Navy known there, which it hardly
is at present, would open a new field for recruiting our Marine.

Whether Cork in Ireland should not also be made more available is very
well worth consideration.

The Queen would ask Sir Charles to communicate this letter to Lord
Palmerston, who has always had the state of our powers of defence so
much at heart.

[Pageheading: THE AUSTRIAN ULTIMATUM]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Clarendon._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _19th November 1855_.

The Queen has attentively perused the voluminous papers, which she now
returns according to Lord Clarendon's wish.

An anxious consideration of their contents has convinced her that it
would be the height of impolicy if we were not to enter fairly and
unreservedly into the French proposal, and she wishes Lord Clarendon
to express this her opinion to the Cabinet.

The terms of the Austrian Ultimatum are clear and complete and very
favourable to us, if accepted by Russia.[91] If refused, which they
almost must be, rupture of diplomatic relations between Austria and
Russia is a decided step gained by us, and will produce a state of
things which can scarcely fail to lead them to war.

A refusal to entertain the proposal may induce and perhaps justify the
Emperor of the French in backing out of the War, which would leave us
in a miserable position.

If we are to agree to the Emperor's wishes, it must be politic not to
risk the advantage of the whole measure by a discussion with Austria
upon minor points of detail, which will cost time, and may lead to
differences.

[Footnote 91: The Queen and her Ministers, however, insisted
that the neutralisation clause (the Third Point) should be
made effective, not left illusory, and incorporated in the
principal and not in a supplementary treaty. Modified in this
and other particulars, an ultimatum embodying the Austrian
proposals, which stipulated, _inter alia_, for the cession of
a portion of Bessarabia, was despatched to St Petersburg on
the 15th of December, and the 18th of January was fixed as the
last day on which a reply would be accepted.]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Hardinge._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _22nd November 1855_.

The Queen informs Lord Hardinge that on speaking to Sir Colin Campbell
yesterday, and informing him how much she wished that his valuable
services should not be lost to her Army in the Crimea, he replied in
the handsomest manner, that