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any other colony. Melbourne, its capital, is probably the most extraordinary example of rapid city growth in the history of the world. Where there was in 1835 merely a group of squatters' tents, there is now a city with 200,000 inhabitants, a university, active commerce, and the reputation of being the greatest seaport south of the equator. Victoria was constituted a separate colony in 1856, and Queensland in 1859.

Before the project of the International Exhibition took a definite shape, Sir Robert Peel, earnest in his promotion of that and every other public good, died from the results of a fall from his horse (July 2, 1850). Not very long afterwards, Arthur, Duke of Wellington, expired at Walmer Castle, the residence of the Wardens of the Cinque Ports-one of the many offices he then held (Sept. 14, 1852). Laid on a car of triumphal bronze, "the gaunt figure of the old field-marshal" was borne with the wail of trumpets and the sad reverence of many million hearts to lie beside Horatio Nelson under the pavement of St. Paul's.

The Russell ministry was considerably weakened in 1851 by the opposition which its Ecclesiastical Titles Bill provoked. The Pope had divided England into Roman Catholic sees, and had appointed Cardinal Wiseman "Archbishop of Westminster." The bill, which was passed with great difficulty, prohibited the assumption of territorial titles by English priests under a penalty. of £100. It was never acted on, and was repealed in 1871.

In December 1851 Lord Palmerston had been summarily dismissed from his office as Foreign Secretary because he had signified his approval of Louis Napoleon's coup d'état in Paris ; and he now retaliated by overthrowing the government. Early in 1852 the ministry was defeated on a Militia Bill, and resigned. The Earl of Derby then formed a Con- 1852 servative ministry, in which Mr. Benjamin Disraeli (afterwards Lord Beaconsfield) was Chancellor of the Exchequer and leader of the House of Commons.

The governor

A second Burmese war broke out in 1852. of Rangoon having ill-treated the commanders of two British vessels, Commodore Lambert was sent by the Indian government to demand compensation. He was met with an insulting refusal. Lord Dalhousie's moderate request for an apology and compensation being then rejected, war began. General Godwin sailed to the Delta of Pegu, and there, with a few warsteamers, took the town of Martaban. The White House stockade of Rangoon was stormed on the 12th of April; and after a sharp bombardment the chief defence of the city, the Shoa Dagon Pagoda, fell before a rush of infantry-April 16th. The 19th of May saw Bassein, ninety miles up the river, in British hands. But these opera

1852

tions on and near the sea did not touch the heart of Burmah. When Prome fell (Oct. 9) a serious blow was struck, and the Burmese put forth all their strength to recover that important place; but Major Hill held out until such relief arrived from Rangoon as secured the prize. The result of this war was the annexation of Pegu* (Dec. 20).

Before the year closed, the Derby ministry collapsed. As the support given to it in the House of Commons was manifestly declining, Lord Derby had recourse to a dissolution of Parliament (July). The new House of Commons assembled in November; but although the government had abandoned protection, it failed to secure a majority. It was defeated on the Budget proposals, and resigned in December. Lord Aberdeen then formed a coalition ministry, consisting of Whigs and Peelites, and including Lord John Russell, Lord Palmerston, and Mr. Gladstone. The new ministry was pledged to a freetrade policy, and the further development of Peel's principles of finance.

Pegu, formerly an independent state, and when we took it a province of Burmah, is formed by the lower part of the basin of the Irrawaddy, and lies between the Saluen and the mountains of Aracan.

CHAPTER XX.

THE CRIMEAN WAR AND THE INDIAN MUTINY.

The Eastern Question-Sinope-Silistria-The Crimea-The Alma-Balaklava - Inkermann-A terrible winter-The Palmerston ministryKertch-The Tchernaya-Final assault-The treaty of Paris-War with Persia-Annexation in India-The Mutiny-The siege of DelhiRelief of Lucknow-Chinese War-Second Derby ministry-Extinction of the East India Company-Admission of Jews to Parliament.

