xpressed satisfaction that civil war had absolutely
terminated in Portugal. He rejoiced, he said, that the state of affairs
in the Peninsula had induced him to conclude with the King of France,
the Queen Regent of Spain, and the Regent of Portugal that quadripartite
treaty, which had materially contributed to produce so happy a result.
Events, however, had since occurred in Spain, to disappoint for a time
those hopes of tranquillity, which the pacification of Portugal
had inspired. In his speech his majesty alluded to the numerous and
important questions that had engaged, and would still engage the
attention of parliament.

DISSOLUTION OF THE CABINET.

Before parliament was prorogued the weakness and vacillation of
the ministry had been very apparent. From the moment of Earl Grey's
resignation, indeed, the want of intrinsic power had rendered them
dependent on O'Connell and his faction. And this very support was
vouchsafed to them in such a way as tended to bring their government
still more into contempt: while the Irish demagogues supported them,
they expressed the utmost contempt for them. Thus, in the month of
October, O'Connell wrote a series of letters to Lord Duncannon, in which
every species of abuse was heaped upon the ministry and the Whigs.

Another circumstance which contributed to lower the reputation of the
ministry was the hostility evinced to them by the public press. There
was scarcely a daily newspaper, except the _Morning Chronicle_, which
did not occasionally express contempt for them; and as for the _Times_,
its columns perpetually exposed their feebleness and incapacity to
carry on government on any fixed set of principles. The conduct of Lord
Brougham also tended to bring his colleagues into contempt. During
the autumn he traversed different parts of Scotland, making speeches
wherever hearers were to be found, in which at one time he would go the
utmost lengths of ultra-radicalism, and at another, would speak in such
a way as would have induced the Conservatives to hail him as their own.
The dissolution of the ministry, however, was especially aided by the
death of Earl Spencer, which took place on the 10th of November. As that
event moved Lord Althorp to the house of lords, it was requisite to
find a new chancellor of the exchequer, and a new leader of the house of
commons.

On the 14th of November Lord Melbourne waited on the king at Brighton,
to submit to his majesty the changes in off