to English merchants. Remonstrances failed to procure any satisfaction, and war was accordingly declared. The Chinese were soon obliged to succumb and consent to a treaty stipulating (1) that England should be indemnified for the expenses of the war, and the English merchants for the destruction of their property; (2) that the ports of Amoy, Ningpo, Foo-choofoo, and Shanghai should be thrown open to British commerce, and (3) that Hong-Kong should be given up to the English in perpetuity. Meanwhile a rebellion had broken out in Cabul, and the English army of occupation had been compelled to withdraw. The retreat is one of the most appalling in our military annals. Of the 20,000 persons who left Cabul, only a few hundreds escaped with their lives. English forces were again poured into Afghanistan; but after reasserting the supremacy of England and punishing the rebels, they were wisely withdrawn. A war with the Ameers of Scinde followed, by which the whole of their country fell into the hands of the East India Company. 5. Fresh commotions disturbed the peace of Ireland in 1843. Daniel O'Connell had for some time been agitating a movement for the repeal of the Union, and now promised his deluded followers that it should be speedily effected. "1843," said he, “ is, and shall be, the great Repeal year." Monster meetings were held in various places, and to such lengths did O'Connell and his colleagues proceed that they were arrested on the charge of high treason. He was brought to trial in 1844, and was sentenced to undergo imprisonment for one year and pay a fine of 20007. This sentence was afterwards reversed in the House of Lords; but the prosecution answered its end, and from this time O'Connell lost his political influence, and his party gradually dwindled into insignificance. A later agitation by a party called "Young Ireland met with a similar ill-success in 1848. 6. Encouraged by the disasters in Afghanistan, the Sikhs provoked hostilities with England in 1845, and invaded British territories. The terrible battles, however, of Moodkee, Ferozeshah, Sobraon, Chillianwallah, and Goojerat taught them the futility of the struggle in which they had engaged; and in 1849 they were obliged to submit to the annexation of their country to the dominions they had invaded. Generals Sir Hugh Gough, Sir Henry Hardinge, and Sir Harry Smith, greatly distinguished themselves in this war, which was of a sanguinary character and most obstinately contested; the Sikhs being naturally brave, well skilled in the art of war, and possessed of a powerful artillery. 7. For some years vigorous efforts had been made to remove the restrictions upon commerce, and especially upon the importation of foreign corn. In 1846 these efforts were crowned with success. Sir Robert Peel became a convert to the principles of free trade, and supported a measure for the repeal of the corn laws, which was carried by a large majority. The disruption of his ministry was the consequence. The Whigs now came into power, and a new cabinet was formed under Lord John Russell. Before the nation could well realize the benefits arising from the change in our commercial system, the trade of the country received a terrible shock from a mania which had sprung up for railway speculations. Upwards of a thousand new lines were projected, involving an outlay of hundreds of millions of pounds. Money necessarily soon became scarce, and multitudes of those who had incurred responsibilities were ruined. Concurrently with this crisis in the commercial world came the failure of the potato crops in Ireland, by which that country was reduced to the most terrible state of destitution. Great efforts were made in England to relieve the sufferers, and upwards of 700,000l. were raised by private subscriptions for their assistance. A further sum of 10,000,000l. was advanced by the nation. The good harvest of 1847, however, restored public confidence, and thenceforward trade gradually assumed a brighter aspect. 8. The Chartists made another attempt in 1848 to procure the concession of the "six points." Twenty thousand of them, headed by a hare-brained agitator, named Feargus O'Connor, assembled in one of the suburbs of London, with the intention of proceeding in a body to the Houses of Parliament, and presenting a petition said to be subscribed by five million signatures. The procession was wisely prohibited by the authorities from entering the City and, when the petition was laid before the House, it was found that the signatures did not amount to two millions, and that of these a large number were fictitious. Among the 200,000 special constables, who were sworn in on this occasion for the protection of London, was Napoleon III., then a political refugee. 9. In 1854 we were plunged into a disastrous war by the ambitious designs of Russia upon Turkey. For many years that country had been extending its power southwards; and in 1853 the Emperor Nicholas, in pursuance of the same policy, availed himself of a shallow pretext to invade Turkish territory. The Sultan then declared war, and England and France, feeling the importance of preserving the balance of power in Eastern Europe, sent armies to his assistance. The chief scene of military operations was the Crimea, where the allied armies obtained the brilliant victories of the Alma, Balaclava, and Inkerman. Sebastopol held out for a long time and was not taken until the autumn of 1855. No important engagement took place at sea. Sir Charles Napier maintained a vigorous blockade in the Baltic, but failed to take Cronstadt, the great naval station commanding the sea approach to St. Petersburg. Admiral Dundas, who succeeded to the command of the Baltic fleet, was little more successful. The war was brought to a close in 1856 by the Treaty of Paris, according to which Russia agreed to forego the demands which originally led to the war, and to dismantle the fortifications of Sebastopol; the Allies to restore all places taken during the war. 10. The Crimean war was scarcely ended when a mutiny of great magnitude broke out among the native troops in our Indian army. The most terrible atrocities were perpetrated by the rebels on the British residents who fell into their hands. Neither woman, nor child was spared. At Delhi the massacre was so complete that not a survivor was left. Generals Havelock, Outram, and Sir Colin Campbell, by heroic efforts ultimately restored the supremacy of the British arms, but only after a frightful expenditure of human lives. In 1858 an Act of Parliament was passed for the transfer of the Anglo-Indian empire from the East India Company to the Queen of England, since which time it has been governed by a secretary of state assisted by a council of fifteen. 11. In 1857 another war broke out with China, in which France took part with England. The allied army, after obtaining several successes, marched upon Pekin; and compelled the Chinese authorities to agree to a convention, stipulating (1) that an apology should be made by the emperor for the ill-treatment of our ambassador; (2) that the allies should be indemnified for the expenses of the war; (3) that several additional ports should be thrown open, and (4) that Christianity should be tolerated throughout the empire. 12. Of the events that have transpired during the last few years, none has excited so general an interest as the marriage of the Prince of Wales with the Princess Alexandra of Denmark, March 10, 1863. England probably never witnessed such a spontaneous outburst of loyalty and good feeling as greeted "The Fair Maid of Denmark" and her future husband on their entry into London. Nor was this enthusiasm confined to the metropolis. The day of their marriage was celebrated with festivities throughout England. All ranks, all sects, all parties concurred in these loyal demonstrations; for, on whatever points Englishmen may be divided, they are unanimous in their attachment to the throne, and in their respect for the family of its present illustrious and beloved possessor. |