local
Militia, Lord Palmerston preferring the consolidation of the regular
Militia. A Ministry was formed by Lord Derby (formerly Lord Stanley)
from the Protectionist Party, but no definite statement could be
elicited as to their intention, or the reverse, to re-impose a duty on
foreign corn. Mr Disraeli, who became Chancellor of the Exchequer, and
was the mainspring of the Government policy, showed great dexterity in
his management of the House of Commons without a majority, and carried
a Militia Bill in the teeth of Lord John Russell; but a plan of
partial redistribution failed. The elections held in the summer did
not materially improve the Ministerial position, and, on the meeting
of Parliament in the autumn, the Fiscal Question had to be squarely
faced. After much wrangling, Protection was finally abandoned, and the
Government saved for the moment, but on their House-tax proposals they
were defeated, after an impassioned debate, by a coalition of Whigs,
Peelites, and Radicals, from whom Lord Lansdowne and Lord Aberdeen
(and finally the latter alone) were called upon to construct a
strong representative Government. The Duke of Wellington had died in
September, and his funeral was the signal for an outburst of national
feeling. During the year the Houses of Parliament designed by Sir
Charles Barry, though not absolutely completed, were formally opened
by the Queen; the new House of Lords had already been in use.

In France, the first result of the _coup d'etat_ was Louis Bonaparte's
election as President for ten years by an immense majority; late
in the year he assumed the Imperial title as Napoleon III., and the
Empire was formally recognised by the majority of the Powers; the
Emperor designed to add to his prestige by contracting a matrimonial
alliance with Princess Adelaide of Hohenlohe. In the East of Europe a
dispute had commenced between France and Russia about the Holy Places
in Palestine. Simultaneously with the death of the Duke of Wellington,
the era of European peace was destined to come to an end, and
Nicholas, encouraged by the advent to power of Aberdeen (whom he
had met in 1844, and with whom he had frankly discussed European
politics), was hoping for the consummation of his scheme for the
partition of Turkey.

To Great Britain the year was a memorable one, in consequence of the
granting of a Constitution to New Zealand.

CHAPTER XXI

1852

[Pageheading: ENGLAND AND DENMARK]

_Queen