| Collection | Victorian Papers, Main Series |
| Description | [Enclosure of VIC/MAIN/C/11/71].
The draft to be submitted to the Cabinet contains the following arrrangement to be proposed by England:
France to evacuate Rome, leaving a corps of observation at Civita Vecchia;
Austria to promise not to interfere by force in central Italy;
Sardinia to be advised not to enter central Italy with its troops before receiving a second vote of annexation from the party now in power there, which may occur in 24 hours time.
This binds France and Austria to recognise Sardinia's annexation of central Italy, and leave Sardinia the option of occupying it. The Queen cannot see much chance of success in this proposal. It would be harmless if an agreement with France alone did not expose England to the danger of becoming entangled in a possible struggle to give effect to it. Avoiding this is as dear a matter to the Queen as she believes it is to her people. Even if France could be made to agree to the proposal, it is unlikely that Austria could. The peace which ended the war must be considered as a whole. When Austria gave up Lombardy to Sardinia, through France, it was on the understanding that Sardinia should not take more. At the time, it seemed that Austria would rather have continued the war than submitted to Sardinia gaining a position which threatened the security of Austria's Venetian province. How is it to be supposed that Austria will now yield to England's advice what the victory of France could not obtain after Solferino? If the principle of non-intervention in central Italy is to be maintained, this must include Sardinia. England has taken no part in either the war or the peace, and has maintained the necessity of obtaining certain guarantees before going into Congress. Is it incumbent on England now to take the initiative in making new proposals to the former belligerents, and for the Congress to be temporarily put aside? |