VISIT OF THE QUEEN AND PRINCE ALBERT TO THE "RESOLUTE."

(See p. CSS.)

£77,588,000. After making the most cautious estimates, Sir George Cornewall
Lewis said that for the coming year, on the basis of existing taxation, his
expected revenue would fall short of his anticipated expenditure by £7,000,000.
As no
new taxes were to be levied, he was compelled to find the money by
borrowing, and, of course, no remission of taxation could in such circumstances
be looked for. The House sanctioned the scheme of the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, but he was warned that in future reduced estimates would be
demanded.

More than one attempt was made by Mr. Disraeli to assail the Italian policy of Lord Palmerston. That policy was somewhat tortuous, for whilst the English Foreign Office was perpetually encouraging Sardinia to protest against the Austrian occupation of North Italy, England had, with Austria and France, become a party to the Tripartite Treaty guaranteeing the execution of the Treaty of Paris. Mr. Disraeli argued that it was inconsistent to stir up Sardinia and the discontented populations of Italy against Austria, at a time when we had by the Tripartite Treaty virtually bound ourselves in a close alliance with the Austrian Empire. The tyrannical Government of Sicily also elicited remonstrances from England, against which Russia protested, on the ground that we had no right to interfere between King "Bomba" and his subjects. But no enthusiasm was roused on these subjects-in fact, the country did not desire a change of Government at the time, and every effort to weaken the Ministry was therefore futile. Yet the home policy of the Ministry was a signal failure. They succeeded in assimilating the mercantile law of England and Scotland; but their first Bill to amend the law of partnership was abandoned in March. A second one was introduced, and abandoned in July. A Bill for the amendment of the Poor Law met the same fate. The Bill to regulate lunatic asylums in Ireland, and a Bill to relieve merchant vessels of tolls and dues were also abandoned. Ministers were equally unfortunate with their Divorce Bill, and with their Bills to establish jurisdiction over wills, and to check the criminal appropriation of trust property. Their Church Discipline Bill was rejected by the Lords. The Bills to reconstruct the Irish Court of Chancery and the Insolvency Court were dropped.* The Jury Bill, Juvenile Offenders Bill, and Dublin Police Bill were also given up. The Civil Servants' Superannuation Bill, the London Municipal Reform Bill, the Bill for the local management of the metropolis, a burial Bill, a vaccination Bill, a Bill dealing with the Queen's College in Ireland, and a Scotch education Bill were all abandoned. A Bill enabling two Bishops to retire on handsome terms was passed, though the arrangement was denounced as simoniacal, and the County Police Bill also became law. But the legislative failures of the Government showed that it had no firm hold over the House of Commons, and that its position was safe, merely because

* Nobody regretted this, for they created a host of highly-paid place-holders. Mr. Disraeli declared that these measures were at first supposed to be an ingenious means of compensating Ireland for the failure of the Tipperary Bank.

1856.]

CONFIRMATION OF THE PRINCESS ROYAL.

691

the nation was not in a mood for change so soon after its energies had been exhausted in a costly and inglorious war. Moreover, Parties were still disorganised, Lord John Russell's isolation and the position of the Peelites being disturbing factors in the situation. Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Disraeli, however, began to draw nearer and nearer to each other, Lord Stanley being regarded as the connecting link between them, and some of the Whigs, a little alarmed at the prospect of a hostile coalition, began to hint that Palmerston would be wise to attract the Peelites back to his standard. The fact is, the war left the country profoundly disgusted with Party government. Sir James Graham told Mr. Greville that hitherto the party system had been efficient for government, because patronage had been "the great instrument for keeping parties together." Peel, however, broke up the old party system in 1846, and now, said Sir James Graham, "between the Press, the public opinion which the Press had made, and the views of certain people in Parliament, of whom Gladstone is the most eminent and strenuous, patronage was either destroyed or going rapidly to destruction."* To some extent the Queen shared these views, but in the event of any mishap leading to Palmerston's resignation, the idea of the Court was to organise a coalition under Clarendon. Parliament was prorogued on the 29th of July.

Outside politics the life of the Queen during 1856 was not very eventful. On the 20th of March the confirmation of the Princess Royal brought together an interesting family gathering at the private chapel at Windsor. Prince Albert led the princess in, and was followed by the Queen and King Leopold of Belgium. The officers of State, and of the household, and most of the members of the Royal Family, were present, and the Bishop of Oxford, Lord High Almoner, read the preface, the Archbishop of Canterbury performing the ceremony. Several guests were present, and in describing the event to Stockmar the Prince dwells with some pride on the fact that the Princess came through the ordeal of Dean Wellesley's preliminary examination a few days before with great success. † The choice of the Navy as Prince Alfred's profession had now been made, and in April the Queen and Prince Albert, after much anxious thought, selected a tutor for their son. He is described by the Prince in one of his letters as "a distinguished and most amiable.

* Greville Memoirs, Third Part. Vol. II., pp. 42-45.

The Royal

A few days before this event, on the 15th inst., the Royal Nursery was robbed. Household is, of course, under the control of the Lord Steward. One of his sub-departments is called "The Silver Pantry," which has three yeomen, one groom, and six assistants attached to it. Yet, when the nursery plate had to be sent to Windsor, these gorgeous functionaries, with their staff of porters, horses, grooms, and carts, could not condescend to convey it. It was trusted to a common carrier, who unhappily, when on his way, stopped at a public-house for refreshment. He and his men were "only absent for five minutes," but in that time a light spring cart had driven up to the carrier's waggon, and when it drove away, the box containing the Royal nursery plate had vanished. The plate chest was found in Bonner's Fields containing everything but the bullion. packing, which latter consisted of women's dresses, were found, but the plate was never traced.

The knife-blades and

1856.]

THE REVIEW AT SPITHEAD.

693

at Spithead was reviewed. The spectacle was one of surpassing magnificence, and upwards of 100,000 persons witnessed it, crowding every spot from which a view could be obtained between Fort Monckton and Southsea Castle. Solent was alive with yachts and craft of all kinds, decked with bunting, which

The

fluttered gaily in the light breeze. The Queen's yacht left Portsmouth Harbour at noon, steamed down and returned through the double line of war-ships. As the yacht rounded the Royal George and Duke of Wellington they opened a Royal salute, and their yards were suddenly manned, as if by magic, with seamen, each trying to cheer louder than his comrade. This manoeuvre was repeated in succession by every ship in the fleet, and the effect was imposing and impressive.

A mimic attack on Southsea Castle followed, and at night