footing. To bring the
Chinese Emperor, himself, to terms, Sir Henry Pottinger, the new British
plenipotentiary, sailed northward, and appeared before the seaport of Amoy,
nominally at peace with England. The Viceroy of Amoy sent a flag of truce
to demand what was wanted. He was called upon to surrender the town. This
he refused to do. The British ships at once engaged the land batteries, and
landing parties were sent around the rear. The Chinese gunners were driven
from their pieces, but several of their officers committed suicide. The
commandant of the chief fort drowned himself in the face of both armies.
The capture of Amoy remained barren of useful results. The British fleet
proceeded northward until scattered by a hurricane in the Channel of
Formosa. Coming together off Ningpo, the fleet attacked Chusan for the
second time. Spirited resistance was offered by the Chinese. In the
defence of the capital city Tinghai, Keo, the Chinese general-in-chief, was
killed. All his officers fell with him. Leaving a garrison at Chusan, the
British attacked Chinhai on the mainland. Here the Chinese suffered their
heaviest losses. After this victory the city of Ningpo was occupied without
opposition. The inhabitants shut themselves up and wrote on their doors:
"Submissive people." Nevertheless, Ningpo was put to ransom, under threats
of immediate pillage. More British troops and warships were arriving to
carry the war to the bitter end, when news arrived of disastrous events in
Afghanistan. Troops had to be diverted in that direction, and a more
definite settlement of the Chinese question was accordingly postponed.

[Sidenote: Corn Law agitation]

[Sidenote: Richard Cobden]

[Sidenote: Defeat of Melbourne's Ministry]

[Sidenote: Parliamentary precedents defied]

[Sidenote: Adverse elections]

[Sidenote: Peel, Prime Minister]

The attention of Englishmen at home was all but engrossed by domestic
topics. In Parliament, the opposition found its strongest issue in the long
demanded reform of the Corn Laws. Various circumstances, such as increase
of population and bad harvests, contributed to bring this issue to the
front. The retaliatory tariffs adopted by America, Russia, France, Sweden
and the German Zollverein had their serious effect on British trade. The
resulting financial depression engendered discontent. It was at this time
that Richard Cobden came into prominence with his free trade views. Then
began the great struggle