f.

The total income of the national exchequer, when the accounts were
made out in 1858, was a little more than sixty-eight millions. The
expenditure amounted to nearly two and a half millions more.

PARLIAMENTARY AND POLITICAL.

On the 4th of February, 1858, the business of parliament began. The
life of the French emperor having been attempted by an assassin, who
had resided as a refugee in England (as recorded under the head of
our relations with France), the government brought in a bill to bring
refugees more stringently under the cognizance of the executive. The
spirit of the measure was to conciliate France, and gratify the French
emperor. This was distasteful to the nation; for the French press, and
the French army, with the connivance, and even at the instigation of the
French government, abused and menaced England, in a manner such as no
great nation before had endured from another in time of peace. The
bill of Lord Palmerston was supported by the whole strength of the tory
opposition. The independent Liberals, however, made so determined an
opposition to the measure, and to the whole policy of the government in
truckling to France, that the tory party resolved to make that hostility
available to overthrow the government. It appeared that an insulting
despatch had been sent by Count Walewski, the French minister, to the
English minister for foreign affairs. To this despatch no reply was
returned, whereas the house of commons and the country considered that a
reply, prompt and indignant, should have been given. Mr. Milner Gibson,
then especially hostile to the Palmerston government, moved what was
tantamount to a vote of censure, on the ground of the silence of the
cabinet under the singularly offensive despatch of the French minister.
The combination of independent Liberals and Tories, upon this motion,
threw out the government.

Lord Derby was sent for by her majesty, and empowered to form a
ministry. The new cabinet was thus composed:--

First Lord of the Treasury....... Earl of Derby.

Lord-Chancellor.................. Lord Chelmsford.

President of the Council......... Marquis of Salisbury.

Lord Privy Seal.................. Earl of Hardwicke.

Home Secretary................... Mr. Spencer Walpole.

Foreign Secretary................ Earl of Malmesbury.

Colonial Secretary............... Lord Stanley.

Secretary at War................. General Peel.