Page:The Letters Of Queen Victoria, vol. 2 (1908).djvu/466

440 manner in which they abused the hospitality afforded them in this country, and attributing in great measure to the proclamations of Kossuth and Mazzini the late insurrection at Milan, and the attempt on the Emperor’s life. This note expressed a hope and belief that some measure would at once be adopted by your Majesty’s Government to remove the just complaints of Allied Governments, and intimated that should this hope not be spontaneously realised some measures on the part of those Governments would become necessary for their own protection as well as to mark their sense of the wrong done to them by England.

Lord Clarendon said that your Majesty’s Government were as indignant as that of Austria could be at the disgraceful abuse of the protection afforded to these refugees; but he could hold out no hope of any legislation for the purpose of sending them out of the country.

Count Colloredo did not disguise his annoyance and disappointment at this, and seemed to attribute it to want of goodwill on the part of your Majesty’s Government, which he felt sure would have the support of public opinion in proposing such a measure as his Government desired.

The discussion became rather warm, and Lord Clarendon thought it right to remark that too much importance might be given to these proclamations and too little to the causes which at home might lead the subjects of Austria to manifest their discontent by revolutionary outbreaks, nor could we conceal from ourselves that the complaints about the refugees were occasionally directed against the free institutions which gave them protection, and that we were not always viewed with favour as presenting the single but prosperous exception to that system of government which otherwise would now almost be uniform in Europe.

Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, $th March 1853.

The Queen has received Lord Palmerston’s letter, and the reports on the Militia which she returns, having marked several parts in them which show an absence of the most important’ requisites. Already in October the Queen observed upon the