1831, March 31. Lord John Russell introduced his reform bill. It soon became apparent that there was no prospect of passing Apr. 22. the bill, and parliament was dissolved.

June 14.

Second (10th imperial) parliament of William IV. The reform bill again introduced; passed the commons Sept. 21, but was thrown out by the lords, and riots ensued throughout the country.

1832, Mar. 19. The reform bill, with some alterations, was again passed by the commons. In the lords an amendment was carried against ministers, who resigned May 7, but resumed office May 18, the king having consented to create a sufficient number of new peers to secure the passage of the bill; but this proved unnecessary, as many tory peers refrained from voting, and the bill received the royal assent June 7.

1832. By this, the First Reform Act, 143 boroughs lost one or both members, and the seats thus obtained were given to several large towns (Manchester, Birmingham, etc.), to the larger counties, and to new boroughs. At the same time the franchise was extended. The Scotch reform act, July 17; the Irish reform act, Aug. 7. 1833, Jan. 29. Third (11th imperial) parliament of William IV. Apr. 2. The Irish coercion act.

1833.

In August the bill for the abolition of slavery throughout the British empire was passed. The sum of 20,000,000l. was voted to the slave-owners.

Renewal of the charter of the Bank of England; and of the East India Company for twenty years, but the trade with China was thrown open (p. 561).

1834. The question of an extension of the Irish coercion act led to the resignation of earl Grey.

1834, July 16-Nov. 14. Lord Melbourne became premier. Lord Althorp, lord John Russell, and lord Brougham retained their places.

1834.

Poor law amendment act. Local boards abolished in favor Aug. of a central board of commissioners. Poor law unions took the place of work-houses, and the system of out-door relief was in a great measure reformed.

Nov.

The king dismissed the ministry, and the duke of Wellington took control of affairs until sir Robert Peel could be summoned from Rome.

1834, Dec. 8-1835, Apr. 18. Peel's first administration. (Wellington, foreign secretary.) The majority in the commons 1834, Dec. 30. was against ministers, parliament was dissolved, and Peel issued the Tamworth manifesto.

1835, Feb. 19. Fourth (12th imperial) parliament of William

IV. The conservatives, as the supporters of Peel termed themApr. selves, being in a minority in the commons, ministers resigned. 1835, Apr. 18-1841, Sept. 3. Second Melbourne ministry.

Palmerston, foreign secretary (b. 1784; M. P. 1807; † Oct. 18, 1865); lord John Russell, home secretary; viscount Howick, secretary of war, succeeded in 1839 by T. B. Macaulay (b. 1800; M. P. 1830; raised to the peerage 1857; † 1859).

1835, Sept. Reform of municipal corporations act, London not

included.

1836. Commutation of tithes act.

1837, June 20. Death of William IV.

The British in India.

1786-1793. Lord Cornwallis, governor-general.

1792. War with Tipú Sultán, ended by the cession of one half of Mysore to the English and allies.

1793.

Capture of Pondicherri, sir John Shore (afterwards lord Teignmouth), governor-general, succeeded by

1798-1805. lord Mornington (afterwards marquis of Wellesley). 1799. Tipu Sultan, trusting in the promises of Bonaparte, again took up arms, was killed, and his dominions were divided between the English and the Nizám.

1802. Holkar, one of the Mahrattá chiefs, drove the Peshwa from Poona. By the treaty of Bassein the English agreed to assist the Peshwa provided he would surrender his independence, and maintain a body of European troops (the subsidiary policy). Sindhia and the Raja of Nagpur united with Holkar against the English. The latter under sir Arthur Wellesley (afterwards duke of Wellington), brother of the governor-general, 1803. gained the battles of Assaye, Sept. 3, and Argaum, Nov. 29, while another army under general (afterwards lord) Lake won the battle of Laswari, Nov. 1, and captured Delhi. The Raja of Nagpur and Sindhia, by treaties, surrendered much 1804. territory to the English. In the next year Holkar was defeated by Lake at Furrukabad, and again near Bhartpur 1805, and made peace with the English 1806, Jan. 7.

1805, July-Oct. Lord Cornwallis again governor-general; † Oct. ; and was succeeded by

1805-1807. sir G. Barlow.

