Volume Ii Part 21 (1/2)
I think that the King of the French's visit is more than ever desirable--now; for if he were to be shy of coming, it would prove to the world that this _new_ Government was hostile, and the _entente cordiale_ no longer sure. Pray impress this on the King--and I _hope_ and _beg_ he will let the dear Nemours pay us a little visit in November. It would have the best effect, and be so pleasant, as we are so dull in the winter all by ourselves. I hope that in future, when the King and the Family are at _Eu_, some of them will frequently come over to see us _here_. It would be so nice and _so near_.
Now adieu, dearest Uncle. I hope I shall _not_ have to _write_ to you again, but have the happiness of _saying de vive voix_, that I am ever, your devoted Niece,
VICTORIA R.
[Pageheading: THE SPANISH MARRIAGES]
_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._
FOREIGN OFFICE, _16th July 1846._
... With regard to the marriage of the Queen of Spain, Viscount Palmerston has received a good deal of general information from persons who have conversed with him on the subject, but he has learnt nothing thereupon which was not already known to your Majesty. The state of that matter seems, in a few words, to be that the Count of Trapani is now quite out of the question, that the Count of Montemolin, though wished for by Austria, and in some degree supported by the Court of the Tuileries, would be an impossible choice, and that the alternative now lies between Don Enrique and the Prince Leopold of Coburg, the two Queens being equally set against the Duke of Cadiz, Don Enrique's elder brother. In favour of Prince Leopold seem to be the two Queens, and a party (of what extent and influence does not appear) in Spain. Against that Prince are arrayed, ostensibly at least, the Court of the Tuileries and the Liberal Party in Spain; and probably to a certain degree the Government of Austria.
In favour of Don Enrique are a very large portion of the Spanish nation, who would prefer a Spanish prince for their Sovereign's husband; and the preference, expressed only as an opinion and without any acts in furtherance of it, by your Majesty's late Administration.
Against Don Enrique are the aversion of the Queen Mother, founded on her family differences with her late sister, and the apprehensions of the present Ministers in Spain, who would think their power endangered by the political connection between Don Enrique and the more Liberal Party. The sentiments of the King of the French in regard to Don Enrique seem not very decided; but it appears likely that the King of the French would prefer Count Montemolin or the Duke of Cadiz to Don Enrique; but that he would prefer Don Enrique to the Prince Leopold of Coburg, because the former would fall within the category of Bourbon princes, descended from Philip the Fifth of Spain, proposed by the King of the French as the limited circle within which the Queen of Spain should find a husband.
_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._
_16th July 1846._
The Queen has received Lord Palmerston's interesting letter, and is very much satisfied with his parting conversation with Ibrahim Pasha, which she conceives will not be lost upon him. The view Lord Palmerston takes about the present position of the Spanish marriage question appears to the Queen quite correct. She finds only one omission, which is Queen Isabella's personal objection to Don Enrique, and the danger which attaches to marriage with a Prince taken up by a Political Party in Spain, which makes him the political enemy of the opposite Party.[18]
The Queen thanks Lord Palmerston for his zeal about Portugal, which is really in an alarming state.[19] She sends herewith the last letter which she received from the King of Portugal. The Queen is sorry to have lost the opportunity of seeing Marshal Saldanha.
[Footnote 18: On the 18th of July Lord Palmerston wrote his celebrated despatch to Mr Bulwer, and unfortunately showed a copy of it to Jarnac, the French Amba.s.sador in London. The mention of Prince Leopold in it, as a possible candidate for the Queen of Spain's hand, gave the French King and Minister the opportunity they wanted, and brought matters to a crisis.
See _Life of the Prince Consort_, vol. i. chap. xvii.; Dalling's _Life of Lord Palmerston,_ vol. iii. chaps. vii. and viii.]
[Footnote 19: Owing to the insurrection, a run took place on the Bank of Lisbon. The Ministry (in which Saldanha was War Minister) had some difficulty in raising a loan.]
[Pageheading: THE PREROGATIVE OF DISSOLUTION]
_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._
OSBORNE HOUSE, _16th July 1846._
The Queen has received Lord John Russell's communication of yesterday, and sincerely hopes that Lord John's sugar measure[20] may be such that the Committee of the Cabinet, as well as the whole Cabinet and _Parliament_, may concur in it, which would save the country another struggle this year. The Queen trusts, moreover, that late experience and good sense may induce the West Indians to be moderate and accommodating. As Lord John touches in his letter on the possibility of a Dissolution, the Queen thinks it right to put Lord John in possession of her views upon this subject _generally_. She considers the power of dissolving Parliament a most valuable and powerful instrument in the hands of the Crown, but which ought not to be used except in extreme cases and with a certainty of success. To use this instrument and be defeated is a thing most lowering to the Crown and hurtful to the country. The Queen strongly feels that she made a mistake in allowing the Dissolution in 1841; the result has been a majority returned against her of nearly one hundred votes; but suppose the result to have been nearly an equality of votes between the two contending parties, the Queen would have thrown away her last remedy, and it would have been impossible for her to get any Government which could have carried on public business with a chance of success.
The Queen was glad therefore to see that Sir Robert Peel did not ask for a Dissolution, and she _entirely concurs_ in the opinion expressed by him in his last speech in the House of Commons, when he said: