Powers to the Foreign Office (not excluding the French Ambassador),
and to go with them into the matter. This would take it out of the
hands of the Emperor and M. de Thouvenel, and make (the Queen is
certain of it) a deep impression upon them.

The Queen wishes this letter to be shown to Lord Palmerston and Lord
John's other colleagues.

[Footnote 16: The Swiss Government claimed that the districts
of Chablais and Faucigny (being parts of Savoy which had
been handed over to Sardinia by the Treaty of Vienna under a
guarantee for their neutrality) should be given to Switzerland
for the protection of their frontier. The French Emperor
maintained that it was sufficient for him to guarantee the
neutrality of those districts. Speaking on the night of the
26th, Lord John Russell said: "The powers of Europe, if they
wish to maintain peace, must respect each other's limits, and,
above all, restore and not disturb that commercial confidence
which is the result of peace, which tends to peace, and which
ultimately forms the happiness of nations."]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _2nd April 1860_.

The Queen has received Lord John Russell's letter and Memorandum.[17]
In whatever Lord John might say in the House of Commons, care should
be taken not to give the French a handle to make the other Powers
believe that there exists an understanding between them and us. It
is by making each of them believe in their turn that the others have
agreed with France that the Emperor paralyses their action. If he will
promise distinctly to give up the neutral territory to Switzerland,
that would be an understanding which we might well avow, but the Queen
fears Count Persigny with all his anxiety to smooth matters (as he
says) will not be able to give this assurance, and consequently if
Lord John sent the Commons home with a declaration that matters would
be _satisfactorily_ settled, and the Emperor intends to keep the
neutral territory after all, it would unnecessarily make them dupes
once more, as the Government have from time to time given assurances
based on French promises, which were belied by subsequent acts.

Is the Memorandum for the Queen to keep?

The Conference should be here, and on _no_ account at Paris.

[Footnote 17: Describing a conversation between Lord
Palmerston and Persigny, the former suggesting that a
statement should be m