on the 7th August 1821. His wife, Queen Caroline, died shortly after this event. She had for many years lived abroad, separate from her husband. Her conduct had not been without reproach; and on her return, a bill of pains and penalties was brought into the House of Lords against her. The sympathies of the people were on her side, and such opposition did the proceedings against her meet with that the government was compelled to drop the prosecution. The queen died shortly after the coronation of George.

In 1822 the king visited Scotland, where he was welcomed with great enthusiasm by his Scottish subjects, who had not seen a British monarch in Scotland since the time of Charles the Second.

In 1824 a war broke out in the East with the Burmese, in which, after a severe contest, the British were victorious under General Campbell, who marched with his army within forty miles of the Burmese capital. The two years which followed are memorable as years of great commercial distress; during which a general panic spread throughout the mercantile community. In 1827 Mr. Canning succeeded the Earl of Liverpool as prime minister, but did not long retain that office, for his health gave way under the extraordinary exertions he was compelled to make.

Some years before this the Greeks had risen against the cruelty and tyranny of their Turkish masters, and much sympathy was felt in England for the fate of this gallant people. Many private persons (among others, Lord Byron) assisted them as volunteers in their cause, and supplied them with money and arms.

At length England, France, and Russia united to

compel the Turks to grant terms to the Greeks. On their refusal, the three powers destroyed the Turkish fleet at the battle of Navarino, in 1827. Some time after this, the Greeks became entirely independent of Turkey, and a treaty for their protection was entered into by the allied powers.

The injustice of excluding Roman Catholics from all offices under government had long been acknowledged by eminent statesmen of all parties, and several times during the reign of George the Third measures had been proposed for removing Roman Catholic disabilities. But these had all failed in consequence of the opposition of the king. A formidable agitation in Ireland again forced the matter upon public attention, and in 1828 the Test and Corporation Acts, passed in the reign of Charles the Second, were repealed, and in 1829 the Roman Catholic Relief Act obtained the assent of the crown. By this Act, Roman Catholics were allowed to sit in Parliament, to vote at the elections of its "members, and to hold and enjoy all civil and military offices, and all places of trust or profit under his Majesty, and exercise any other franchise or civil right.” It was, however, declared that no Roman Catholic could be king, lord chancellor, or lord lieutenant of Ireland. This measure was passed while the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel were the chief ministers.

George the Fourth died at Windsor, on the 26th of June 1830. He was succeeded by his brother William, Duke of Clarence, under the title of William the Fourth. In his youth William had been trained in the navy, where he had seen some service. His frank and open-hearted character rendered him a favourite

with the people, who gave him the name of "The Sailor King."

The first year of his reign was rendered memorable by the opening of the "Manchester and Liverpool Railway," the first of those great iron highways which now intersect the country in every direction. The Duke of Wellington, Sir Robert Peel, Mr. Huskisson, and a number of other distinguished persons, were present on the occasion. The ceremony was splendid and satisfactory, so far as the efficacy of the railway and of the engines was concerned; but a gloom was cast over the joy of the day by a fatal accident which befel Mr. Huskisson.

It had long been felt that the representation of the people in the House of Commons was very unsatisfactory, and several ministers (among them William Pitt) had proposed measures to remedy it.

The Whig party, during their long exclusion from office, had frequently brought the matter before Parliament, and urged the need of a great reform in the representation. Large towns, whose names were unknown to our ancestors, had sprung up in all directions, and, though populous and wealthy, had no voice in Parliament. The northern counties, which two hundred years before were scantily peopled, had now become the most populous part of England, and were hardly represented at all. Boroughs, which were formerly important, still retained the number of members they had in the days of Edward the Third, though for centuries their population had been a handful, and in some cases, such as old Sarum, there were no inhabitants at all, but the proprietor of the land returned two members to parliament at his pleasure; -as many

as were returned for the whole county of York. These things excited discontent; and the revolution which occurred in France in July 1830 gave new vigour to the agitation for reform. The ministry of the Duke of Wellington resigned, and the Whigs, under Earl Grey, came into power.

On the 1st of March 1831 Lord John Russell introduced the Reform Bill to the House of Commons. It encountered great opposition, but finally passed the Lower House In the House of Lords its fate was different; it was rejected by a majority of 41. The excitement throughout the country caused by this rejection was most intense. Vast meetings were held in every part, and threatening resolutions were passed. Earl Grey's ministry resigned, and for three days the Duke of Wellington was restored to power; but so alarming was the state of the country that the king again sent for Earl Grey, and to remove the opposition of the House of Lords, promised to create a sufficient number of peers to pass the bill. It was again introduced and passed, receiving the royal assent on the 7th of June 1832. The principal features of this measure were, the total disfranchisement of 56 small boroughs and the taking away one member from 30 others. The 86 members thus taken, were given to the counties and to large towns such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Halifax, &c. some of which had not been represented since the Commonwealth, and now again sent members to Parliament.

It will be recollected that in 1806 the trade in slaves was abolished. The philanthropists Wilberforce, Clarkson, Brougham, and others, by whose exertions that

measure had been passed, never ceased their labours till they obtained the total liberation of all slaves in the British empire. This glorious event took place in 1833. More than 800,000 slaves were emancipated at a cost to the nation of £20,000,000, which was paid as a compensation to the slave owners.

In 1834 Lord Grey retired from the ministry; and for a short time the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel conducted the government. They were, however, soon superseded by Lord Melbourne, who continued in office till 1841.

In June 1837, William the Fourth died at the age of seventy-three, leaving no children by his wife Queen Adelaide.

CHAP. XL.

QUEEN VICTORIA. 1837.

QUEEN VICTORIA is the daughter of the Duke of Kent, fourth son of George the Third. Her accession was hailed with joy by the nation. At her coronation the ancient practice of English monarchs was revived. The queen, the ministers of state, and nobles went in grand procession to the Abbey of Westminster, amid the loyal enthusiasm of half a million of spectators. There Her Majesty was crowned in the ancient seat of Edward the Confessor.

On the 10th of February 1840, she married Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg and Gotha.

In the first year of her reign a rebellion broke out in Canada. The object of the insurgents was to join

R