salaries of officials whom they had censured, but whom the Executive
had retained in their posts. Mr Papineau, who had been Speaker of
the Assembly, was leader in the popular movement. Lord Gosford, the
Governor of Lower Canada, dismissed some Militia officers who had
taken part in political demonstrations, and warrants were issued for
the apprehension of certain members of the Assembly, on the charge
of high treason: within a short time the discontented party broke out
into rebellion. The course which events would take in Upper Canada
was for a time doubtful. Sir Francis Head, the Governor, placed his
regular troops at the service of Lord Gosford, preferring to rely on
the militia. This unusual action was successful, but was not approved
by the Colonial Office. The state of affairs became very alarming at
the close of the year, when it was announced in Parliament that Lord
Gosford had resigned and that Sir John Colborne (afterwards Lord
Seaton) had been appointed to succeed him.

In France the confederates of Louis Napoleon in the Strasburg outbreak
were tried and acquitted; a treaty was concluded at Tafna with
Abd-el-Kader, but negotiations for a similar agreement with Achmet Bey
were less successful, and operations were continued against Constantin
with successful results, the town being carried by an assault on 13th
October, with some loss of officers and men on the French side.

Affairs continued unsettled in the Peninsula. In Spain General Evans
was defeated near San Sebastian, but afterwards, in conjunction with
Lord John Hay, captured Irun, the frontier town. Don Carlos
meanwhile marched on Madrid, but was encountered by Espartero,
Commander-in-Chief of the Christinos, who was Prime Minister for a
brief period during the year. The British legion was dissolved, and
Evans returned to England.

In Portugal the English were becoming unpopular for their supposed
intervention: Ferdinand, the Queen's consort, who was naturally
believed to be in harmony with the British Cabinet, acted tactlessly
in accepting the Commandership-in-Chief, and internal hostilities
continued throughout the year.

In Hanover a reactionary step was taken by King Ernest, who had
succeeded his brother, William IV. of England, on the throne of
Hanover; by letters patent he abrogated the Constitution of 1833, an
action which, imperfect and open to criticism though the Constitution
was, naturally aroused anxiety among the supporters of repres