duty to your Majesty. In
answer to your Majesty's enquiry, he has to state that a very short
conversation took place in the Cabinet on the affairs of Germany upon
an enquiry of Lord John Russell whether the Diet of Erfurt[22] might
not be considered a violation of the Treaties of 1815. Lord Palmerston
thought not, but had not examined the question.

The affairs of Germany are in a critical position; Austria will
oppose anything which tends to aggrandise Prussia; Prussia will
oppose anything which tends to free Government; and France will oppose
anything which tends to strengthen Germany. Still, all these powers
might be disregarded were Germany united, but it is obvious that
Bavaria and Wuertemberg look to Austria and France for support, while
Hanover and Saxony will give a very faint assistance to a Prussian
League.

The matter is very critical, but probably will not lead to war.

[Footnote 22: In order to effect the consolidation of Germany,
the King of Prussia had summoned a Federal Parliament to meet
at Erfurt.]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

FOREIGN OFFICE, _30th November 1849._

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and in
reply to your Majesty's enquiry as to what the measures would be
which Sir William Parker[23] would have to take in order to support Mr
Wyse's[24] demands for redress for certain wrongs sustained by British
and Ionian subjects, begs to say that the ordinary and accustomed
method of enforcing such demands is by reprisals--that is to say,
by seizing some vessels and property of the party which refuses
redress,[25] and retaining possession thereof until redress is
granted.

Another method is the blockading of the ports of the party by whom
redress is refused, and by interrupting commercial intercourse to
cause inconvenience and loss. Viscount Palmerston, however, does not
apprehend that any active measures of this kind will be required, but
rather expects that when the Greek Government finds that the demand
is made in earnest, and that means are at hand to enforce it,
satisfaction will at last be given. The refusal of the Greek
Government to satisfy these claims, and the offensive neglect
with which they have treated the applications of your Majesty's
representative at Athens have, as Viscount Palmerston is convinced,
been the result of a belief that the British Government never would
take any real steps in order to press these matter