Make France Great Again

Palmerston, who had received the support of the royal family, immediately contacted Prince Albert. He himself was very confident that he would persuade both houses of Congress to agree to the proposal to increase troops in India.

"That's good!" Prince Albert nodded slightly, responded with an indifferent expression, and then continued to ask, "By the way, how many troops does the cabinet plan to send to India to counter the rebellion?"

"Well..." Palmerston hesitated for a moment before replying: "The issue of troop strength is still in the discussion stage and will take some time.

However, the Duke of Newcastle, Secretary of State for War, told me privately!

To completely quell the rebellion in India, at least 100,000 troops are needed! "

"100,000?" Prince Albert frowned slightly and responded to Palmerston: "Even if all the local troops are added together, there is not 100,000!

Are we going to repeat what we did in the Crimean War? "

What Prince Albert said about "what he did in the Crimean War" refers to the British government's indiscriminate behavior during the Crimean War, which directly dragged homeless people living on the streets into military camps.

This incident attracted countless criticisms from British newspapers at the time.

"Your Highness, we don't need to do this!" Palmerston shook his head and explained: "We only need to draw out 30,000 troops from the mainland, plus 5,000 from the Cape of Good Hope, 20,000 from Persia, and 20,000 from Persia. 10,000 people, together with the troops of Indian princes who are still loyal to us, are enough to form a huge team and suppress all the rebels."

"That's it!" Prince Albert showed a look of understanding, and then he raised his concerns: "Are those Indian princes really still willing to be loyal to the Kingdom of Britain?"

"Your Highness, as long as we can slightly modify our policy towards Indian princes, then many princes will continue to choose to be loyal to us!" Prime Minister Palmerston said confidently.

"What policy?" Prince Albert asked Palmerston again.

“Your Highness, we only need to declare in the name of Her Majesty the Queen: respect the hereditary rights of the princes on Indian soil and no more annexations!

Those kingdoms will naturally be willing to stand on our side! " Palmerston patiently explained to Prince Albert.

"As a result, the East India Company will face bankruptcy!" Prince Albert said to Palmerston.

The reason why the East India Company did not fall into financial difficulties and the price of bonds continued to rise was entirely due to the East India Company's brutal annexation of Indian territories in recent years.

In fact, as early as 9 years ago, the East India Company's economic situation was already in trouble.

The then Governor-General of India, Great Hexu (1848-1856), had just taken office. In order to prevent the East India Company from screwing up during his tenure, he promulgated the "Heirless Succession Act" in the name of the Governor-General's Office. Adopting the "territorial confiscation theory", he stipulated that when countries had no direct heirs, the principality must be transferred to the hands of the East India Company for management, and at the same time rejected the ancient law that adopted sons could serve as legal heirs.

Based on Dahexu's proposal, the East India Company successively annexed Satara, Gpur, Jhansi and other countries. The titles of some princes were also canceled by the Governor-General, and their contributions were reduced or even stopped.

Throughout the era of Great Hexu, nearly one-third of the princely states were directly divided into the direct management of the East India Company. Without the princes as middlemen to earn the price difference, the East India Company's exploitation of farmers became more serious, and those The feudal lords, the army and merchants were also on the verge of bankruptcy because they lost the objects they served.

Although the annexation of principalities implemented during the Great Hexu era was conducive to the unification of India in the long run, this benefit was not enjoyed by the British, but by later Indians, and the British were suffering the consequences of "reducing vassals".

This is equivalent to the Huns helping Emperor Jing to physically cut down the seven kingdoms, and then the seven kingdoms teamed up to attack the Huns.

Of course, the "Hun" Britain is too powerful.

Then again, the East India Company could develop at a high speed and continue to annex one-third of the land.

In Albert's view, if Britain declared to respect the interests of feudal lords, the East India Company would be completely finished.

"Your Highness, the East India Company is not facing bankruptcy, they are already bankrupt!" Palmerston responded to Prince Albert.

"When did it happen?" Prince Albert was stunned for a few seconds, then asked Palmerston.

"Just when I came here!" Palmerston replied to Prince Albert.

"How did they know what happened in India so quickly?" Prince Albert asked in confusion.

"Your Highness, a government like ours can find out anything if it wants to!" Palmerston teased himself.

