Russell._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _4th March 1851._

... The Queen was in hopes to have heard from Lord John Russell this
morning relative to what passed in the House of Commons last night.
She wishes likewise to hear what takes place at the meeting of Lord
John's supporters to-day. The Queen must ask Lord John to keep her
constantly informed of what is going on, and of the temper of parties
in and out of Parliament; for no one _can_ deny that the present state
of affairs is most critical; and after all that has happened it
is absolutely necessary that the Queen should not be in a state of
uncertainty, not to say of ignorance, as to what is passing. She can
else not form a just opinion of the position of affairs.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _4th March 1851._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Pray receive my warmest thanks for two kind letters
of the 28th, and my excuses for the terribly incoherent scrawl of last
Saturday. The _denouement_ of ten days of the greatest anxiety and
excitement I cannot call satisfactory, for it holds out only the
prospect of another crisis in a very short time, and the so much
wished-for union of Parties has been again frustrated. I have been
speaking _very strongly_ about Lord Palmerston to Lord John, and he
has _promised_ that if the Government should still be in at Easter,
then to make a change.... Lord Stanley can never succeed _until_ he
gives up Protection, which he would do, if the country decides against
him;[12] he has failed solely from the _impossibility_ of finding
_one_ single man capable to take the important Offices. He said last
night to Lord John Russell, "I am _l'homme impossible_; they cannot
come to me again." Still it would be very desirable that there
should be a strong Conservative Party; nothing but the abandonment of
Protection can bring this to pass, and Lord Stanley cannot abandon
it with honour till _after_ the _next Election_. This is the state
of Parties, which is greatly _erschwert_ by the Papal Question, which
divides the Liberals and Conservatives. In short, there _never_ was
_such_ a _complicated_ and difficult state of affairs. Ever your
devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

Stockmar has been an immense comfort to us in our trials, and I hope
you will tell him so.

[Footnote 12: The Queen's judgment was amply confirmed by the
events of 1852. See _post_, p. 404. note 1.]

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