Chapter V: The Reign of George IV

Accession of George IV.--Meeting of Parliament--General
Election--Opening of the New Session--Dulness of Affairs--Brougham
on Education--Queen Caroline--Omission of her Name from the
Liturgy--She rejects the King's Proposals, and arrives in
England--Attempts at a Compromise--The King orders an Inquiry--The
Secret Committee--The Bill of Pains and Penalties--Arrival of
the Queen in the House of Lords--Discussions on the Form of
Procedure--Speeches of Denman and the Attorney-General--Evidence
for the Prosecution--Brougham's Speech--Abandonment of the
Bill--General Rejoicings--Violence of Party Feeling--Popularity
of the Queen--Her Claim to be crowned refused--The Queen's
Attempt to enter the Abbey--Indiscretion of the Act--The
Coronation and the Banquet--The subsequent Scramble--Death
of the Queen--Departure of her Body--The King's Visit to
Ireland--A Royal Oration and its enthusiastic Reception--The
King and Lady Conyngham--Changes in the Government--Discontent
of Eldon--Wellesley in Ireland--Alarming State of the
Country--Canning's Speech on Catholic Emancipation--Parliamentary
Reform--Agricultural Distress and Finance--Eldon's Outbreak on
the Marriage Bill--Suicide of Lord Londonderry--Scene at his
Funeral--Visit of George IV. to Scotland--Loyalty of Sir Walter
Scott--Account of the Festivities--Peel's Letter to Scott--Return
of the King--Canning takes the Foreign Office and Leadership of
the House of Commons--Huskisson joins the Cabinet--The Duke of
Wellington sent to Verona--His Instructions--Principles of the Holy
Alliance--The Spanish Colonies--French Intervention in Spain--The
Duke's Remonstrances with the French King--His Interview with the
Czar--The Congress of Verona--Failure of Wellington to prevent
Intervention in Spain--Vindication of Canning's Policy in the
Commons--He calls the New World into Existence 204