balanced, that a really strong Government could not be constructed from either side of the House. The debate was, however, adjourned over the Wednesday, and the scattered forces of the Liberal party were rallied during the period of delay. The division was not taken until very late on Friday night, and then the Government, after a brilliant speech from Sir Hugh Cairns, found itself in a minority of thirteen in a House of, including tellers, 637. After such a debate and such a division, of course there was no more to be said. The House adjourned for a week, and on Friday, the 17th of June, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that her Majesty had been pleased to accept the resignations of Lord Derby and his colleagues, and that Lord Palmerston had received her commands to form a new Administration.

CHAPTER X.

ONCE MORE IN OPPOSITION.

The New Administration-The Willis's Rooms Intrigue-Lord Granville sent for -The Queen's reasons-Lord Granville fails to form a Ministry-His Letter to the "Times"-Lord Palmerston returns to Office-Without a Policy and without a Party-The Banquet at Merchant Taylors' Hall-Mr. Disraeli's Speech-State of the Exchequer-A Deficit of Five Millions-More Additions to the Income Tax-Mr. Disraeli's criticism-Foreign Policy-Lord John Russell's Statement-Why should England join the Conference ?--Prorogation-Speech from the Throne-A barren Session-The Session of 1860-The Queen's Speech-Debate on the Address-French Commercial Treaty-The Italian Question-A February Budget-More Income TaxMr. Gladstone and Mr. Pitt-No more concessions to precedent--Objections to Mr. Cobden as Negotiator of the Treaty-Mr. Disraeli's criticism of the Budget-and of the Treaty-The Annexation of Savoy and Nice-The New Reform Bill-Unpopular from the first, and speedily withdrawn-Financial Adjustment-Paper Duty-Church Rates-Prorogation-Mr. Disraeli at Amersham-Session of 1861-Debate on the Address-Mr. White's Amendment-Mr. Disraeli on Lord Russell's "candid foreign policy "-Public business-The Budget-Mr. Disraeli's criticism-Prorogation-Ministers and the Confederate States-Death of the Prince Consort-Parliament opened by Commission-The Legislative Programme-The Budget-No remission of Taxation-Mr. Disraeli's indictment of Liberal Finance-a "Penurious Prodigal "-Resolutions on Retrenchment-Not a vote of want of confidence -Mr. Cobden on Liberal Economy-The Position of the Government— Foreign Affairs-The Colonies-Close of the Session-The Recess-Queen's Speech-No Amendment to the Address - Mr. Disraeli's Speech - Earl Russell's Foreign Policy-Poland and Austria-Brazil-Italy-The Budget -Earl Russell at Blairgowrie-Speech from the Throne-Mr. Disraeli on the Address - Condition of Europe - Denmark - Lord Russell's promisesGovernment by Under Secretaries-The Budget of 1864-A Penny off the Income Tax-Prorogation-State of Europe-"On the side of the Angels" -Commencement of the Reform Agitation-Session of 1865-Canada and

the United States-Death of Mr. Cobden-Mr. Baines's Reform Bill-The Westbury Scandal-The General Election-The falling Ministry—Mr. Disraeli's Address-Results of the Elections-Death of Lord PalmerstonThe Queen opens Parliament-Suspension of Habeas Corpus in Ireland-The Budget The New Reform Bill-Mr. Lowe's Opposition to it-Agitation out of doors-Mr. Disraeli's criticism of the Bill-Mr. Gladstone's reply-Ministers practically in a Minority—The Redistribution Bill—Absurd in practice— Referred to Committee-The Government going to pieces-Lord Dunkellin's Amendment-Ministers defeated-Lord Russell resigns-Lord Derby sent for -Popular excitement-Mr. Disraeli once more elected for Buckinghamshire.

