osa, and Latakia were evacuated by their
Egyptian garrisons, St. Jean d'Acre was next captured, and the Egyptian
garrisons in Caiffa and Jaffa immediately evacuated those places; and
while they were endeavouring to force for themselves a passage through
Palestine into Egypt, were taken prisoners of war. The Syrian tribes,
which had hitherto been in the interest of the Pasha of Egypt, now
declared in favour of the Sultan, and on the 19th of November the
Seraskier was informed that the garrison and inhabitants of Jerusalem
had returned to their allegiance to the Porte. About this time
negociations were commenced between Commodore Napier and the Pasha of
Egypt, but the year closed before a convention was ratified. In Holland,
this year was signalized by the abdication of its monarch, William I.
In the month of October he voluntarily laid down the crown, and was
succeeded by his eldest son, the Prince of Orange, who ascended the
throne by the title of William II. In Prussia there was also a change
in the monarchy: Frederick William III. expired at Berlin on the 7th of
June, and he was succeeded by his son Frederic William IV.

CHAPTER LII.

{VICTORIA. 1841--1842}

Meeting of Parliament..... Poor-law Amendment Act.....
Jews' Civil Disabilities Removal Bill..... Church of
Scotland; Non-intrusion Question, &c...... Law Reform.....
Financial Statements..... Discussion on the Corn-laws.....
Resolution of Want of Confidence in the Government.....
Prorogation and Dissolution of Parliament..... State of
Parties..... Meeting of the new House of Commons,
&c...... Resignation of Ministers..... Sir Robert Peel's
Administration..... Statement of Sir Robert Peel as to his
intended Course of Proceeding-, &c...... Financial
Statement..... Poor-laws, &c...... East India Affairs.....
State of the Continent.

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

{A.D. 1841}

Parliament was opened by her majesty in person, on the 26th of January.
Her majesty's speech chiefly referred to the posture of affairs in the
Levant and China, and to serious differences which had arisen between
Spain and Portugal about the execution of a treaty concluded by those
powers in 1835, for regulating the navigation of the Douro.

On the 4th of February the Earl of Minto moved the thanks of the house
to Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, G.C.B., and the officers and men under
his command in the late oper