Footnote 10: See ante, [p. 273] note 45.
Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians.
FURTHER DIFFICULTIES
Buckingham Palace, 1st March 1851.
My dearest Uncle,—I did not write to you yesterday, thinking I could perhaps give you some more positive news to-day, but I cannot. I am still without a Government, and I am still trying to hear and pause before I actually call to Lord John to undertake to form, or rather more to continue, the Government. We have passed an anxious, exciting week, and the difficulties are very peculiar; there are so many conflicting circumstances which render coalition between those who agree in almost everything, and in particular on Free Trade, impossible, but the "Papal Question" is the real and almost insuperable difficulty.
Lord Lansdowne is waiting to see me, and I must go, and with many thanks for your two kind letters, ever your devoted Niece,
Victoria R.
Memorandum by the Prince Albert.
LORD JOHN RUSSELL
Buckingham Palace, 2nd March 1851.