Queen Victoria to the Earl of Derby.
Buckingham Palace, 4th June 1858.
The Queen has to thank Lord Derby for his satisfactory letter received yesterday. She has heard from Mr Disraeli to-day relative to the answer given by him to the question asked yesterday in the House of Commons as to what the Government meant to do.37 He says that he hears there are rumours of other Motions on the subject. These the Queen hopes there will be no difficulty in defeating.
The Duke of Cambridge seems rather uneasy altogether, but the Queen, though equally anxious about it, owns she cannot contemplate the possibility of any real attempt to divest the Crown of its prerogative in this instance. The Army will not, she feels sure, stand it for a moment, and the Queen feels sure, that if properly defined and explained, the House of Commons will not acquiesce in any such disloyal proceeding.
The Queen does not understand Lord John Russell's voting with the majority, for she never understood him to express any such opinion.
Footnote 37: A question was asked whether it was the intention of the Government to take any step in consequence of a resolution of the House in favour of placing the whole administration and control of the Army under the sole authority of a single Minister. Mr. Disraeli replied that "considering the great importance of the subject,... the comparatively small number of Members in the House when the division took pace, and the bare majority by which the decision was arrived at, Her Majesty's Government do not feel that it is their duty to recommend any measure in consequence of that resolution."
Mr Disraeli to Queen Victoria.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
House of Commons, 24th June 1858.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer with his humble duty to your Majesty.