ough) Lord-Lieutenant of
Ireland. He must not be confused with the Lord Dungannon who
sat in the House of Commons as Mr Hill-Trevor from 1830-1841,
and, as Viscount Dungannon, was elected in 1843, but
immediately unseated on petition.]

[Pageheading: BELGIUM AND ENGLAND]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _24th November 1838._

MY DEAR VICTORIA,--Van Praet[37] is bearer of this letter. The
present moment being one of some importance--which may, if imprudently
managed, cause great disturbances in the West of Europe, and exercise
a reaction on your own Government--I think it my duty to inform you
of what is going on.

I join a copy of a letter to Lord Palmerston. I should feel obliged to
you if you would read it _in the presence_ of good Lord Melbourne,
in whose fairness and sense of justice I must say I feel great
confidence....

I will not complain, only one subject I must touch upon as really very
unfair. That your Ministers should take a line unfavourable to this
country may be explained by their political position, but why should
they press so much on the French Government? I really see no cause for
it. England is in an _excellent_ position for a _mediator_, and
for all parties it is highly desirable that that position should be
maintained.[38]

I will not plague with a longer letter. You know from experience that
I _never ask anything of you._ I prefer remaining in the position of
having rendered services without wanting any return for it but your
affection; but, as I said before, if we are not careful we may see
serious consequences which may affect more or less everybody, and
_this_ ought to be the object of our most anxious attention. I remain,
my dear Victoria, your affectionate Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 37: Jules van Praet, author of a History of
Flanders, was Secretary of the Belgian Legation in London in
1831, and took a leading part in the negotiations which placed
King Leopold on the throne.]

[Footnote 38: King Leopold considered that the interests of
Belgium were being neglected by the four Powers, and in his
speech at the opening of his Parliament, on 13th November,
stated amid loud acclamations that those interests would
be defended with perseverance and courage. The Deputies, in
reply, said that Belgium had consented to painful sacrifices
only under a formal guarantee by the Powers, which they no