Chapter XIV: The First Russell Administration

The Transfer of Ministerial Offices--The Whigs Patronise Mr. Cobden--A Radical in the New Cabinet--The Peelites Refuse to Take Office--Lord Campbell as Chancellor of the Duchy--Anecdote of his Installation--Lord John Russell’s Deportment to the Queen--His Modest Programme--The Abolition of the Sugar Duties--Bishop Wilberforce and Slave-grown Sugar--Outrages in Ireland--The Whigs become Coercionists--Their Arms Act--Mutiny among Ministerialists--The Bill Dropped--The Alternative Policy--Relief Works for Ireland--A Military Scandal--Indiscretion in the Country--Abuse of Corporal Punishment in the Army--“The Cat” in the House of Commons--The Queen’s Views on Military Punishment--The Queen and a Deserter’s Death-Warrant--Captain Layard’s Motion--The Duke of Wellington’s Interference--Restrictions on the Use of the Lash--England and the Colonies--Canada and Free Trade--Nova Scotia and the Potato Famine--The Halifax, Quebec, and Montreal Railway--The New Zealand War--The Caffre War--The Expedition to Borneo--End of the Anglo-Chinese Difficulty--The “Spanish Marriages” and the Treaty of Utrecht--Louis Philippe’s Intrigues with the Queen Dowager Christina--Secret History of the Conspiracy--M. Guizot’s Pretext--How the English Minister at Madrid was Deceived--Lord Palmerston’s Indiscreet Despatch--The Queen’s Cutting Letter to the Queen Marie Amélie--Metternich’s Caustic Epigram--Prince Albert’s Resentment against the King of the French--End of the Anglo French Alliance--Fall of the Republic of Cracow 244

CHAPTER XV.

HOME LIFE AND SOCIAL EVENTS IN 1846.

Prince Albert and the Home Farm--Royalty and the Windsor Vestry--The New Home at Osborne--The Birth of the Princess Helena--The Visit of Ibrahim Pasha--A Royal Christening--The Queen’s Loneliness--Visitors at Osborne--A Cruise in Summer Seas--The “Lop” of the Channel--In the Channel Islands--The Duke of Cornwall in his Duchy--Exploring the South Coast--The Queen Acts as the Family Tutor--Her Majesty among the Iron-miners--The House-warming at Osborne--Baron Stockmar’s Impressions of the Queen--Some German Visitors--A Dinner-Party at Windsor--The Baroness Bunsen’s Picture of the Scene--The Royal Visits to Hatfield and Arundel--Social Movements in 1846--Origin of Secularism--Dr. Hook’s Pamphlet on Education--The Triumphs of Science--Faraday’s Researches--The Use of Ether in Surgery--Laying of the First Submarine Cable at Portsmouth--Evil Tidings from Starving Ireland 259