| Collection | Victorian Papers, Main Series |
| Description | The Queen has read this draft, but considers it too weak, giving the impression that England had no objection to the incorporation of Savoy other than a fear that it might be injurious to France's interests. The balance of power in Europe is as important to England as it is to France: if France rests its claim to Savoy on an alteration in the respective power of the neighbouring States, it should consider that its neighbours must be equally anxious for their own security. Great credit is given to the French Government for not concealing its wish to seize Savoy in case of an aggrandizement of Sardinia beyond that contemplated in the Treaty of Zurich. It may be that Count Walewski made hints about Savoy, and it may have been a dereliction of duty by England not to have responded immediately with a firm protest; but it was rather late for France to claim Savoy after the war and peace treaty, having made declarations, both diplomatically and in the personal and public proclamations of the Emperor, that it only had the liberation of Italy, and no self-aggrandizement, in view. Europe's passive attitude was mainly a result of these declarations. If the liberty of Italy was the object, this must have included the liberty of choosing its own internal Government, with the possibility of this leading to the consititution of a single powerful State, the object of the Italian Patriots. France cannot therefore be allowed to plead that, having later given notice to England that it would ask for its own province if these contemplated arrangements were carried out in Italy, it is justified in bringing this claim forward at this moment.
The draft ends by saying it was unnecessary for England to take further action, as M. de Thouvenel has declared the Emperor did not intend to constrain the wills of either the King of Sardinia or the people of Savoy. But there is a third, unnoticed, point: the position of the Powers of the Treaty of 1815, who should not be constrained either, and whose rights and interests ought to be protected in a document like this despatch. The Queen also thinks it is insufficient to have it merely read, without a copy being given to the French Government. She presumes a draft of such importance will not be sent without it having been seen by the Cabinet, and wishes her observations on it to be communicated to them. |