| Collection | Victorian Papers, Main Series |
| Description | Queen Victoria has received Lord John's letters of the 24th and 25th [regarding Italy]. She will not repeat her arguments, but merely express satisfaction that Lord John and Lord Palmerston seem to agree to the necessity of a Cabinet meeting to discuss the extremely important subject in detail. When writing previously, she felt sure that the principle not to interfere with advice before the conclusion of peace had been formally decided upon by the Cabinet. She has now found in Lord John's letter of the 23rd that the Cabinet had approved the alterations in the draft, but also felt that no formal communication should be made to France until the Treaty of Zurich was known, and that Lord John felt this was the best course. The Queen asks that her letters of 21st, 23rd and 24th, together with the drafts to which they refer, be laid before the Cabinet, so that such clear principles may be fixed in order to prevent future possible misunderstandings. |