| Collection | Victorian Papers, Main Series |
| Description | The Queen returns the enclosure from Lord Cowley. She is very sorry to hear of Mr. Gladstone's illness, which sounds to be serious. The Queen agrees to the postponement of the communication of the [Anglo-French] Teaty of Commerce to Parliament. Lord Cowley's report and the telegram following it are very unsatisfactory: England has been made a dupe, as the Queen feared and warned against. To return to an English alliance, universal peace, respect for treaties, commercial fraternity, etc. - all were blinds to cover a policy of spoilation. England was asked to make proposals about Italy, to create a basis for a mutual agreement with France and enable the Emperor to be released from his engagements to Austria: 'in an evil hour the proposal is made', and used as the excuse for France to seize Savoy. It is claimed that the Emperor was ready to carry out the Treaty of Zurich, but, having agreed to please England in a scheme leading to the further aggrandizement of Sardinia, must be compensated by Savoy. Count Walewski always declared this would be necessary result of the annexation of Central Italy to Sardinia. The Emperor's claim is wanting: Sardinia is being aggrandized solely at the expense of Austria, yet the House of Lorraine and France is to be compensated. If the Alpine passes are dangerous to a neighbour, the implication is that the weaker power must give them up to the stronger. 'Bad faith' also lurks in M. de Thouvenel's despatch in reply to Lord John's proposal. France accepts the principle of non-intervention in Italy, but will not withdraw its armies from Lombardy until the Italian question is permanently settled. The Queen wishes her letter to be shown to the Cabinet, and asks what it intends to do. |