en Protection will be done away with. If only they
had not done so much harm, and played with it for six long years! What
you say of the advantage of having had Governments from all parties
we have often felt and do feel; it renders changes much less
disagreeable. In the present case our acquaintance is confined almost
entirely to Lord Derby, but then _he is_ the Government. They do
_nothing_ without him. He has all the Departments to look after, and
on being asked by somebody if he was not much tired, he said: "I am
quite well with my babies!..."

VICTORIA R.

_Mr Disraeli to Queen Victoria._

HOUSE OF COMMONS, _29th March 1852._
(_Monday night._)

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, with his humble duty to your Majesty,
informs your Majesty of what has occurred in the House of Commons
to-night.

Mr Secretary Walpole introduced the Militia Bill in a statement
equally perspicuous and persuasive.

Opposed by Mr Hume and Mr Gibson, the Government Measure was cordially
supported by Lord Palmerston.

Lord John Russell, while he expressed an opinion favourable to
increased defence, intimated a preference for regular troops.

Mr Cobden made one of his cleverest speeches, of the cosmopolitan
school, and was supported with vigour by Mr Bright. A division is
threatened by the ultra-Movement party, but the Chancellor of the
Exchequer hopes to ward it off, and is somewhat sanguine of ultimate
success in carrying the Measure.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _30th March 1852._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Many thanks for your dear letter of the 26th,
which I received on Saturday. Here we shall have some trouble with
our Militia Bill, which all of a sudden seems to have caused
dissatisfaction and alarm. Lord Derby is quite prepared to drop
Protection, as he knows that the Elections will bring a Free Trade,
though a Conservative majority. Mr Disraeli (_alias_ Dizzy) writes
very curious reports to me of the House of Commons proceedings--much
in the style of his books....

[Pageheading: ENGLAND AND ITALY]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Derby._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _10th April 1852._

The Queen hopes that both Lord Derby and Lord Malmesbury will give
their earnest attention to the change in the politics of Italy, which
is evidently on the point of taking place, according to the enclosed
despatch from Mr Hudson.[28] What Count Azeglio[29] says in his
Memorandum with respect to