Prince Albert also showed a wry smile and nodded in agreement.

In Britain, if a newspaper wants to know something, it can be found if it searches hard enough.

Even the cabinet news is like this!

"So, we have to take over a bankrupt East India Company!" Prince Albert then said to Palmerston.

"Your Highness, although the East India Company has gone bankrupt, they still have many high-quality industries under their control!

As long as our government leaves high-quality real estate to good entrepreneurs, they can turn into stocks full of potential! " Palmerston responded tactfully to Prince Albert.

Prince Albert didn't understand what Palmerston meant. He just wanted the British government to completely take over the bankrupt East India Company, and then select high-quality industries to sell at low prices.

The target of the sale is the financial backer behind Palmerston's party.

As for the remaining industry, of course it will be borne by all the people.

Since Palmerston wanted to carve up the corpse of the East India Company, Prince Albert naturally did not want to lag behind.

Although the royal family already has enough money, who would dislike more.

Prince Albert also told Palmerston tactfully that Victoria liked Indian cultural relics very much and hoped to have the opportunity to be "educated".

Palmerston still didn't understand what Prince Albert meant. He immediately said that he would find pure Indian-style cultural relics for Her Majesty the Queen.

Palmerston and Prince Albert ended their conversation in laughter.

Then Palmerston left Windsor Castle in a carriage. The carriage moved forward and after a long period of time, entered the city of London.

While walking on the road to No. 10 Downing Street, Palmerston was thinking about who should be sent to the House of Commons (Palmerston himself went to the House of Lords). After much deliberation, Palmerston thought of his Chancellor of the Exchequer, Benjamin Dee. Sreeley.

Although Benjamin Disraeli and himself did not belong to the same party, the two were even ideological enemies to a certain extent (Benjamin Disraeli believed that the landed aristocracy should unite with the workers to jointly fight against the growing power of middle class and entrepreneurs), but Palmerston still admired Benjamin Disraeli's ability in imperial finance, and Benjamin Disraeli was as good as Palmerston in eloquence.

Of course, these were not the most important conditions for Palmerston to choose Benjamin Disraeli.

The reason why Palmerston chose Benjamin Disraeli was entirely because Benjamin Disraeli was consistent with Palmerston on the dissolution of the East India Company.

Letting Benjamin Disraeli go to the House of Commons is indeed a perfect choice.

He did what he said. When the carriage arrived at No. 10 Downing Street, Palmerston went straight into the Prime Minister's Palace. He first went to find the Cabinet Secretary and ordered him to immediately notify the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Benjamin Disraeli, to come see him. Then go directly to the office to process the unfinished documents.

About half an hour later, Benjamin Disraeli appeared in Palmerston's office.

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister!" Benjamin Disraeli said to Palmerston in a nonchalant manner.

"Disraeli, please sit down!" Palmerston stretched out his hand to invite Benjamin Disraeli to sit opposite him.

After Benjamin Disraeli sat down, Palmerston said to Benjamin Disraeli, "Mr. Disraeli, I hope you can go to the House of Commons to organize a debate on my behalf!"

Benjamin Disraeli replied to Prime Minister Palmerston without any hesitation: "Yes!"

Immediately afterwards, Benjamin Disraeli asked Palmerston again if he could issue a question to the House of Commons on the issues surrounding the East India Company in the House of Commons!

"Of course!" Palmerston said to Benjamin Disraeli with a smile: "The reason why I chose you is to let the House of Commons understand that the East India Company's method of indirect rule has failed, and we must Just choose to rule India directly!”

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I think so too!" Benjamin Disraeli responded to Palmerston with some excitement.

In early July, British Chancellor of the Exchequer Benjamin Disraeli arrived at the House of Commons and delivered a three-hour, passionless speech in the House of Commons.

The MPs sitting in the House of Commons (except for the backbenchers, because they have no rights at all, so arriving in the House of Commons is just a routine matter) can be said to have been tortured, but they had to listen carefully to Benjamin Disraeli every word.

Because there is a sharp knife hidden under Benjamin Disraeli's boring speech, especially when he mentioned the rebellion in India, the policies implemented by the former British Governor Hex in India, and the East India Company's annexation in India , the three were linked together, and then proposed the dissolution of the East India Company, which shocked the entire British House of Commons.