ST JAMES"S SQUARE, _11th December 1845._
... Lord Stanley humbly hopes that he may be permitted to avail himself of this opportunity to express to your Majesty the deep regret and pain with which he has felt himself compelled to dissent from the advice intended to have been tendered to your Majesty on the subject of the Corn Laws. He begs to a.s.sure your Majesty that he would have shrunk from making no personal sacrifice, short of that of principle, for the purpose of avoiding the inconvenience to your Majesty and to the country inseparable from any change of Administration; but being unconvinced of the necessity of a change of policy involving an abandonment of opinions formerly maintained, and expectations held out to political supporters, he felt that the real interests of your Majesty"s service could not be promoted by the loss of personal character which the sacrifice of his own convictions would necessarily have involved; and that he might far more usefully serve your Majesty and the country out of office, than as the official advocate of a policy which he could not sincerely approve. Lord Stanley begs to a.s.sure your Majesty that it will be his earnest endeavour to allay, as far as may lie in his power, the excitement which he cannot but foresee as the consequence of the contemplated change of policy; and he ventures to indulge the hope that this long trespa.s.s upon your Majesty"s much occupied time may find a sufficient apology in the deep anxiety which he feels that his regret at being compelled not only to retire from your Majesty"s service, but also to take a step which he is aware may have had some influence on the course finally adopted by Sir Robert Peel, may not be still farther increased by the apprehension of having, in the performance of a most painful duty, incurred your Majesty"s displeasure. All which is humbly submitted by your Majesty"s most dutiful Servant and Subject,
STANLEY.
_Queen Victoria to Lord Stanley._
OSBORNE, _12th December 1845._
The Queen, of course, _much regrets_ that Lord Stanley could not agree in the opinions of Sir Robert Peel upon a subject of such importance to the country. However, Lord Stanley may rest a.s.sured that the Queen gives full credit to the disinterested motives which guided Lord Stanley"s conduct.
[Pageheading: THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF]
_Queen Victoria to the Duke of Wellington._
OSBORNE, _12th December 1845._
The Queen has to inform the Duke of Wellington that, in consequence of Sir Robert Peel"s having declared to her his inability to carry on any longer the Government, she has sent for Lord John Russell, who is not able at present to state whether he can form an Administration, and is gone to Town in order to consult his friends. Whatever the result of his enquiries may be, the Queen has a _strong_ desire to see the Duke of Wellington remain at the head of her Army. The Queen appeals to the Duke"s so often proved loyalty and attachment to her person, in asking him to give her this a.s.surance. The Duke will thereby render the greatest service to the country and to her own person.
[Pageheading: THE DUKE"S ADVICE]
_The Duke of Wellington to Queen Victoria._
STRATHFIELDSAYE, _12th December 1845._
(_11 at night._)
Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington presents his humble duty to your Majesty; he has just now received your Majesty"s commands from Osborne of this day"s date.
He humbly submits to your Majesty that the duties of the Commander-in-Chief of your Majesty"s Land Forces places him in constant confidential relations with all your Majesty"s Ministers, and particularly with the one filling the office of First Lord of the Treasury.
Under these circ.u.mstances he submits to your Majesty the counsel, that your Majesty would be graciously pleased to consult the n.o.bleman or gentleman who should be your Majesty"s first Minister, before any other step should be taken upon the subject. He might think that he had reason to complain if he should find that it was arranged that the Duke of Wellington should continue to fill the office of Commander-in-Chief, and such impression might have an influence upon his future relations with that office.
Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington believes that Lord John Russell and all your Majesty"s former Ministers were aware, that during the whole period of the time during which Lord Hill was the General Commanding-in-Chief your Majesty"s Forces, the professional opinion and services of Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington were at all times at the command and disposition of your Majesty"s servants, and were given whenever required.
He happened to be at that time in political opposition to the Government in the House of Parliament, of which he was a member; but that circ.u.mstance made no difference.
It is impossible for the Duke of Wellington to form a political connection with Lord John Russell, or to have any relation with the political course of the Government over which he should preside.
Such arrangement would not conciliate public confidence, be considered creditable to either party, or be useful to the service of your Majesty.
