A Political Diary, 1828-1830, Volume IIEllenborough, Edward Law, Earl of
History
A Political Diary, 1828-1830, Volume II
Ellenborough, Edward Law, Earl of
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1820-1830
Great dissatisfaction was expressed, and justly, at the conduct of Lord
Heytesbury, who has been humbugged by the Russians all along.
The King has run up a bill of 4,000£ for clothes in six months. All the
offices of the Household, except the Chamberlain's, which has 1,900£ in
hand, are falling into arrear, and if there should be an arrear upon the
whole civil list, it must come before Parliament.
Fitzgerald gives a very bad account of trade generally.
The King does not like us better than he did, and the Duke of Cumberland
means to keep his son in England, and educate him here, taking the 6,000£ a
year. He wants to drive the Government to make him Viceroy of Hanover.
The Cabinet dined with the Duke.
_October 8._
Cabinet at 3. A great deal of conversation of which the result was that a
remonstrance should be made to Russia on the subject of the terms of the
peace. This remonstrance will temperately but strongly, more by statement
of facts than by observations, show that the peace is not such as the
Emperor had given us reason to expect he would require, and that it in
reality threatens the existence of the Turkish Empire; that the destruction
of that Empire would seriously affect the peace of Europe by changing the
relative position of the several States.
Aberdeen wants a guarantee of the territorial possessions of Turkey, not of
its Government. [Footnote: It is observable that this guarantee seems to
have said nothing of the internal system of government, and so far to have
been unconditional. It would therefore have gone considerably beyond the
Anglo-Turkish Convention of 1878. It would also have applied to Europe as
well as Asia. It is a commentary on the statement of Mr. Gladstone, in
later days a colleague of Lord Aberdeen, that no statesman whom he had
known in former times would ever have listened to the idea of such an
engagement.] I think no one seems much inclined to agree with him. Such a
guarantee would impose obligations without conferring rights upon us. It
would be a guarantee which would give rise to infinite complications, and
which would embarrass us very much.
Without a guarantee we may succeed in bringing the great States to an
understanding that the distribution of the Turkish territories, in the
event of the falling to pieces of that State, must be a subject for the
decision of a Congress.
Austria has expressed herself very frankly. She is ready to do anything.
She sees the danger and desires to know our view of it. The real view of
France does not seem to be very different; but there is no dependence to be
placed upon a Government trembling for its life. Prussia will be satisfied
with the peace. Her sovereign is very weak, and the Prussians think their
interest is served by the progress of Russia in a direction contrary to
them, and in which she menaces Austria.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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