1806. Mutiny of the Sepoys at Vellore. 1807-1813. Lord Minto, governor-general.

1809. Mutiny of the European officers at Seringapatam.

1813-1823. Lord Moira (afterwards marquis of Hastings), governor-general.

1814-1815. War with the Gurkhas of Nepál.

1817. Pindárí war.

1817-1818. Last Mahratta war. The dominions of the Peshwa were annexed and the Rájá of Nagpur was put under British guardianship, while the states of Rajputana placed themselves under British protection.

1823-1828. Lord Amherst, governor-general.

1824-1826. First Burmese war, English acquire Assam, etc. 1828-1835. Lord William Bentinck, governor-general. Financial reforms; abolition of sati (suttee) or widow-burning; suppression of the thagi (thugs) or hereditary assassins.

1833. Company's charter renewed for twenty years, but the trade was thrown open, and Europeans allowed to settle in the coun

#

try. A legal member added to the governor's council, and a commission appointed to revise and codify the laws. Macaulay, first legal member, and president of the commission. The only annexation of this time was that of Coorg.

1835-1836.

Short administration of sir Charles (afterwards lord) Metcalfe, memorable for giving entire freedom to the press.

1837-1901.

Great Britain.

Victoria (only child of the late duke of Kent). Separation of Hanover from Great Britain; duke of Cumberland, the eldest surviving son of George III., became king. 1837, Nov. 15. First (13th imperial) parliament of Victoria. 1837. Rebellion in Canada. Burning of the American steamer Caroline. The rebels finally reduced to obedience in 1839. The two provinces, upper and lower Canada, were united in 1840, and in 1847 responsible government was introduced into the colony.

1838, Aug. Meeting of working people near Birmingham. A national petition or peoples' charter was drawn up. The petitioners or chartists demanded, 1. annual parliaments; 2. universal (manhood) suffrage; 3. vote by ballot; 4. abolition of the property qualification of members of parliament: and 5. payment for their services. To these "five points a sixth, that of equal electoral districts, was afterwards added. The petition was presented to the commons, 1839, June 14, and its rejection was followed by riots which were easily suppressed. 1838, Sept. The anti-corn law league formed at Manchester under the leadership of John Bright (b. 1811; M. P. 1843) and Richard Cobden (b. 1804; M. P. 1847; † 1865).

1839. Opium war with China ended by treaty of Nankin, 1842, Aug. 29 (p. 561).

1840, Jan. Penny postage introduced (sir Rowland Hill).

Feb. 10. The queen married her cousin Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

1841, Aug. 19. Second (14th imperial) parliament of Victoria. 1841, Sept. 6-1846, June 29. Peel's second administration.

Duke of Wellington in the cabinet without office; earl Ripon, board of trade, succeeded in 1843 by W. E. Gladstone (b. 1809; M. P. 1832).

1842. Second sliding scale adopted; and the duties on over 700 articles either removed or reduced, the deficiency so created be ing made up by an income tax (June 22).

1844. Charter of the Bank of England renewed (Peel act). The issue department established, weekly returns to be published; and circulation limited to 14,000,000l.

1846. Total repeal of the corn laws.

The sliding scale abolished; the duty on wheat imported at or above 53s. per quarter to be 4s. per quarter until 1849, Feb. 1, after that time to be an uniform 1s. per quarter on all kinds of grain imported into the United Kingdom; this 1s. duty was repealed in 1869.

1846, June. Settlement of the Oregon boundary dispute with the United

States (p. 554).

1846, July 6–1852, Feb. 23. Ministry of lord John Russell; lord Palmerston, foreign secretary; Macaulay, paymaster general.

1846. Failure of the potato crop in Ireland caused a famine 1846 and 1847. Population of Ireland 1841, 8,222,664. 1851, 6,633,982.

1847. Commercial panic in England.

1847, Nov. 18. Third (15th imperial) parliament of Victoria. This distress coupled with the excitement produced by the rev1848. olutions of 1848 (p. 492) roused rebellion in Ireland, which was easily suppressed, and its leaders Smith O'Brien and Mit1848, April 10. chell transported; while in England the chartists held a monster meeting on Kennington common, and presented a petition to parliament.

1849, June. Repeal of the navigation laws. Encumbered estates July. act (Ireland).

1850, Sept. 30. Papal bull establishing a Roman catholic hierarchy in England.