WHA

HAT is called "the Eastern Question" has oftener than once during this century broken the peace of Europe. The Eastern Question, it has been wittily said by an English statesman, is, "Who shall have Constantinople?" For upwards of four centuries that city has been held by the Turks. Though the Turks are an alien race in Europe, and one with which the other European nations have little sympathy, the great powers are willing that they should hold Constantinople, rather than that it should fall into the hands of any European state. For years it has been the dream of Russian statesmen to extend the empire of the czars to the Bosporus. With that view quarrels have been picked and fomented, and bloody wars have been waged, over very trifling matters. On the present occasion the cause of dispute was found in a paltry difference between certain Greek and certain Latin monks as to the custody of the "holy places" at Jerusalem. The czar made this an excuse for claiming protection over all members of the Greek Church within the Turkish dominions. Turkey rejected the demand. Suddenly Russia pushed her troops across the Pruth

into Moldavia, which with its neighbouring principality Wallachia she wished to hold as "a material guarantee 1853 that her demand would be conceded (July 2, 1853).

This step led Turkey to declare war (Oct. 5). Some weeks later, a British fleet entered the Bosporus; for Britain and France had resolved to interfere on the part of Turkey, desirous both of succouring the oppressed and of preserving the balance of power. That desire was sharpened into resolve by the massacre of Sinope,* where on the 30th of November a Russian squadron destroyed some Turkish frigates and slew two thousand men. Though anxious to the last to bring the rupture to a peaceful close, the allies nevertheless thought it

well to prepare for emergencies by sending their united 1854 fleets into the Black Sea (Jan. 4). War was declared against Russia by France and Great Britain on the

28th of March 1854. Between the declaration of war and the landing of our troops on the Crimean shore nearly six months elapsed. The April 22. first operation of the war was the bombardment of Odessa,† whose batteries opened fire upon a British boat proceeding under a flag of truce to carry off the consul. For this flagrant outrage the city suffered severely under the guns of twelve war-steamers. Although the British took no

direct part in the war upon the Danube, the siege of Silistria is memorable for the heroic part taken in its defence by two young Anglo-Indian officers, going home on leave--Captain Butler and Lieutenant Nasmyth. Owing mainly to their efforts, the Russians were forced to abandon the siege. The Crimea was the chief theatre of the war. An army of fifty-one thousand men, under Marshal St. Arnaud and Lord

* Sinope, a town of Asia Minor on the southern shore of the Black Sea, three hundred and fifty miles east of Constantinople.

↑ Odessa, a commercial seaport in the north-west angle of the Black Sea, one hundred and twenty-five miles north-east of the Sulina mouth of the Danube.

Silistria, a fortified city in Bulgaria, on the southern bank of the Danube. Its siege lasted from May 17th till June 15th.

Raglan, landed at Eupatoria* on the 14th of September. As they pressed southward, they found fifty thousand Russians under Prince Menchikoff lining the steep slopes on the left bank of the Alma. The battle was confined to infantry and artillery. In three hours the passage of the river was forced; the southern heights were scaled; and

the Russians fell back

Sept. 20,

1854

[graphic]

on Sebastopol,

great stronghold.

their
The

allies then took up a position on the south of that city. Behind the British army, some six miles distant, was the port of Balaklava, where lay their ships and stores. On the 17th of October, the city was bombarded by land and sea. the Russians had made good use of their time, and the works, strong before, were now almost impregnable.

But

A Russian attack on the British lines at

Balaklava on October

25th was nobly repulsed.

General Liprandi, with

thirty thousand men, fell suddenly on the few troops Oct. 25. whom the needs of the great siege had permitted the English commander to leave for the defence of his base of operations. Forcing the redoubts, which the Turks were

*Eupatoria, a Russian seaport on the west coast of the Crimea, fifty miles north of Sebastopol.

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