| Collection | Victorian Papers, Main Series |
| Description | The Queen returns three letters. which she thinks are very unsatisfactory. The withdrawal of Lord Cowley's despatch without the disavowal of the official characer of Lord Palmerston's advice would be impossible, and the Queen is pleased Lord John sees a way to give this disavowal. As to the advice Count Walewski believes to have been given to the King of Sardinia, it may be based on a misrepresentation of what Lord John said to M. de Lajotice [?]; but what certainty is there that the advice has not been given by Lord Palmerston through M. d'Azeglio? Count Walewski's version of the terms of Villa Francia regarding the means to be employed to restore the Archdukes does not preclude the possibility of France sanctioning Austria's employment of force. An alarming alternative suggested by him is the joining of England with France for a war to drive Austria completely out of Italy. France might then reasonably claim England joining for this purpose, if by England's advice Austria is driven to take arms. France reserves two contingences for the Duchies, as a result of England preventing the restoration of the Archdukes: the establishment of a Kingdom of Etruria for Prince Napoleon, or the organisation of Savoy as compensation to France for the annexation of the Duchies to Sardinia. Both have been suspected at the outset of the war, but the Emperor thought them impossible to achieve. It would be a curious end to affairs if he could plead that they were forced upon him by England as the only way out of the difficulty England had raised, giving him in addition a good grievance against England. |