f surrender was given; the attack led, not to a battle,
but to a massacre. The whole fleet was destroyed, with an unsparing
barbarity and a vindictive bloodthirstiness that must leave a stain for
ever upon the pages of Russian history.

War continued to roll along the Bulgarian and Wallachian frontiers
to the close of the year; the Turks displaying undaunted heroism, and
surpassing the Russians in nearly every soldierly quality, so that the
Russian armies lost by battles and marches 35,000 men, exclusive of the
sick and wounded.

Prodigious efforts were made by the Russian emperor and the nation. The
people contributed voluntarily 150 millions of silver rubles for the
expenses of the war between the date of Omar Pasha's crossing the Danube
to the end of the year. Of this vast sum the clergy contributed nearly
one-half. All Russia was wrought up to a pitch of fanatical enthusiasm
for the war, and every heart burned with ambition to see the Greek cross
upon the dome of St. Sophia.

Tidings of the massacre of Sinope flew through Europe, and every man out
of Russia, Austria, and the countries inhabited by Greeks, perused the
harrowing story with indignation and disgust. In England and France the
popular feeling against the tardiness of their governments rose high.
The English ministry never regained the confidence of the public. The
Earl of Aberdeen, Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Sidney Herbert, and the Duke
of Newcastle, were known to be the members of the cabinet chiefly
accountable for the policy of respect and timidity towards Russia, which
had caused the British nation to take so tame and unworthy a part.
The diplomatists continued to lose time by tedious and worthless
negotiations, giving Russia the advantage of calling forth and
organizing her resources, and fomenting by her agents sedition and
insurrection among the Greek subjects of the Porte.

Little was effected by the hostile powers upon the theatre of Asia
after the declaration of war during that year, but the clangour of arms
resounded on the shores of the Black Sea, and along the confines of the
two great empires.

PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY.

On the 10th of February parliament assembled. The usual fencing occurred
between the leaders of parties. Lord Derby was fiery and impetuous,
Lord Aberdeen reserved and pragmatical. Law reform first engaged
the attention of the peers. The lord chancellor did not possess the
confidence of the house, either as to his capacity