colleagues in retaining office. Sir Robert
Peel briefly replied; and on a division the motion was carried by a
majority of three hundred and twelve against three hundred and eleven.
After this division, Lord John Russell announced that he would state
on the following Monday the course which the government should resolve
under existing circumstances to pursue.

PROROGATION AND DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT.

At the meeting of the house on the following Monday, after moving the
order of the day for the committee of supply, Lord John Russell said
that he and his colleagues had come to the determination not to bring
on the alteration of the corn-laws as a government measure. He further
stated that, after the late division, he felt that tire government could
expect no further majorities in the house of commons, and that they
would not make any further struggle for the retention of their offices
until the opinion of the nation had been ascertained. A desultory
conversation followed, in which his lordship expressly declared that the
intentions of government were to advise that no time should be lost in
dissolving the present Parliament, and that a new one should be summoned
without delay. Subsequently the house resolved itself into a committee
of supply; and the estimates were voted without opposition. The session
was now virtually at an end, although the condemned parliament lingered
on for about a fortnight after the ministerial announcement of a
dissolution. In the course of that period Lord John Russell announced
many bills, in more or less advanced stages, as abandoned; but he still
sought to carry the bill for the better administration of justice. This
bill, however, was opposed by Sir E. Sugden, who moved that it should
not come into operation till the 10th day of October. This motion was
carried; and Lord John Russell then declared his determination to throw
up the bill altogether. It thus fell to the ground; but it was revived
in the next session, and then passed into a law. After this discussion
nothing worthy of note occurred; and on the 22nd of June, parliament
was prorogued by the queen in person, after having previously given her
assent to the appropriation and other bills. The lord-chancellor then
declared parliament to be prorogued to Tuesday, the 29th of June; and
on the following day the queen's proclamation was issued, by which the
parliament thus prorogued was declared to be dissolved; and writs for a
ne