e must take great care of herself....

VICTORIA R.

[Pageheading: MISGOVERNMENT AT NAPLES]

[Pageheading: CO-OPERATION OF THE POWERS]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Clarendon._

OSBORNE, _3rd September 1855_.

The Queen has read the enclosed papers, and must express her strongest
objection to a Naval Demonstration (which to be effectual must be
prepared to pass on to measures of hostility), in order to obtain
changes in the _internal system of Government_ of the Kingdom of
Naples.[75] England would thereby undertake a responsibility which
she is in no way capable of bearing, unless she took the Government
permanently into her own hands. The plea on which the interference is
to be based, viz. that the misgovernment at Naples brings Monarchical
institutions into disrepute, and might place weapons in the hands of
the democracy (as put forth by Sir W. Temple),[76] would be wholly
_insufficient_ to justify the proceeding. Whether such an armed
interference in favour of the people of Naples against their
Government would lead to a Revolution or not, as apprehended by the
French Government and disbelieved by Lord Palmerston, must be so
entirely a matter of chance that it would be idle to predict the
exact consequences. If 99 out of every 100 Neapolitans, however, are
dissatisfied with their Government (as Lord Palmerston states), it
is not unreasonable to expect that our demonstration may give them
confidence enough to rise, and if beat down by the King's troops
in presence of our ships, our position would become exceedingly
humiliating.

Any insult offered to the British Government, on the other hand, it
has a perfect right to resent, and to ask reparation for. The case,
however, is a very unpleasant one. The Neapolitan Government deny
having intended any slight on the British Legation by the order
respecting the Box of the "Intendant du Theatre," which they state to
have been general, and deny any intention to interfere with the free
intercourse of the members of our Legation with Neapolitans, to which
Sir W. Temple merely replies that notwithstanding the denial such an
intention is believed by the public to exist.

The case becomes therefore a very delicate one, requiring the greatest
care on our part not to put ourselves in the wrong.

It will be of the greatest importance to come to a thorough
understanding with France, and if possible also with Austria, on the
subject.

[Footnote 75: Lord Palme