The Letters of Queen Victoria
Chapter 99 : They are described in Sir Robert Sale's Report, as published in the _Bombay Gazett

They are described in Sir Robert Sale's Report, as published in the _Bombay Gazette_, a copy of which is most humbly submitted to your Majesty.

The despatches further bring the gratifying intelligence that General Pollock had forced the Khyber Pa.s.s, and, defeating the enemy on every point, had surmounted the chief obstacles of that dangerous defile.[37]

The relief of the brave men under Sir Robert Sale, to which their own gallantry and their late victory have so mainly contributed, may now be regarded as certain from the success of General Pollock's advance.

It is with regret that Lord Fitzgerald has to add that the citadel of Ghuznee has surrendered on the faith of a capitulation, perhaps already violated, and that General England, who had marched with a convoy of treasure, and other supplies for the Army at Candahar, had been forced to retrace his steps and had arrived at Quetta.

At the same time, however, General Nott had dispersed considerable a.s.semblages of rebel tribes, whom he had defeated with loss, while an attack made during his absence on the city of Candahar had been effectually repulsed by that portion of his force which had been left for its defence.

The Governor-General having proceeded in person to the North-Western Provinces of Bengal, had issued at Benares General Orders congratulating the Army on the return of victory to its ranks, and on the fresh l.u.s.tre thus added to your Majesty's Arms.

FITZGERALD AND VESCI.

[Footnote 36: Sir R. Sale, who with his column had thrown himself into Jellalabad on 13th November 1841, and had heard Brydon's narrative, made a _sortie_ on 7th April, and secured a great victory over Akbar Khan, whose force outnumbered Sale's by five to one.]

[Footnote 37: General Pollock, whom Auckland had selected for the command, and who found everything in confusion on the frontier, swept the Khyber Pa.s.s of the enemy, and joined Sale. The insurrection had spread to Candahar, where General (afterwards Sir William) Nott was in command with a force of 10,000 men. He heard of Macnaghten's murder on 31st January, and, like Sale, refused to follow the order received (under coercion, as he believed) from Elphinstone to return to India.

On the contrary, he ordered all Afghans to leave Candahar, marched out himself and attacked and dispersed the enemy, 12,000 strong; while a flank movement made by the enemy on the city was repulsed with great loss. General (afterwards Sir Richard) England started from Quetta with reinforcements, but met with a reverse at Haikalzai; meanwhile also Colonel Palmer had had to make terms at Ghuznee, and had to encounter treachery. Nott, who was badly in want of money and ammunition for the troops, sent imperative orders to General England to reinforce him, which he did early in May.]

[Pageheading: DEBATE ON THE INCOME TAX]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

SOUTH STREET, _10th June 1842._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. He has thought it better not to interrupt your Majesty with letters during the bustle of the last week, but he cannot omit to express to your Majesty how much he was struck with the letter of the 2nd inst. which he received, and how entirely he concurs in the justice and propriety of your Majesty's feelings and observations. Let us hope that we shall have no more of these horrid attempts, which are generated by the wild notions of the time, and by the expectation, extravagant and unfounded, so industriously inculcated into the public mind, of advantages to be derived from change and confusion; Lord Melbourne anxiously hopes that the painful impressions which such events are calculated to produce upon your Majesty's mind, and which they necessarily must produce, will pa.s.s away and that nothing will happen to renew and revive them.

Lord Melbourne is happy to hear from Normanby that everything pa.s.sed off well and successfully at Windsor and at Ascot. The last is always rather a doubtful and disagreeable ordeal to pa.s.s through.

We should have got through the debate upon the Income Tax this evening in the House of Lords, if Lansdowne had not unfortunately this morning had an access of gout in the hand, which prevented him from attending, and obliged the debate to be deferred. Lord Melbourne hopes that the resolution which Lansdowne is to move[38] is put in such a shape as to vindicate our course, and at the same time not to condemn that which has been adopted overmuch, nor to pledge us for the future....

Lord Melbourne earnestly hopes that your Majesty is well and not too much affected by the heat of this weather, which does not suit Lord Melbourne very well. In conjunction with a large dinner which we had at the Reform Club in honour of the Duke of Suss.e.x, it has given Lord Melbourne a good deal of headache and indisposition. The Duke was in very good humour, and much pleased with the dinner, but he was by no means well or strong.

[Footnote 38: This Resolution was in favour of altering the Corn, Sugar, and Timber Duties, in preference to imposing an Income Tax. It was negatived by 112 to 52.]

