Count Walewski in confidence requested Lord Clarendon to impress upon Lord Cowley the necessity of often seeing the Emperor, and not trusting to the Minister, when any question of difficulty arose.
Count Walewski said the Emperor was particularly anxious that your Majesty should know that the liberation of the Madiai[13] was owing to the interference which the French Legation had been instructed by the Emperor to use in their behalf.
[Footnote 13: Two persons, husband and wife, domiciled in Florence, who had embraced the English reformed religion. In 1852 they were seized, imprisoned in separate dungeons, and subjected to great hardships. Lords Shaftesbury and Roden went to Florence and appealed to the Grand Duke on their behalf, but were unsuccessful. In March 1853, however, after the British Government had interposed, the two were released, a pension being provided for them by public subscription.]
_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._
WINDSOR CASTLE, _29th March 1853._
MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I have to thank you very much for your kind letter of the 25th....
I hope that the Oriental Question will be satisfactorily settled.
From all the confidential reports we have received from the Emperor of Russia, I think I may safely say that though he has treated the Sultan rather overbearingly and roughly, there is _no_ alteration in his views--and _no wish whatever_ on his part to appropriate Constantinople or any of those parts to himself--though he does not wish us, or France or Austria _or Greece_, to have it either. But he thinks the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire very imminent, which I really think is not the case. The Russians accuse us (as we have preached moderation) of being too French--and the French of being too Russian!....
Now with Albert"s love, ever your devoted Niece,
VICTORIA R.
_Queen Victoria to Lord Clarendon_.
WINDSOR CASTLE, _30th March 1853._
The Queen has received Lord Clarendon"s letter with great satisfaction. We are now reaping the fruits of an honest and straightforward conduct, and the Queen hopes Lord Clarendon will likewise in all future cases of difficulty arrest the mischief, sure to arise from a continuance of mutual suspicion between this Country and any Power, by at once entering upon full and unreserved explanations, on the first symptoms of distrust.
As the Emperor deserves great credit, if he really caused the liberation of the Madiai, the Queen wishes Lord Clarendon to express to Count Walewski her feelings on this subject.
[Pageheading: THE CZAR"S LETTER]
_The Emperor of Russia to the Prince Albert._
8 ST. PeTERSBOURG, _le -- Avril 1853._ 20
MONSEIGNEUR,--J"allais Vous adresser mes felicitations sinceres pour l"heureuse delivrance de Sa Majeste la Reine, quand Votre aimable lettre est venue me prevenir.[14] Veuillez donc, Monseigneur, etre persuade, que c"est avec grande joie, que ma femme et moi, nous avons appris cet heureux evenement, et j"ose aussi vous prier de deposer aux pieds de Sa Majeste mes humbles hommages et felicitations. Je me flatte n"avoir pas besoin de Vous a.s.surer tous deux, Monseigneur, de toute la sincerite des sentiments d"affection que je Vous porte. Cette fois j"ose y joindre mes remerciments bien sentis a Sa Majeste la Reine, pour l"indulgence et l"attention qu"Elle a daigne preter aux communications dont j"avais charge directement Sir Hamilton Seymour, qui a le merite seul d"avoir su transmettre mes intentions avec une fidelite et une exact.i.tude parfaites.
Je crois que dans peu Sa Majeste la Reine sera dans le cas de se persuader, que _Son sincere et fidele ami_ l"a prevenue a temps de ce qu"il prevoyait devoir infailliblement arriver; non certes dans l"intention d"etre un _prophete de mauvais augure_, mais dans la conviction intime, que ce n"est que la confiance la plus intime, la plus complette et la plus parfaitte ident.i.te de vues entre Sa Majeste et Son tres humble serviteur, c. a. d. entre l"Angleterre et la Russie, que peuvent commander aux evenements et conjurer de terribles catastrophes!
Maintenant nous nous entendons, et je m"en remets a Dieu pour tout ce qui doit arriver.
C"est avec la plus haute consideration et la plus sincere amitie que je serais, toujours, Monseigneur, de Votre Altesse Royale le tout devoue Cousin,
NICOLAS.
[Footnote 14: The fourth son of the Queen and Prince, afterwards Duke of Albany, was born on the 7th of April at Buckingham Palace.]
[Pageheading: BIRTH OF PRINCE LEOPOLD]
_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._
BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _18th April 1853._
MY DEAREST UNCLE,--My first letter is _this_ time, as last time, addressed to you; last time it was because dearest Louise, to whom the first had heretofore always been addressed, was with me--alas! _now_, she is no longer amongst us! I can report very favourably of myself, for I have never been better or stronger or altogether more comfortable.
Stockmar will have told you that _Leopold_ is to be the name of our fourth young gentleman. It is a mark of love and affection which I hope you will not disapprove. It is a name which is the dearest to me after Albert, and one which recalls the almost _only_ happy days of my sad childhood; to hear "Prince Leopold" again, will make me think of all those days! His other names will be George Duncan Albert, and the Sponsors, the King of Hanover, Ernest Hohenlohe, the Princess of Prussia and Mary Cambridge.
George is after the King of Hanover, and Duncan as a compliment to dear Scotland.... Ever your devoted Niece and Child,
VICTORIA R.
[Pageheading: MR GLADSTONE"S BUDGET]
_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._
CHESHAM PLACE, _19th April 1853._
Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and is happy to say that Mr Gladstone"s statement last night was one of the most powerful financial speeches ever made in the House of Commons.[15]
Mr Pitt in the days of his glory might have been more imposing, but he could not have been more persuasive.
Lord John Russell is very sanguine as to the success of the plan, both in the House of Commons and in the country.
[Footnote 15: Mr Gladstone"s Budget imposed a duty for the first time on the succession to real property; he retained the Income Tax for two years longer, at its then rate of sevenpence in the pound on incomes above 150, and extended it, at the rate of fivepence in the pound, to incomes between 100 and 150. Ireland was made subject to the tax, but received relief in other directions. Remissions of indirect taxes were also made, and one of these, the repeal of the Advertis.e.m.e.nt Duty, was carried against the Government.]
_The Prince Albert to Mr Gladstone._
BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _19th April 1853._
MY DEAR MR GLADSTONE,--I must write to you a line in order to congratulate you on your success of last night. I have just completed a close and careful perusal of your speech, which I admire extremely, and I have heard from all sides that the effect it has produced is very good. Trusting that your Christian humility will not allow you to become dangerously elated, I cannot resist sending you the report which Lord John Russell made to the Queen for your perusal; knowing that it will give you pleasure, and that these are the best rewards which a public man can look for. Ever yours truly,