ashing _sabreur_ of the British
army, the heroic soldier whose surpassing courage at the head of the
British cavalry at Waterloo shone conspicuous. Death, during the year,
reaped his full harvest from men of literature, science, and art, and
from among the greatly good: he was not satisfied with the dark wreaths
he gathered over so many battle-fields, he spared not for this the homes
of England, but threw his cold shadow over the sanctuary of piety and
the abode of genius.

CHAPTER LXVII.

{VICTORIA. 1855}

Home Affairs..... State of Public Opinion..... Death of the
Czar..... Severity of the Weather..... Visits of the French
Emperor, the King of the Belgians, and the King of Sardinia
to her Majesty..... Visit of her Majesty to the Emperor of
the French..... Distribution of Crimean Medals by the
Queen..... Ireland..... Parliamentary, Diplomatic, and
Ministerial Conflicts and Changes..... The Progress of the
Russian War..... Events in the Crimea, Asia Minor, the
Baltic, the White Sea, and the Pacific Ocean..... General
Prosperity and loyalty of the Colonies..... State of
India..... Annexation of Oude.

HOME AFFAIRS--PUBLIC OPINION, AGITATION OF PEOPLE AND PARLIAMENT.

{A.D. 1855}

The state of the country at the opening of the year was very peculiar.
The whole population of the British Isles was deeply moved by the
tidings which had arrived of the sufferings of their brethren and fellow
countrymen in the Crimea. It was humiliating to the country to learn
that an army within seven miles of the sea, with the most splendid
fleets and transports at its service, was perishing from want of food
and fuel because the abounding stores, wasting and rotting on
the sea-shore, could not be conveyed to the camp. All political
considerations were lost sight of in the universal desire to get rid of
a cabinet so utterly incompetent to direct the affairs of the country.
With some of the members of the cabinet there was general satisfaction;
Lords Palmerston and Clarendon were popular, and Lord John Russell at
that time shared the public favour which he was so soon destined to
lose. It was against the Peelite section of the ministry, and more
especially its chief, that the universal indignation arose. This led to
the defeat and resignation of the Aberdeen cabinet; the circumstances
which attended that result will be related when noticing the
parliamentary v