-West Boundary had long been one source of dispute; another was the right the British Government claimed of searching vessels suspected of being engaged in the slave trade.]
[Footnote 162: Alexander, first Lord Ashburton, who had held office in Peel's short Ministry, and married Miss Bingham of Philadelphia. See _post_, p. 461. (Ch. XII, Footnote 10)]
[Pageheading: CHRISTMAS]
_Memorandum by Mr Anson._
WINDSOR CASTLE, _26th December 1841._
Christmas has brought its usual routine of festivity and its agreeable accompaniment of Christmas presents. The Queen was not at all well again yesterday, being again troubled with lowness. The Melbourne correspondence still is carried on, but I think not in its pristine vigour by any means. He has taken no notice of the Baron's remonstrance to him, and we are in the dark in what manner, if at all, he means to deal with it.
I have sat by Her Majesty at dinner several times lately. I should say that Her Majesty interests herself less and less about politics, and that her dislike is less than it was to her present Ministers, though she would not be prepared to acknowledge it. Her Majesty is a good deal occupied with the little Princess Royal, who begins to a.s.sume companionable qualities. In the evening, instead of her usual conversation with her old Prime Minister, some round game at cards is subst.i.tuted, which always terminates at eleven. The Prince, to amuse the Queen at this, has nearly left off his chess; his amus.e.m.e.nts--shooting or hunting--always commence and terminate between eleven and two, not to interfere with Her Majesty's arrangements, in which he is included as her companion.
_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._
MELBOURNE, _29th December 1841._
Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. He received here yesterday your Majesty's letter of the 25th inst., upon a paper adorned with many quaint and humorous Christmas devices, and Lord Melbourne begs to offer to your Majesty, most sincerely and most fervently, the good wishes of the Season. Lord Melbourne will be in town on Friday evening next, and after that day will wait upon your Majesty, whenever your Majesty is pleased to command....
Lord Melbourne is very glad to hear that the King of the Belgians is rea.s.sured by his journey to Mons and his reception upon it. He need not mind the King of Holland, if he can keep all right at Paris.
The railway smash[163] is awful and tremendous, as all railway mishaps are, and Lord Melbourne fears must always be. These slips and falls of earth from the banks are the greatest danger that now impends over them, and if they take place suddenly and in the dark, Lord Melbourne does not see how the fatal consequences of them are to be effectually guarded against. They are peculiarly likely to happen now, as the cuttings have been recently and hastily made, the banks are very steep, and the season has been peculiarly wet, interrupted by severe frosts.
Lord Melbourne received the deputation from Derby, a large and respectable one, here on Monday last. The address was very guarded, temperate, and judicious, and Lord Melbourne strove to construct his answer in the same manner.
[Footnote 163: This accident took place on 24th December in the Sonning Hill cutting, two and a half miles from Reading.
Eight persons were killed on the spot.]