he Tories, formerly to
please George IV., and since I left the country, because I served, in
their opinion, on the revolutionary side of the question. I must
say, however, that for your service as well as for the quiet of the
country, it would be good to give them a trial. If they could not
remain in office it will make them quieter for some time. If by
a dissolution the Conservative interest in the House is too much
weakened the permanent interests of the country can but suffer from
that. If, on the contrary, the Conservatives come in stronger, your
position will not be very agreeable, and it may induce them to be
perhaps less moderate than they ought to be. I should be very happy if
you would discuss these, my _hasty_ views, with Lord Melbourne. I
do not give them for more than what they are, mere _practical_
considerations; but, as far as I can judge of the question, if I was
myself concerned I should have no dissolution; if even there was but
the very _banale_ consideration, _qu'on sait ce qu'on a, mais qu'on ne
sait nullement ce qu'on aura_. The moment is not without importance,
and well worthy your earnest consideration, and I feel convinced that
Lord Melbourne will agree with me, that, notwithstanding the great
political good sense of the people in England, the machine is so
complicated that it should be handled with great care and tenderness.

To conclude, I must add that perhaps a permanent duty on corn may be a
desirable thing, but that it ought to be sufficiently high to serve as
a real protection. It may besides produce this effect, that as it
will be necessary, at least at first, to buy a good deal of the to be
imported corn with _money_, the currency will be seriously affected
by it. The countries which would have a chance of selling would be
chiefly Poland in all its parts, Prussia, Austria, and Russia, the
South of Russia on the Black Sea, and maybe Sicily. Germany does not
grow a sufficient quantity of wheat to profit by such an arrangement;
it will besides not buy more from England for the present than it does
now, owing to the Zollverein,[49] which must first be altered. But I
will not bore you too long, and conclude with my best love to little
Victoria, of whom her Grandmama speaks with raptures. Ever, my dearest
Victoria, your devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 48: The Duchess of Kent had left England for a tour
on the Continent.]

[Footnote 49: After the fall of Napoleon, the ho