The Letters of Queen Victoria
Chapter 111 : _Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._ WINDSOR CASTLE, _13th December 1842._ DE

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _13th December 1842._

DEAREST UNCLE,--I have to thank you for two most kind letters of the 5th and 8th. I can report very favourably of the healths of young and old; we are all very flouris.h.i.+ng, and have since yesterday perfectly _May_ weather. Clear, dry frost would be wholesome.

Victoire gave me yesterday a much better account of poor little Robert.[114]

In Portugal affairs seem quieted down, but Ferdinand is imprudent enough to say to Mamma that he would be wretched to lose Dietz (very naturally), and _would not be at all sorry to go away_. Now, this is _folly_, and a most dangerous language to hold, as if he entertains this, I fear the Portuguese will _some beau matin_ indulge him in his wishes.

The news from Spain are better, but I must own frankly to you, that _we are all disgusted_ at the _French intrigues_ which have _without a doubt_ been at the bottom of it all, and can, I fear, be traced very close to the Tuileries. Why attempt to ruin a country (which they luckily _cannot succeed_ in) merely out of personal dislike to a man who certainly has proved himself capable of keeping the country quiet, and certainly is by far the _most honest_ Spaniard in existence, whatever crimes or faults the French may choose to bring against him.

And what will be the effect of all this? A total dislike and mistrust of France, and a still closer alliance with England. I have spoken thus freely, as a repet.i.tion of last year's scenes is _too much_ to remain silent, and as I have ever been privileged to tell you, dearest Uncle, my feelings, and the truth.

Poor Lord Hill's death, though fully expected, will grieve you, as it has grieved us.

I am much amused at what you say about Charles, and shall tell it him, when I write to him. Believe me, always, your most affectionate Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 114: The infant Duc de Chartres.]

_Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _19th December 1842._

The Queen is very desirous that something should be done for Major Malcolm[115] (who was the bearer of "the news of Victory and Peace"), either by promotion in the Army or by any other distinction. He is a very intelligent and well-informed officer, and has been employed in China both in a Civil and Military capacity, and has made, and is going to make again, a long journey at a very bad time of the year, though suffering severely at this moment from ague.

[Footnote 115: In such cases it has been usual to confer some distinction.]

_Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _26th December 1842._

The Queen thanks Sir Robert for his letter of the 23rd. She thinks that Major Malcolm's going back to China the bearer of verbal instructions as well as written ones will greatly facilitate the matter and prevent misunderstandings, which at such a great distance are mostly fatal. The Queen joins in Sir Robert's opinion, that before coming to a final arrangement it will be most valuable to have Sir H.

Pottinger's opinion upon your present message, and thinks it much the best that Sir H. should in the meantime be entrusted with the _extraordinary_ full powers for concluding any provisional arrangements, as she believes that very great confidence may be placed in him. Lord Stanley's suggestions strike the Queen as very judicious and calculated to facilitate the future Government of Hong-Kong.

The Queen hopes to hear more from Sir Robert when she sees him here, which she hopes to do from Monday the 2nd to Wednesday the 4th.

[Pageheading: THE SCOTCH CHURCH]

_Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria._

DRAYTON MANOR, _26th December 1842._

Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and with reference to enquiries made by your Majesty when Sir Robert Peel was last at Windsor, on the subject of the Scotch Church and the proceedings of the last General a.s.sembly, begs leave to acquaint your Majesty that the Moderator of the a.s.sembly has recently addressed a letter to Sir Robert Peel, requiring an answer to the demands urged by the General a.s.sembly in a doc.u.ment ent.i.tled a Protest and Declaration of Right.[116]

The demands of the General a.s.sembly amount to a reversal by Law of the recent decisions of the Court of Session and of the House of Lords, and to a repeal of the Act of Queen Anne, which establishes the Right of Patronage in respect to Livings in the Church of Scotland.

That Act by no means gives any such absolute right of appointment to the Crown or other patrons of Livings, as exists in England. It enables those legally ent.i.tled to the patronage to present a clergyman to the Living, but the Church Courts have the power, on valid objections being made and duly sustained by the paris.h.i.+oners, to set aside the presentation of the patron, and to require from him a new nomination.

The Church, however, requires the absolute repeal of the Act of Anne.

An answer to the demands of the Church will now become requisite.

Sir James Graham has been in communication with the law advisers of your Majesty in Scotland upon the legal questions involved in this matter, and will shortly send for your Majesty's consideration the draft of a proposed answer to the General a.s.sembly.[117]

[Footnote 116: The famous Auchterarder case had decided that, notwithstanding the vetoing by the congregation of the nominee of the patron, the Presbytery must take him on trial if qualified by life, learning, and doctrine,--in other words, that the Act of Anne, subjecting the power of the Presbytery to the control of the law courts, was not superseded by the Veto Act, a declaration made by the General a.s.sembly. In the Strathbogie case, a minister had been nominated to Marnock, and 261 out of 300 heads of families had objected to him. The General a.s.sembly having directed the Presbytery to reject him, the civil court held that he must be taken on trial. Seven members of the Presbytery obeyed the civil power, and the General a.s.sembly, on the motion of Dr Chalmers, deposed them and declared their parishes vacant.]

[Footnote 117: Sir James Graham's letter is printed in the Annual Register for 1843. A pet.i.tion in answer was drawn by the a.s.sembly and presented to Parliament by Mr Fox Maule.

After the debate on it in the Commons, preparations were made throughout Scotland for the secession of the non-intrusionists, as they were called, which event took place on 18th May 1843, when about 500 Ministers, headed by Chalmers, seceded from the Old Kirk, and founded the Free Church.]

[Pageheading: A SERIOUS CRISIS]

_Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria._

DRAYTON MANOR, _30th December 1842._

Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and rejoices to hear that your Majesty approved of the letter which, with your Majesty's sanction, James Graham proposes to write to the Moderator of the General a.s.sembly of the Church of Scotland.

Sir Robert Peel fears that there is too much ground for the apprehensions expressed by your Majesty in respect to future embarra.s.sment arising out of the position of the Church Question in Scotland.

Sir Robert Peel saw yesterday a letter addressed by Dr Abercrombie,[118] the eminent physician in Edinburgh, to Sir George Sinclair,[119] declaring his conviction that the Secession of Ministers from their Livings would take place to _a very great extent_--would comprise very many of the Ministers most distinguished for learning and professional character, and would meet with very general support among their congregations.

Sir Robert Peel has little doubt that a serious crisis in the History of the Church of Scotland is at hand, and that the result of it will be greatly to be lamented; but still he could not advise your Majesty to seek to avert it by the acquiescence in demands amounting to the abrogation of important civil rights and to the establishment in Scotland of an ecclesiastical domination independent of all control....

He is very confident that your Majesty will feel that in the present state of the controversy with the Church of Scotland, there is peculiar reason for taking the greatest care that every minister presented to a Crown Living should be not only above exception, but should, if possible, be pre-eminently distinguished for his fitness for a pastoral charge.

[Footnote 118: John Abercrombie (1780-1844), one of the chief consulting physicians in Scotland, and a great medical writer.

He left the Established Church.]

[Footnote 119: Sir George Sinclair (1790-1868), M.P. for Caithness-s.h.i.+re, was a supporter of the Anti-Patronage Society, and joined the Free Church.]