e to leave on or about the 20th of
last month, and therefore may be shortly expected here. It will
be necessary to ask Lord Durham whether he has no intelligence of
immediate importance to give.

[Pageheading: AN ENGLISH CHURCH FOR MALTA]

_Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria._

PALACE, VALETTA,[43] _13th December 1838._

MY DEAREST NIECE,--The English mail going to-day gives me another
opportunity to address you, and to name a subject to you which I think
deserves your consideration, and about which I feel most anxious. It
is the want of a _Protestant church_ in this place which I mean.
There are so many English residents here, it is the seat of an English
Government, and there is _not one_ church belonging to the Church of
England.... The consequence of this want of church accommodation has
been that the Dissenters have established themselves in considerable
numbers, and one cannot blame persons for attending their meetings
when they have no church of their own.

I address myself to you, as the head of the Church of England, and
entreat you to consider well this important subject, and to talk it
over with your Ministers and the Archbishop, in order to devise the
best means of remedying a want so discreditable to our country. Should
there be no funds at your disposal to effect this object, most happy
shall I feel to contribute to any subscription which may be set on
foot, and I believe that a considerable sum may be raised amongst the
Protestants of this island, where all parties are most anxious to
see a proper place of divine worship erected; without assistance from
England, however, it cannot be effected. I therefore most humbly and
confidently submit this subject to you, dearest Victoria, who will
bestow upon your Protestant subjects of this island an everlasting
benefit by granting them what they want most.[44]...

I hope this will find you quite well and happy, and that I shall soon
again have the pleasure of hearing from you. Give my affectionate love
to your dear Mother, and all my dear sisters, and believe me ever, my
dearest Niece, your most devoted and faithfully attached Aunt,

ADELAIDE.

[Footnote 43: The Queen-Dowager was at this time cruising in
the Mediterranean, and made some stay at Malta.]

[Footnote 44: Queen Adelaide herself erected the church at a
cost of L10,000.]

[Pageheading: LORD MELBOURNE'S ANXIETIES]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

_21s