Nor, indeed, would the performance of the duties of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army require that such should exist; on the other hand, the performance of these duties would require that the person filling the office should avoid to belong to, or to act in concert with, a political party opposed to the Government.
Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington has considered it his duty to submit these considerations, in order that your Majesty may be perfectly aware of the position in which he is about to place himself, in case Lord John Russell should counsel your Majesty to command Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington to continue to hold the office of Commander-in-Chief of your Majesty"s Land Forces.
He at once submits to your Majesty the a.s.surance that he will cheerfully devote his service to your Majesty"s command upon receiving the official intimation thereof, and that he will as usual make every effort in his power to promote your Majesty"s service.
All of which is humbly submitted to your Majesty by your Majesty"s most dutiful Subject and devoted Servant,
WELLINGTON.
[Pageheading: KING LOUIS PHILIPPE]
_The King of the French to Queen Victoria._
ST CLOUD, _le 16 Decembre 1845._
MADAME MA TReS CHeRE S[OE]UR,--J"ai a remercier votre Majeste de l"excellente lettre que ma bonne Clem m"a remise de sa part. Elle m"a ete droit au c[oe]ur, et je ne saurais exprimer a quel point j"ai ete touche de vos bons voeux pour ma famille, et de tout ce que vous me temoignez sur l"accroiss.e.m.e.nt qu"il a plu a la Providence de lui donner dans mes _onze pet.i.ts fils_.
Je me disposais a dire a votre Majeste que, quoiqu"avec un bien vif regret, je comprenais parfaitement les motifs qui vous portaient a remettre a une autre annee, cette visite si vivement desiree, et que j"esperais toujours trouver une compensation a cette privation, en allant de nouveau Lui offrir en Angleterre, l"hommage de tous les sentiments que je Lui porte, et qui m"attachent si profondement a Elle, ainsi qu"au Prince son Epoux, lorsque j"ai recu la nouvelle de la demission de Sir Robert Peel, de Lord Aberdeen et de tous leurs Collegues. Je me flattais que ces Ministres qui s"etaient toujours si bien entendus avec les miens pour etablir entre nos deux Gouvernements, cette heureuse _entente cordiale_ qui est la base du repos du monde et de la prosperite de nos pays, continueraient encore longtemps a l"entretenir, et a la consolider de plus en plus. Cet espoir est decu!![33] Il faut s"y resigner; mais je suis empresse d"a.s.surer votre Majeste, que quelque soit son nouveau Ministere, celui qui m"entoure aujourd"hui, et que je desire, et que j"espere conserver longtemps, n"omettra aucun effort pour cultiver et maintenir cet heureux accord qu"il est si evidemment dans notre interet commun de conserver intact.
Dans de telles circonstances, il me devient doublement precieux d"etre uni a votre Majeste et au Prince Albert par tant de liens, et qu"il se soit forme entre nous cet attachement mutuel, cette affection et cette confiance, qui sont au dessus et independants de toute consideration politique; mais qui pourront toujours plus ou moins exercer une influence salutaire sur l"action et la marche de nos deux Gouvernements. Aussi, je le dis a votre Majeste et a son Epoux avec un entier abandon, j"ai besoin de compter sur cette a.s.sistance occasionnelle, et j"y compte entierement en vous demandant d"avoir la meme confiance de mon cote, et en vous repetant que cette confiance ne sera pas plus decue dans l"avenir, qu"elle ne l"a ete dans le pa.s.se.
Votre Majeste me permettra d"offrir ici au Prince Albert l"expression de ma vive et sincere amitie. Je la prie aussi de recevoir celle de l"inviolable attachement avec lequel je suis, Madame ma tres chere S[oe]ur, de votre Majeste, le bon Frere et bien fidele Ami,
LOUIS PHILIPPE R.
[Footnote 33: The return of Palmerston to the Foreign Office was of course dreaded by the King and Guizot.]
[Pageheading: LORD JOHN RUSSELL"S ACCEPTANCE]
_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._
WINDSOR CASTLE, _16th December 1845._
The Queen has just received Lord John Russell"s letter of this day"s date,[34] and considering that it is of great importance that no time should be lost, has immediately forwarded it to Sir Robert Peel.
The Queen fully understands the motives which guide Lord John in using every effort to ensure the success of the great measure which is impending before he undertakes to form a Government.