stern dominions and marvellous commercial prosperity, aided
France in her efforts to induce the sultan to comply with her requests.
The policy of England on this subject was still in the ascendant at
Constantinople when the session of the British parliament rose in 1859.

Electric communication between England and France formed another subject
of difference. The French government was anxious, for its own political
purposes, to give exclusive advantages to a particular company; the
English government communicated its wish to throw open to competition
such undertakings. France pretended acquiescence at one time and
indifference at another, but at length, in harmony with the emperor's
usual mode of acting, he suddenly granted a thirty years' monopoly to
the company which, for the reasons referred to, he all along secretly or
openly favoured. During the latter part of 1859, the British government
made efforts to induce that of France to slacken the restrictive
commercial system which it had favoured. At a later period, a treaty was
made with such object, through the intervention of Lord Cowley and Mr.
Cobden on the part of England.

A war broke out between Morocco and Spain, which England used great
exertions to prevent, but which France not only encouraged but
instigated. The British government protested against Spain conquering
territory, and occupying strongholds on the African coasts opposite to
Gibraltar. So far as France was concerned in this war she betrayed a
desire that Spain should do what England was interested in preventing;
the French knowing that they could, from their own conquests in Africa,
drive out the Spaniards when they pleased, while the two nations united
in holding positions of strength in Africa, might countervail the power
in the Mediterranean which England derived from Gibraltar.

On the 12th of January an attempt was made to assassinate the Emperor of
the French, while in his carriage proceeding to the opera. The plot was
concocted by an Italian refugee, named Orsini, who was aided by
others, especially three Italians, named Rudio, Pierri, and Gomez. The
instruments of murder were shells, so made as to be thrown by the hand,
and detonate when coming in contact with any hard substance. These
shells had been manufactured in Birmingham, where Orsini, and some of
his companions, had temporarily resided. This circumstance inflamed
the mind of the French emperor and the French army against England.
T