Lord Ripon, with his humble duty to your Majesty, begs to inform your Majesty that despatches have been this day received at the India House from the Governor-General of India and from the Governor of Bombay, announcing the successful issue of a battle, on the 24th of March, between Sir Charles Napier and Meer Shere Mahommed.[40] The forces of the latter were completely routed, with the loss of all the guns and several standards.
RIPON.
[Footnote 40: Sir Charles Napier, who was in command in Scinde, defeated the army of the Ameers of Upper and Lower Scinde at Meeanee on 17th February, and on the 20th took Hyderabad. On the 24th March he attacked the enemy, who were posted in a strong position on the banks of a tributary of the Indus, and obtained a decisive victory.]
_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._
CLAREMONT, _6th June 1843._
DEAREST UNCLE,--I received your kind letter on Sunday, and thank you much for it. I am sorry that you could not take the children to Ardenne, as nothing is so good for children as _very_ frequent change of air, and think you do not let the children do so often enough.
Ours do so continually, and are so movable that it gives us no trouble whatever.
Our christening went off very brilliantly, and I wish you could have witnessed it; nothing could be more _anstandig_, and little _Alice_ behaved extremely well. The _dejeuner_ was served in the Gallery, as at dear p.u.s.s.y"s christening, and there being a profusion of flowers on the table, etc., had a beautiful effect.
The King of Hanover arrived _just in time_ to be _too late_. He is grown very old and excessively thin, and bends a good deal. He is very gracious, for _him_. p.u.s.s.y and _Bertie_ (as we call the boy) were not at all afraid of him, _fortunately_; they appeared after the _dejeuner_ on Friday, and I wish you could have seen them; they behaved so beautifully before that great number of people, and I must say looked _very dear_, all in white, and _very distingues_; they were much admired.
We came here on Sat.u.r.day. The news from Ireland continue to be very alarming. Hoping to hear soon, for _certain_, when you come, believe me, ever, your devoted Niece,
VICTORIA R.
I hope you will _kindly answer_ my letter of _last Tuesday_.
[Pageheading: IRISH AFFAIRS]
_Sir Thomas Fremantle_[41] _to Sir Robert Peel._[42]
HOUSE OF COMMONS, _9th June (1843)._
MY DEAR SIR ROBERT,--The King of Hanover took his seat at twenty minutes past four. He is now on the Woolsack with the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of Wellington, and Lord Strangford; no other Peers are in the House, the time of meeting being five o"clock.
It was not necessary that any other Peers should introduce His Majesty. He merely produced his writ of summons, and went to the table to be sworn. I remain, yours sincerely,
THOMAS FREMANTLE.
[Footnote 41: One of the Secretaries of the Treasury: afterwards Lord Cottesloe.]
[Footnote 42: Forwarded to the Queen by Sir Robert Peel.]
_Sir Robert Peel to the Prince Albert._
WHITEHALL, _11th June 1843._
(_Sunday._)
SIR,--In consequence of the conversation which I had with your Royal Highness on Thursday last on the subject of Ireland, I beg to mention to your Royal Highness that the Cabinet met again to-day at Lord Aberdeen"s house.
We had a very long discussion.
The prevailing opinion was that if legislation were proposed,[43] that legislation should be as effectual as possible; that there would be no advantage in seeking for new powers unless these powers were commensurate with the full extent of the mischief to be apprehended.
Foreseeing, however, all the difficulties of procuring such powers, and the increased excitement which must follow the demand for them, we were unwilling to come to an immediate decision in favour of recommending new legislation, and resolved therefore to watch the course of events for some time longer, continuing precautionary measures against disturbances of the public peace.
I have not received any material information from Ireland by the post of this day, nor has Sir James Graham.
I have the honour to be, Sir, with sincere respect, your Royal Highness"s most faithful and humble Servant,
ROBERT PEEL.
[Footnote 43: In consequence of the Repeal agitation, the Ministers had already introduced an Irish Arms Bill, which was carried.]
[Pageheading: THE REBECCA RIOTS]
_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._
SOUTH STREET, _22nd June 1843._
Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. He was infinitely obliged to your Majesty for coming into the room the other evening when he was with the Prince, and very much delighted to have an opportunity of seeing your Majesty, especially in such good health and spirits.
Lord Melbourne is very glad that your Majesty has seen _As you Like It_. It is indeed a most gay, lively, and beautiful play. To see or to read it is quite like pa.s.sing an hour or two in a forest of fairyland.
It is so lively, and at the same time so romantic. All depends upon Rosalind, which was an excellent part of Mrs. Jordan. Jaques is also a very particular character and difficult to play.
Lord Melbourne feels himself better, but still weak. He does not like to say much about politics, but he cannot refrain from observing that they seem to him to have permitted these lawless riotings in South Wales[44] to go on with success and impunity a great deal too long.
When such things begin n.o.body can say how far they will go or how much they will spread. There are many who expect and predict a general rising against property, and this is invariably the way in which such things begin.
[Footnote 44: The agitation against the turnpike system which had broken out in South Wales. _See_ Introductory Note, p.
450. (to Ch. XII)]
_Queen Victoria to Sir James Graham._
BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _23rd June 1843._
The Queen returns these communications to Sir James Graham, which are of a very unpleasant nature. The Queen trusts that measures of the greatest severity will be taken, as well to suppress the revolutionary spirit as to bring the culprits[45] to immediate trial and punishment.