[Pageheading: QUEEN'S FIRST RAILWAY JOURNEY]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _14th June 1842._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Though I shall have the inexpressible happiness of seeing you and dearest Louise so soon, I write these few lines to thank you for your very kind letter of the 9th. We arrived here yesterday morning, having come by the railroad, from Windsor, in half an hour, free from dust and crowd and heat, and I am quite charmed with it.[39] We spent a delightful time at Windsor, which would have been still pleasanter had not the heat been such, ever since Sat.u.r.day week, that one is quite overcome; the gra.s.s is quite brown, and the earth full of wide cracks; there has not been a drop of rain since the 24th, my birthday! We rode and walked and danced, and I think I never was better than in all this fatigue and exercise....

I get every day fonder of dearest, excellent Uncle Mensdorff and the dear cousins, who are so amiable and good and una.s.suming; really, in society they keep quite in the background. They are out and out the nicest cousins we have. I am sure what I can do for them I shall be too happy to do. Alexander is the most distinguished and solid, but Alphonse and Arthur the most una.s.suming. There is something so peculiarly _good_ in dear Arthur! and they are all five so fond of p.u.s.s.y, and she so fond of them.... Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 39: This was the Queen's first journey on the Great Western Railway. The Prince had often used it, and had been known to say, on descending from the train, "Not quite so fast next time, Mr Conductor, if you please."--Acworth, _The Railways of England_, p. 17.]

[Pageheading: THE INCOME TAX BILL]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

SOUTH STREET, _19th June 1842._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and offers many thanks for the letter, which he received yesterday evening. Lord Melbourne is very glad to hear that your Majesty has enjoyed in the society of your near and dear relations so much happiness, which, like all other things, must have its portion of alloy in their departure.

Lord Melbourne was much pleased with the short conversation which he had with Count Mensdorff at Stafford House, and it is highly interesting to see at this distance of time a man who has been engaged in affairs so important and of so awful and melancholy a character.

Your Majesty is surely right in terming your cousins young men; if the health and const.i.tution be good, thirty-six is a young man, twenty-nine and thirty-two very young men, and twenty-five quite a boy. The weather has been very hot but very fine. The rain was so much required that Lord Melbourne cannot lament its coming, but he also regrets the hot suns which it has banished.

The course which had been taken upon the Income Tax in the House of Commons,[40] contrary to Lord Melbourne's wish and opinion, rendered it impossible for Lord Melbourne directly to support the Bill in the House of Lords without offending and separating himself from the whole body of those who supported the last Government.

He therefore acquiesced in the resolution, which was moved by Lord Lansdowne, and which did not oppose the measure, but declared that it might have been avoided if the course which we had proposed had been taken. In the debate Lord Melbourne argued as strongly as he could in favour of the tax, and ended by declaring that if it was imposed, he could not pledge himself for the future against maintaining and even extending it. Lord Melbourne is anxious to make this explanation of his conduct to your Majesty, and hopes therefore that your Majesty will forgive his writing thus much upon this subject. Lord Melbourne very much lamented that the business did not terminate as amiably as it began, and that a contest should have been got into respecting the third reading of the Bill; but considering that the measure had pa.s.sed by accident through its first stages without any debate, and that there were Lords who were still desirous of speaking upon it, it was imprudent of the Ministers not at once to give another day for that purpose, especially as they were sure to be compelled to do so by repeated motions of adjournment.

The feelings which your Majesty expresses upon the conviction of this man[41] are natural, and such as must arise in your Majesty's bosom; but Lord Melbourne knows very well that your Majesty will at once see the necessity of not yielding to your own feelings, and of leaving the issue entirely in the hands of your advisers.

Without any reference to personal or particular circ.u.mstances, without adverting to your Majesty's age, s.e.x, qualities mental or personal, without attending to any sentiments of attachment or affection which may be felt for your Majesty's person, it must be remembered that your Majesty's life is, from the position which you occupy and the office which you fill, the most important life in these realms; it is also too clear that it is the most exposed life in the country, the life the most obnoxious[42] to danger; and therefore it is a duty to throw around it every protection which the law and the execution of the law can afford.

Lord Melbourne was sure that your Majesty, being fond of speed, would be delighted with the railway. Lord Melbourne hopes that your Majesty was not much affected by the heat, which he feared that you would be.

Has your Majesty read the last volume of Madame D'Arblay's (Miss Burney) Diary, which contains the account of her service in the family of George III.?[43] It is a curious [work], gives a curious account of the _interieur_, and shows the King and Queen and the Princesses in a very amiable light.

[Footnote 40: Lord John Russell had strenuously opposed the Income Tax Bill, but had been defeated by large majorities.]

[Footnote 41: Frances was tried on 17th June, and convicted.

The death sentence was commuted to one of transportation for life.]

[Footnote 42: Used in the cla.s.sical sense of "exposed to"; _cf._ "obnoxia fato."]

[Footnote 43: The first five volumes were published this year, Madame D'Arblay having died in 1840, at the age of eighty-seven. Croker somewhat rancorously attacked them in the _Quarterly_, to which Macaulay replied in the _Edinburgh_.]

[Pageheading: A PRESENT FROM MUSCAT]