1851, July. Ecclesiastical titles bill, imposing a fine of 100%. on all who should endeavor to carry this papal bull into effect, passed (never executed).

1851.

Telegraphic communication between France and Eng

land.

1851. Great exhibition of the industries of all nations in Hyde Park, London.

1852, Feb. 27-Dec. 18. Earl Derby's first ministry, Disraeli, chancellor of exchequer (b. 1805; Vivian Grey" 1825; M. P. 1837; earl of Beaconsfield, 1876; † 1881).

Sept. 14. Death of the duke of Wellington.

1852, Nov. 4. Fourth (16th imperial) parliament of Victoria. 1852, Dec. 28-1855, Feb. 5. Aberdeen administration.

W. E.

Gladstone, chancellor of exchequer; lord Palmerston, home
secretary; lord John Russell, foreign secretary.
End of Caffir war in South Africa.

Oct. 30. The British fleet entered the Bosphorus.

1853-1856. Crimean war (p. 499).

1854, June 5. Reciprocity treaty with the United States concluded (p. 555); abrogated 1866.

1855. The mismanagement with regard to the supply of food and clothing for the army in the Crimea and the feeble prosecution of the war rendered the administration unpopular, and

1855, Jan. 30. lord Aberdeen resigned.

1855, Feb. 5-1858, Feb. 22. Palmerston premier. Gladstone, chancellor of the exchequer, res. Feb. 22.

Feb. 19. Bread riots at Liverpool.

1856. Treaty of Paris ended the Crimean war (p. 501). War Mar. 30. with China. Treaty of Tien-tsin, June 26, 1859. Peace of Pekin Aug. 24, 1860 (p. 562).

1857, Apr. 30. Fifth (17th imperial) parliament of Victoria.

Nov. 12. Great commercial panic. Suspension of the bank charter act of 1844.

In

consequence of the attempted assassination of Napoleon III. by Orsini, lord Palmerston introduced the conspiracy to murder bill. On its rejection in the commons the ministry resigned,

and the

1858, Feb. 22-1859, June 11. Second Derby ministry took office; Disraeli, chancellor of the exchequer.

1858, June. Property qualification of members of parliament abolished.

July. Jews admitted to parliament.

Act for the better government of India.

Aug. 5.

The successful laying of the first Atlantic cable (ceased working Sept. 4).

Aug. 26. Treaty with the tycoon (shogun) of Japan (p. 563). 1858. The queen of England proclaimed sovereign of India. The government of the East India company ceased.

The ministry, defeated on a reform bill introduced by Disraeli, Apr. 13. dissolved parliament, but being in a minority in the 1859, May 31. Sixth (18th imperial) parliament of Victoria, resigned, and the

1859, June 13-1865, Nov. 6. Second Palmerston ministry came in. Gladstone, chancellor of the exchequer; earl Russell (formerly lord John), foreign secretary; lord Campbell, lord chancellor.

1860, Jan. 23. Commercial treaty between Great Britain and France. July-Oct. The prince of Wales visits the United States and Canada.

1861, July 27. Rupture of diplomatic relations with Mexico.

Nov. 8. Mason and Slidell taken from the British mail steamer Trent (p. 557).

Dec. 23. Death of the prince consort.

1862. Second Exhibition of the industry of all nations opened in May 1. London.

1863. The Maori (native) war in New Zealand, ended in 1869.

1864. The Schleswig-Holstein question (p. 505).

June. Final cession of the Ionian Islands to Greece (p. 483).

July. The Thames embankment begun.

1865, June. Commencement of the Cattle Plague.

Oct. Insurrection in Jamaica.

Oct. 18. Death of lord Palmerston.

1865, Nov. 6-1866, June 26. Earl Russell premier.

1866, Feb. 1. Seventh (19th imperial) parliament of Victoria.

Feb. Habeas corpus act suspended in Ireland.

May. Failure of Overend, Gurney and Co. (liabilities over 19,000,0001.). Panic in London.

July Telegraphic communication with America finally established. 1866, July 6-1868, Feb. 27. Third Derby ministry. Disraeli,

chancellor of the exchequer.

1867, Aug. 15. The second reform act, a leap in the dark,”. which greatly extended the franchise, received the royal as

sent.