THE new Administration was not formed without a good deal of negotiation-to which captious critics might perhaps be disposed to apply the less flattering title of intriguing. Lord Palmerston and Lord John Russell made up their differences and agreed upon a compact of mutual support. If they could but succeed in getting the Government of Lord Derby out of office, one or other of them must, they believed, be called upon to form the new Administration. It was accordingly decided that whichever of the twain should receive the Royal commands, the other should give him a loyal and cordial support, and so little discreditable was this arrangement considered that it was told with the greatest candour by Lord Palmerston. A meeting was afterwards held at Willis's rooms, to which Mr. Disraeli made sarcastic allusion in his speech on the Amendment to the Address, and there it was decided that the Opposition should receive the support of the Peelites. Mr. Sidney Herbert and his friends accordingly assisted Lord Hartington in the debate and shared the spoils of office.

Then came perhaps the least creditable performance of English political life in the present generation. To the surprise of everybody, on the defeat of Lord Derby's cabinet her Majesty sent, not for either of the two leaders of Liberalism who had

Lord Granville's Explanation.

137

made so sure of office, but for Lord Granville. The explanation was that the Queen "felt that to make so marked a distinction as is implied in the choice of one or other as Prime Minister of two statesmen so full of years and honours as Lord Palmerston and Lord John Russell, would be a very invidious and unwelcome task." It may possibly be surmised that some other motives were at work as well as the sense of invidiousness to which the memorandum refers-some sense of Lord John Russell's unhappy knack of "upsetting the coach," some memory of Lord Palmerston's unfortunate impracticability in the matter of consulting the Sovereign on questions of foreign policy, may have had at least as much to do with the rather singular step of sending for an unknown and untried man like Lord Granville. Of course Lord Granville set about attempting to form an Administration, and equally of course he failed. Lord Palmerston cheerfully consented to serve under himwhich the admirers of the noble Lord attributed to his utter indifference as to who might be the nominal chief of the Cabinet, seeing that if he were in it he was certain to be the guiding and controlling spirit. Lord John Russell, however, flatly refused to take service under Lord Granville, and with his refusal the whole scheme fell to the ground. Upon this the noble Lord rushed into print and through the columns of the Times communicated to the world the history of his negotiations and of their failure. The most illiterate of newspaper readers was thus informed of what "her Majesty was pleased to observe;" "her Majesty felt;" "her Majesty intended;" of how "her Majesty cast her eyes;" and how "furnished with this commission Lord Granville communicated to Lord Palmerston the Queen's wishes"-all in the most approved style of Jenkins.

Lord Palmerston accordingly waited upon her Majesty and received her commands, in obedience to which he once more formed a Ministry which was of course a Coalition, but a Coalition with a more decidedly Liberal leaven in it than his former Government; Lord John Russell went to the Foreign Office; Sir G. C. Lewis not having been remarkably successful as a financier went to the Home Office; Mr. Sidney Herbert became Secretary for War; Mr. Gladstone, Chancellor of the Exchequer; while Mr. Milner Gibson took the Board of Trade. This last appointment was offered to Mr. Cobden but he refused it. Ministers went at once to their constituents: the re-elections were speedily accomplished and on the evening of the 30th of June, Lord Palmerston was able to make his statement to the House. It was very short, and mentioned only three things:-first, that the new Cabinet was exceptionally strong and able; second, that in foreign policy it intended to follow strictly in the line marked out by its predecessors, and thirdly, that the Government had no intention of doing anything with the question of Reform for that Session. Thanks to the dilatory policy of the Liberals and to the success of the Coalition by which Lord Derby had been driven from office, there was no chance of any real work being accomplished by the Government in the year 1859. As a matter of fact Lord Palmerston's Government had literally no policy whatever. It was nominally pledged to Reform, but there was a notorious indisposition on the part of a large section of the Administration to extend the franchise to any appreciable extent. On questions of foreign policy it could only follow the lead of Lord Malmesbury, and whether Lord Palmerston's way of dealing with foreign powers was more satisfactory than that of his