on the Staff, who are already
favoured by being placed on the Staff in Ireland, is a practice which
tends but too much to encourage the opinion that promotions in the
Army and Navy are given not to merit, but to aristocratical connection
and official favour.

In the midst of the degradation of Thrones which the last two years
have seen in Europe, it will be well if the English Crown preserves
all its just prerogatives, and has only to relinquish some customary
abuses, which are not useful to the Sovereign, and are only an
equivocal advantage to the Ministers of the day.

[Pageheading: A PUBLIC THANKSGIVING]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _31st October 1849._

The Queen has just received Lord John Russell's letter, and was much
rejoiced at everything having gone off so well yesterday;[20] she was
very much annoyed at being unable to go herself, and that the untoward
chicken-pox should have come at this moment; she is, however, quite
recovered, though still much marked.

With respect to the proposition about the Thanksgiving, the Queen
quite approves of it, and (_if it is generally preferred_) that it
should be on a week-day. As to the Bishop of London's proposal,[21]
the Queen thinks that Lord John may have misunderstood him; she
supposes that he meant that she should attend _some_ place of _public
worship_, and not in her domestic chapel, in order to join in the
public demonstration. The Queen is quite ready to go with her Court
to St George's Chapel here; but she would like it to take place on
an earlier day than the 27th of November, when she would probably be
already in the Isle of Wight, where we think of going as usual on the
22nd or 23rd.

[Footnote 20: The ceremony of opening the new Coal Exchange,
at which, besides Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales and
Princess Royal were present.]

[Footnote 21: There had been a severe epidemic of cholera in
the country. In twelve months 14,000 deaths, in London alone,
were due to this malady. The 15th of November was appointed
for a general Day of Thanksgiving for its cessation, and the
Bishop of London had suggested that the Queen should attend a
public service at St Paul's. Lord John Russell was in favour
of Westminster Abbey.]

[Pageheading: POSITION OF GERMANY]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

EATON SQUARE, _29th November 1849._

Lord John Russell presents his humble