| Collection | Victorian Papers, Main Series |
| Description | In returning various letters, the Queen remarks that that of Lord Cowley does not give a bright picture of the prospects of the Congress. This letter to Lord John is the first intimation the Queen has received of Mr Cobden's negotiations. While a commercial treaty is contrary to the tenets of the Manchester School, it will always be advantageous as long as it extends the lowering of duties. It is not easy to see, however, how Emperor Napoleon's intentions towards Britain will be affected by a rise in the duty of cotton. If the effect of such a treaty on the feeling of the country is really what Mr Cobden anticipates, that would be a great misfortune, as it would arrest British preparations for self-defence. The Queen feels Mr Cobden's admission rather curious that, for the people in the north, 'Free Trade' (i.e. their own profits in trade) is 'a test of almost universal merit'. This is exactly the degree of patriotism of which they have always been suspected. |