Queen Victoria to Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton

Chapter XXVIII

1859

Windsor Castle, 7th January 1859.

The Queen returns Mr Gladstone's letters, and gladly accepts his patriotic offer. He will have difficulty in solving a delicate question, affecting national feeling, against time, but his offer comes most opportunely.

Footnote 1: See ante, p. 301. Mr Gladstone had been sent to enquire into the causes of the dissatisfaction of the inhabitants of the Ionian Islands with their High Commissioner, Sir John Young. He now offered to act himself for a limited time as High Commissioner, should it be decided to recall Sir John. He was succeeded in February by Sir Henry Storks.