ndly light in which it was intended,
and that Lord Cowley, in his unofficial and confidential character,
might be permitted fully to develop the views which your Majesty
entertained, and to meet with the most favourable consideration of his
suggestions from His R.I.A. Majesty.

Lord Derby, before submitting the above to your Majesty, has thought
it right to communicate it to Lord Malmesbury and Lord Cowley, and he
is enabled to say that it meets with their entire concurrence.[16]
He will be highly gratified if he is permitted to know that it is
honoured by your Majesty's gracious approval. All which is humbly
submitted by your Majesty's most dutiful Servant and Subject,

DERBY.

[Footnote 15: Royal and Imperial Apostolic.]

[Footnote 16: The Queen acted on this advice, and wrote a
letter on the 22nd to the Emperor of Austria, on the lines of
Lord Derby's suggestions. The material parts of it are printed
in the _Life of the Prince Consort_, vol. iv. chap. 92.]

[Pageheading: CHURCH RATES]

_Mr Disraeli to Queen Victoria._

HOUSE OF COMMONS, _21st February 1859_.
(_Monday._)

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, with his humble duty to your Majesty,
informs your Majesty that the Government measure on Church Rates was
introduced to-night, in a very full House, and was received with so
much favour that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has every belief that
it will pass. This is very unexpected, and the satisfactory settlement
of this long agitated and agitating question will be a great relief
to public life, and tend to restore and augment the good-humour of the
country.[17]

It is generally rumoured that, on Friday next, Lord Palmerston is to
move a vote of censure upon your Majesty's Government with respect to
their Foreign Policy. The Chancellor of the Exchequer scarcely credits
this, and would rather suppose that the formal censure will take the
shape of a rattling critique, preceding some Motion for papers.

[Footnote 17: Since the Braintree case in 1853, no rate could
legally be levied except by the majority of the rate-payers.
The present Bill was designed to exempt Dissenters from
payment, excluding them at the same time from voting on the
subject in the vestry meeting. Sir John Trelawney, the leader
of the Abolitionist party in the House, however, procured
the rejection of the proposed measure, and a solution was not
arrived at till 1868.]