e
estate of the Princes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.]

[Footnote 21: Elder child of the Duke of Brabant (now King
Leopold II.).]

[Pageheading: ENGLAND AND NAPLES]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

[_Undated._ ? _26th April 1860._]

The Queen has just received Lord John Russell's letter. She must say
that she would consider it the _deepest_ degradation to this country
if she was compelled to appear at the Emperor's Congress summoned to
Paris, in order to register and put her seal to the acts of spoliation
of the Emperor!

Lord Cowley was very strong on the effect which our yielding that
point would have on his position at the French Court.

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _30th April 1860_.

The Queen thinks that the main argument is omitted in the draft, viz.
that the attempts, such as Sardinia is suspected to contemplate, are
morally bad and reprehensible in themselves, besides being politically
inexpedient. The Queen would be sorry to see a despatch go forth on
this subject, arguing on the ground of expediency alone. She trusts
Lord John Russell will find it easy to introduce a passage which would
place it on record, that we do attach importance to public justice
and morality. When amended, the Queen would like to have a copy of the
draft.

[Pageheading: THE DOCTRINES OF 1688]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

HOUSE OF COMMONS, _30th April 1860_.

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty. He is
sorry he cannot agree that there would be any moral wrong in assisting
to overthrow the Government of the King of the Two Sicilies. The
best writers on International Law consider it a merit to overthrow
a tyrannical government, and there have been few governments so
tyrannical as that of Naples. Of course the King of Sardinia has no
right to assist the people of the Two Sicilies unless he was asked by
them to do so, as the Prince of Orange was asked by the best men in
England to overthrow the tyranny of James II.--an attempt which has
received the applause of all our great public writers, and is the
origin of our present form of government.[22]

[Footnote 22: See _ante_, 11th January, 1860.]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _30th April 1860_.

The Queen has received Lord John Russell's letter, and trusts he will
see, upon further reflection, that the case before us is not one in