FORE:The Budget did not retrieve the popularity of Ministers. Sir Francis Baring proposed to make up for an estimated deficit of ��2,421,000 by an alteration of the timber duties producing ��600,000 a year, and an alteration of the sugar duties producing ��700,000. Both these changes were in the direction of free trade, and a still more significant proposal was the repeal of the existing corn law, and the substitution of a low fixed duty of 8s. a quarter on wheat. The House, however, would not accept such a budget from a Government whose Premier had in the previous year declared that "the responsible advisers of the Crown would not propose any change in the Corn Laws." After a debate of eight nights the Ministry were defeated on the sugar duties by 317 votes to 281. Still they did not resign, and the Opposition in consequence had recourse to a direct vote of censure.[See larger version]
FORE:For a short time quiet prevailed, as if the nation, and Europe, too, were stunned by the news of the execution of the king. In spite of the loud talk of the Jacobins and sansculottes throughout France, there was a startled sense of terror��a foreboding of calamity. In La Vend��e there was intense horror and indignation. Abroad, every monarchy seemed thrown into a new attitude by the death of Louis. Spain and England, which had maintained a careful neutrality, assumed a threatening aspect. Germany, which had not yet federally allied itself with the movements of Austria and Prussia, became agitated with resentment; and Holland, by the fear of suffering the fate of Belgium. The axe which severed the head of Louis from his body seemed to sever every international sympathy with France. In England, the sensation on the news of the execution was profound. People in general had not believed that the French would proceed to such an extremity with a monarch of so inoffensive a character. The crime seemed to verify all the predictions and the denunciations of Burke. There was, except amongst a certain class of almost frantic Republicans, a universal feeling of abhorrence and execration. There was a gloomy sense of approaching war; a gloomy sense, as if the catastrophe was a national rather than a foreign one. Pitt had hitherto maintained a position of neutrality. He had contrived to avoid giving any support to the royal family of France, which must have produced immediately hostile consequences, but he had not failed, from time to time, to point out in Parliament the atrocious conduct of the French revolutionists, which justified all the prophecies of Burke, and threw shame on the laudatory language of Fox. The Congress at Vienna��Napoleon's Escape from Elba��Military Preparations��England supplies the Money��Wellington organises his Army��Napoleon's Journey through France��His Entry into Paris��The Enemy gathers round him��Napoleon's Preparations��The New Constitution��Positions of Wellington and Blucher��The Duchess of Richmond's Ball��Battles of Ligny and Quatre Bras��Blucher's Retreat��The Field of Waterloo��The Battle��Charge of the Old Guard��Arrival of the Prussians��The Retreat��French Assertions about the Battle refuted��Napoleon's Abdication��The Allies march on Paris��End of the Hundred Days��The Emperor is sent to St. Helena��The War in America��Events on the Canadian Frontier��Repeated Incapacity of Sir George Prevost��His Recall��Failure of American Designs on Canada��Capture of Washington by the British��Other Expeditions��Failure of the Expedition to New Orleans��Anxiety of the United States for Peace��Mediation of the Czar��Treaty of Ghent��Execution of Ney and Lab��doy��re��Inability of Wellington to interfere��Murat's Attempt on Naples��His Execution��The Second Treaty of Paris��Final Conditions between France and the Allies��Remainder of the Third George's Reign��Corn Law of 1815��General Distress��Riots and Political Meetings��The Storming of Algiers��Repressive Measures in Parliament��Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act��Secret Meetings in Lancashire��The Spy Oliver��The Derbyshire Insurrection��Refusal of Juries to convict��Suppression of seditious Writings��Circular to Lords-Lieutenant��The Flight of Cobbett��First Trial of Hone��The Trials before Lord Ellenborough��Bill for the Abolition of Sinecures��Death of the Princess Charlotte��Opening of the Session of 1818��Repeal of the Suspension Act��Operation of the Corn Law��The Indemnity Bill��Its Passage through Parliament��Attempts at Reform��Marriages of the Dukes of Clarence, Cambridge, and Kent��Renewal of the Alien Act��Dissolution of Parliament and General Election��Strike in Manchester��Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle��Raids of the Pindarrees��Lord Hastings determines to suppress them��Malcolm's Campaign��Outbreak of Cholera��Campaign against the Peishwa��Pacification of the Mahratta District��Apparent Prosperity of Great Britain in 1819��Opening of Parliament��Debates on the Royal Expenditure��Resumption of Cash Payments��The Budget��Social Reforms��The Scottish Burghs��Roman Catholic Emancipation rejected��Weakness of the Government��Meeting at Manchester��The Peterloo Massacre��The Six Acts��The Cato Street Conspiracy��Attempted Insurrection in Scotland��Trials of Hunt and his Associates��Death of George III.
FORE:But Napoleon would not listen to the transfer of Norway; that was the territory of his firm ally, Denmark: Finland he might have, but not Norway. In October of the same year an English agent landed at Gothenburg, eluded the French spies, traversed, by night, woods, bogs, and hills, and, in a small village of the interior of Sweden, met a Swedish agent, where the terms of a treaty were settled, in which Russia and Turkey, Britain and Sweden, were the contracting powers;[8] by which Sweden was to receive Norway, and renounce for ever Finland; and Alexander and Bernadotte were to unite all their talents, powers, and experience against France. In the following January the sudden invasion of Swedish Pomerania by the French showed that the crisis was come, and that henceforth Napoleon and Bernadotte were irreconcilable opponents. From that time offers of alliance and aid poured in from all quarters. Prussia sent secret messages, and concerted common measures with Russia. The insurgents of Spain and Portugal, where Wellington was in active operation��even the old Bourbon dynasty��paid court to him. Moreau returned from America to fight under his banners, and emigrants flocked from all quarters to combine their efforts against the universal foe��Napoleon.
THREE:The battle of Falkirk, which in itself appeared so brilliant an affair for Prince Charles, was really one of his most serious disasters. The Highlanders, according to their regular custom when loaded with plunder, went off in great numbers to their homes with their booty. His chief officers became furious against each other in discussing their respective merits in the battle. Lord George Murray, who had himself behaved most bravely in the field, complained that Lord John Drummond had not exerted himself, or pursuit might have been made and the royal army been utterly annihilated. This spirit of discontent was greatly aggravated by the siege of the castle of Stirling. Old General Blakeney, who commanded the garrison, declared he would hold out to the last man, in spite of the terrible threats of Lord George Murray if he did not surrender. The Highlanders grew disgusted with work so contrary to their habits; and, indeed, the French engineer, the so-called Marquis de Mirabelle, was so utterly ignorant of his profession, that the batteries which he constructed were commanded by the castle, and the men were so much exposed that they were in danger of being destroyed before they took the fortress. Accordingly, on the 24th of January they struck to a man, and refused to go any more into the trenches.
THREE:
