Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria.
Chesham Place, 29th February 1848.
Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to transmit a short note from Lord Normanby, which is very satisfactory.
Lord John Russell declared last night that your Majesty would not interfere in the internal affairs of France. But in repeating this declaration, in answer to Mr Cobden, he added that the sacred duties of hospitality would be, as in all times, performed towards persons of all opinions. Both declarations were generally cheered. In extending this hospitality to members of the Royal Family of France, it is only to be observed that no encouragement should be given by your Majesty to any notion that your Majesty would assist them to recover the Crown. In this light it is desirable that no Prince of the House of Orleans should inhabit one of your Majesty's palaces in or near London.
Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston.
THE NEW FRENCH GOVERNMENT
(Undated.)8
The Queen has perused the enclosed despatches and the proposed Minutes of a draft to Lord Normanby with Lord John Russell's remarks. She approves generally of the Minutes, but would like that amongst the laudable intentions of the new French Government, that of keeping inviolate the European Treaties should be brought in in some way. In the paper No. 2, the expression "most cordial friendship" strikes the Queen as rather too strong. We have just had sad experience of cordial understandings. "Friendly relations" might do better or the whole sentence might run thus: "that not peace only but cordial friendship with France had been at all times [instead of "is one of the," etc.] one of the first wishes of the British Government, and that this will remain," etc., etc., etc.
Footnote 8: Apparently written at the end of February.