let the
necessary measures pass Parliament, and to have the dissolution the
end of June or beginning of July. He hoped the Queen did not think
he had gone too far in pledging the Crown to a Dissolution about that
time; but it was impossible to avoid saying as much as that a new
Parliament would meet in the autumn again, and have settled the
commercial policy before Christmas.

To the Queen's questions, whether there would not be great excitement
in the country produced by the General Election, and whether
Parliament ought not to meet immediately after it, he replied that he
was not the least afraid of much excitement, and that there was
great advantage in not meeting Parliament immediately again, as the
Government would require a few months to prepare its measures, and to
take a sound view of the new position of affairs. He anticipated that
there would be returned a large proportion of Conservatives, some Free
Traders, some Protectionists; but not a majority for the re-imposition
of a duty on corn, _certainly_ not a majority large enough to justify
him in proposing such a Measure. Now he was sure he could not with
honour or credit abandon that Measure unless the country had given its
decision against it; but then he would have most carefully to consider
how to revise the general state of taxation, so as to give that relief
to the agricultural interest which it had a right to demand.

He had received the most encouraging and flattering letters from the
agriculturists of different parts of the country, all reposing the
most explicit confidence in him, and asking him not to sacrifice the
Government for the sake of an immediate return to Protection. They
felt what Lord Derby must say he felt himself, that, after the fall of
this Government, there would necessarily come one of a more democratic
tendency than any the country had yet had to submit to. He thought
most politicians saw this, and would rally round a Conservative
standard; he knew that even many of the leading Whigs were very much
dissatisfied with the company they find themselves thrown into and
alarmed at the progress of Democracy.

ALBERT.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _23rd March 1852._

... Here matters have improved rather for the Government, and it seems
now that they will be able to get through the Session, to dissolve
Parliament at the end of June or beginning of July, and to meet again
in November. And th