soldier; and those who remember what military costume was
in 1843, will admit that there was room for improvement. Changes were
made indeed, but these changes can hardly be said to have been made in
the direction of either comfort, convenience, or good taste. The "Albert
hat" (as it was called), one of the ugliest, most ungainly, and
preposterous of military shakoes that was ever invented, made its
appearance about this time, and the idea was credited (rightly or
wrongly) to the amiable prince. Constant reference to this preposterous
invention is made in the pages of _Punch_, and the prince's questionable
taste in the matter of military costume is specially satirized in
Leech's amusing cartoon entitled _Prince Albert's Studio_.

Mr. O'Connell, at a great Repeal meeting held in September, 1843, had
expressed a hope that he should be able to give his dupes "as a new
year's gift a parliament on College Green." No one knew better than
himself the absurdity of such a promise. Had he named the first of April
for the presentation instead of the first of January, it would have been
more appropriate, and at least equally veracious. A great Repeal meeting
was intended to be held in October at Clontarf, three miles from Dublin,
at which certain supporters of the movement were to have attended on
horseback and paraded in the character of the "Repeal Cavalry." This
meeting the Irish executive prohibited by proclamation, and on the 14th,
O'Connell and other prominent leaders were arrested, and held to bail on
a charge of conspiracy. On the 24th of May, 1844, the Irish judges
sentenced him to twelve months' imprisonment, and a fine of L2,000. The
cartoon of _The Probable Effects of Good Living and no Exercise_ refers
to this result; but _Punch_ on this occasion was wrong. O'Connell proved
"too many" for the Irish lawyers. He appealed by writ of error to the
Lords, and on the 4th of September the judgment was reversed.[139] Sir
James Graham, the Home Secretary, and the government to which he
belonged, had encountered much odium in consequence of the opening of
certain letters which had passed through the post office. The result was
the appointment of a Committee of Secrecy by both Houses to inquire into
the official practice, and it would appear from their report that every
administration had been in the habit of exercising this espionage under
the authority of a warrant of the Secretary of State. The sins of the
past as well as of the