. . The Paper-duties Bill rejected Lord Palmerston's Resolutions 167 Repeal of the Paper Duties 180 . 222 . Mr. Gladstone on Parliamen- tary Reform Garibaldi's Visit to England. 250 The Union-chargeability Bill. 255 Reduction of the Franchise 257 Preparation for a General Elec. 269 The Condition of the Country 270 . . PAGE Treaty with Austria 274 Earl Grosvenor's Amendment 281 Resignation of the Ministry. 285 Mr. Bright's Speech at Bir- 316 Fenian Attempt at the Clerken- Mr. Gladstone's Resolutions. 338 Gladstone's first Resolution 343 the Bill THE GLADSTONE MINISTRY. PAGE . 396 The Franco-German War. 397 English sympathy with France 397 The Crimean question re- opened 397 Opening of the Session of 1871 398 • The Battle of Dorking' 399 Bill for the Abolition of Pur: Bill passed by House of Lords 402 The Ecclesiastical Titles Bill 402 Illness of the Prince of Wales 406 Great anxiety of the nation. 407 Opening of the Session of 1872 409 Appointment of Arbitrators . 415 . . . Tractarianism *Scripture Difficulties' Progress of the Nation PAGE 428 . PAGE Mr. Gladstone retains office. 422 The Judicature Bill passed 423 Changes in the Cabinet 424 Financial operations of the Government 424 The Tichborne Trial 425 Dissolution of Parliament 425 Conservativegains in the Elec- tion 426 The Conservative victory ex- plained. 427 Resignation of Mr. Gladstone 428 430 431 432 434 435 437 440 A HISTORY OF ENGLAND, ETC. CHAPTER I. SEBASTOPOL. We are now entering on a period which presents some very marked contrasts with those that preceded it. The prospect of a great European war turned men's thoughts from those important organic changes which had so strongly stirred their minds; and, after the close of the war, those changes were regarded by them in a different light. They were still as resolved to obtain the franchise as they had been in the palmiest days of the charter, and they possessed much greater power of enforcing their claim to it. But they sought it less eagerly, because they rightly felt that social and moral changes which were within their reach were more needed, and more likely to benefit them than political changes. And though the majority of the upper and middle classes still opposed such an extension of the franchise as the working classes demanded, they no longer dreaded them as the precursors of a revolutionary deluge. If, therefore, the extension of the franchise was less eagerly pressed, it was also less vehemently resisted. More or less closely connected with these changes in public feeling were the changes wbich were taking place in the legislature. The House of Lords had now tacitly accepted that place in the constitution which the victory of the people had assigned to it. It no longer arrogated to itself a legislative authority coördinate with that possessed by the representatives of the nation; and the Commons, on the understanding that they should enjoy an unquestioned superiority of real power, were quite willing that tho Peers should retain their superiority in dignity and pre VOL. III. B |