ueen sent for Lord Lansdowne, by whom she was advised to send for
Lord Aberdeen, as the most prominent member of the Peel party, upon whom
it would properly devolve to form a government, as that of Lord Derby
was defeated on a question of political economy and finance.

On the 27th of December the new government appeared before parliament.
Its constitution was as follows:--

_In the Cabinet_

First Lord of the Treasury...... Earl of Aberdeen.

Lord-Chancellor ............... Lord Cranworth.

Chancellor of the Exchequer...... Mr. Gladstone.

President of the Council........ Earl Granville.

Privy Seal....................... Duke of Argyle.

Home Secretary ................ Viscount Palmerston.

Foreign Secretary................ Lord John Russell.

Colonial Secretary ............ Duke of Newcastle.

First Lord of the Admiralty .... Sir James Graham.

President of the Board of Control Sir Charles Wood

Secretary at War................. Mr. Sidney Herbert.

Commissioner of Works/Buildings Sir W. Molesworth.

Honorary.........,.............. Marquis of Lansdowne.

On meeting parliament, an adjournment until February was approved by all
parties.

The government was not popular: few of the positions were occupied by
those whom the country regarded as the men for the place. The premier
had, as foreign minister, neglected the honour of England more than Lord
Malmesbury had done. He had been outwitted by Louis Philippe, and
had been the sycophant of Russia and Austria. He was, to use his own
phraseology, "regarded as a sort of Austro-Russian." His sympathy with
Puseyism made him unpopular with large and influential sections of the
religious public. Indeed the Aberdeen cabinet was regarded as, on the
whole, more Puseyite than any which England had seen since the rise of
the party in the established church. The Duke of Newcastle, to whom the
administration of colonial affairs was entrusted, was of the Puseyite
school, and his appointment, when known in the colonies, gave great
dissatisfaction. The chancellor of the exchequer was more a champion of
ecclesiastical exclusiveness than any member of the Derby cabinet, and
Mr. Sidney Herbert rivalled Mr. Gladstone in this respect. The Lord
Chancellor was also of this politico-ecclesiastical party, and was
regarded as a crotchetty man, of little