jesty and of the Prince on this subject,
and the pleasure it gave the Emperor was evident; and he desired Lord
Clarendon to say that your Majesty should never find such confidence
misplaced.

He promised Lord Clarendon that he would give Baron Brunnow and
Count Buol to understand that if they thought the Alliance could be
disturbed by them they would find themselves grievously mistaken, and
that it would be waste of time to try and alter any conditions upon
which he had agreed with the English Government.

The Emperor appeared to be much gratified by your Majesty's letter,
for the first thing he said to Lord Clarendon on coming into the room
before dinner was "_quelle charmante lettre vous m'avez apportee de
la Reine_," and then began upon the extraordinary clearness with which
your Majesty treated all matters of business, and the pleasure he
derived from every discussion of them with your Majesty....

The Empress was looking in great health and beauty. She was in the
highest spirits, and full of affectionate enquiry for your Majesty.

[Pageheading: OUDH]

[Pageheading: THE KING'S APPEAL]

_The Marquis of Dalhousie to Queen Victoria._

CALCUTTA, _19th February 1856_.

The Governor-General presents his most humble duty to your Majesty,
and has the honour of submitting to your Majesty a copy of a
Proclamation, whereby the Kingdom of Oudh has been placed exclusively
and permanently under the authority of your Majesty's Government.[14]

The various considerations, and the course of public events, which
led to this necessity, have long since been laid before your Majesty's
Government in great detail.

The Governor-General during the past summer communicated to the Home
Authorities his readiness to remain in India as long as he dared,
namely, for one additional month, until the 1st of March, for the
purpose of carrying into effect the proposed policy regarding Oudh--if
it was desired that he should do so.

The orders from the Home Government reached the Governor-General only
upon the 2nd of January, leaving barely two months for the assembling
of the military force which was necessary to provide against all
risks--for the negotiations with the King--and for the organisation of
the future Civil and Military Administration of Oudh.

Every preparation having been completed, the Resident at Lucknow
waited upon the King in person--communicated to him the resolution
which the British Government had taken--a