hat high and distinguished honour Viscount Palmerston will receive
with the greatest pride as a public mark of your Majesty's gracious
approbation, but he begs to be allowed to say that the task which he
and his colleagues have had to perform has been rendered comparatively
easy by the enlightened views which your Majesty has taken of all the
great affairs in which your Majesty's Empire has been engaged, and
by the firm and steady support which _in_ all these important
transactions your Majesty's servants have received from the Crown.

[Pageheading: SERVICE RETRENCHMENTS]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _12th April 1856_.

The Queen returns the draft of Treaty, which she approves, and of
which she would wish to have a copy.

The Queen believes that the Cabinet are going to consider to-day the
amount of retrenchments which may be necessary in the Army and Navy.

She trusts and _expects_ that this will be done with great
_moderation_ and very _gradually_; and that the difficulties we have
had, and the sufferings which we have endured, may not be forgotten,
for to the miserable reductions of the last thirty years are entirely
owing our state of _helplessness_ when the War began; and it would
be unpardonable if we were to be found in a similar condition, when
another War--and _who_ can tell _how_ soon there may be one?--breaks
out.

We must _never_ for a moment forget the very peculiar state of France,
and _how entirely all there_ depends upon _one_ man's life.

We _ought_ and _must_ be prepared for every _eventuality_, and we have
splendid material in that magnificent little Army in the Crimea.

The Queen wishes Lord Palmerston to show this letter to the Cabinet.

[Pageheading: LETTER FROM THE EMPEROR]

_The Emperor of the French to Queen Victoria._

PARIS, _le 12 Avril 1856_.

MADAME ET TRES CHERE S[OE]UR,--Votre Majeste m'a fait grand plaisir en
me disant qu'elle etait satisfaite de la conclusion de la paix, car
ma constante preoccupation a ete, tout en desirant la fin d'une guerre
ruineuse, de n'agir que de concert avec le Gouvernement de votre
Majeste. Certes je concois bien qu'il ait ete desirable d'obtenir
encore de meilleurs resultats, mais etait-ce raisonnable d'en attendre
de la maniere dont la guerre avait ete engagee? J'avoue que je ne
le crois pas. La guerre avait ete trop lentement conduite par nos
generaux et nos amiraux et nous avions laisse le tem