to Queen Victoria._

_6th March 1841._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has
the honour to state that the remainder of the Navy Estimates, and
nearly the whole of the Army Estimates, were voted last night without
any serious opposition. Indeed the chief fault found with the Army
Estimates was that they are not large enough.

Sir Robert Peel made a remarkable speech. Adverting to the present
state of our affairs with the United States,[5] he said that much
as he disliked war, yet if the honour or interests of the country
required it, he should sink all internal differences, and give his
best support to the Government of his country.

This declaration was received with loud cheers. It must be considered
as very creditable to Sir Robert Peel.

[Footnote 5: _See_ Introductory Note, _ante_, p. 254.
(Intro Note to Ch. X)]

[Pageheading: CHINA]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

FOREIGN OFFICE, _10th April 1841._

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and
has the honour to submit the accompanying letters, which he received
yesterday, about the operations in China, and which have just
been returned to him by Viscount Melbourne, whose letter he also
transmits.[6]

Viscount Palmerston has felt greatly mortified and disappointed at
this result of the expedition to China, and he much fears that the
sequel of the negotiation, which was to follow the conclusion of these
preliminary conditions, will not tend to render the arrangement less
objectionable. Captain Elliot seems to have wholly disregarded the
instructions which had been sent to him, and even when, by the entire
success of the operations of the Fleet, he was in a condition to
dictate his own terms, he seems to have agreed to very inadequate
conditions.[7] The amount of compensation for the opium surrendered
falls short of the value of that opium, and nothing has been obtained
for the expenses of the expedition, nor for the debts of the bankrupt
Hong[8] merchants. The securities which the plenipotentiaries were
expressly ordered to obtain for British residents in China have been
abandoned; and the Island of Chusan which they were specifically
informed was to be retained till the whole of the pecuniary
compensation should have been paid, has been hastily and discreditably
evacuated. Even the cession of Hong Kong has been coupled with a
condition about the payment of duties, which wo