y had proved
untrustworthy. Viscount Palmerston shortly made some observations on
the Motion and the speech which had introduced it; and the Motion was
then negatived without a division, and the Address was unanimously
carried.

[Footnote 26: Chief Justice of Bombay 1847-1852, and M.P. for
Devonport 1854-1859.]

[Footnote 27: "One of those dry constitutional platitudes,"
said Mr Disraeli in reply, "which in a moment of difficulty
the noble lord pulls out of the dusty pigeon-holes of his
mind, and shakes in the perplexed face of the baffled House
of Commons." Mr Disraeli was admittedly much annoyed by the
statesmanlike intervention of Lord John.]

[Pageheading: MARRIAGE OF PRINCESS CHARLOTTE]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

OSBORNE, _27th July 1857_.

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--At _this_ very _moment_ the marriage[28] is going
on--the _Knot_ is being tied which binds your lovely sweet child to a
thoroughly worthy husband--and I am sure you will be much moved. May
every blessing attend her! I wish _I_ could be present--but my dearest
_Half_ being there makes me feel as I were there myself. I try to
picture to myself how _all_ will be. I could not give you a greater
proof of my love for you all, and my anxiety to give you and dearest
Charlotte pleasure, than in urging my dearest Albert to go over--for I
encouraged and _urged_ him to go though you cannot think _combien
cela me coute_ or how completely _deroutee_ I am and _feel_ when he
is away, or how I count the hours till he returns. _All_ the numerous
children are as _nothing_ to me when _he is away_; it seems as if the
whole life of the house and home were gone, when he is away!

We do all we can to _feter_ in our very _quiet_ way this dear day.
We are all out of mourning; the younger children are to have a
half-holiday, Alice is to _dine_ for the first time in the evening
with us; we shall drink _the Archduke and Archduchess's_ healths; and
I have ordered _wine_ for our servants, and _grog_ for our sailors to
do the same.

Vicky (who is painting in the Alcove near me) wishes me to say
everything to you and the _dear young couple_, and pray tell dear
Charlotte _all_ that we have been doing....

Here we are in anxious (and I fear many people in very _cruel_)
suspense, for news from India. They _ought_ to have arrived the day
before yesterday.

On Thursday, then, we are to have Prince Napoleon, and on the
foll