+-------------------------------------------------+ | Note: | | | | _ around word indicats italics _continued_ | | | +-------------------------------------------------+ CASSELL'S ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF ENGLAND CASSELL'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND FROM THE DEATH OF SIR ROBERT PEEL TO THE ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE OF WALES WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS, INCLUDING COLOURED AND REMBRANDT PLATES VOL. VI _THE KING'S EDITION_ CASSELL AND COMPANY, LIMITED LONDON, NEW YORK, TORONTO AND MELBOURNE MCMIX ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. THE REIGN OF VICTORIA (_continued_). PAGE The Papal Aggressions--The Ecclesiastical Titles Bill--Mr. Locke King's Motion on County Franchise--Resignation of the Government--The Great Exhibition--The President of the French Republic and the Assembly--Preparations for the _Coup d'État_--The Barricades--The _Plébiscite_--Weakness of the Russell Administration--Independence of Lord Palmerston--The Queen's Memorandum--Dismissal of Palmerston--The Militia Bill--Russell is turned out--The Derby Ministry--The General Election--Defeat of the Conservatives--Death and Funeral of the Duke of Wellington--The Aberdeen Administration--Mr. Gladstone's Budget--The Eastern Question again--The Diplomatic Wrangle--The Sultan's Firman--Afif Bey's Mission--Difficulties in Montenegro--England and France--The Menschikoff Mission--Lord Stratford de Redcliffe's Instructions--The Czar and Sir Hamilton Seymour--Menschikoff at Constantinople--The English and French Fleets--Arrival of Lord Stratford de Redcliffe--Menschikoff's ulterior Demands--Action of the Powers 1 CHAPTER II. THE REIGN OF VICTORIA (_continued_). Widening of the Question--The Fleets in Besika Bay--Lord Clarendon's Despatch--The Czar and Lord Stratford de Redcliffe--Nesselrode's "Last Effort"--Military Preparations--Blindness of the British Cabinet--Nesselrode's Ultimatum rejected--Occupation of the Principalities--Projects of Settlement--The Vienna Note--Its Rejection by the Porte---Division of the Powers--Text of the Note--Divisions in the British Cabinet--The Fleets in the Bosphorus--The Conference at Olmütz--The Sultan's Grand Council--Lord Stratford de Redcliffe's last Effort--Patriotism of the Turks--Omar Pasha's Victories--The Turkish Fleet destroyed at Sinope--Indignation in England--The French Suggestion--It is accepted by Lord Clarendon--Russia demands Explanations--Diplomatic Relations suspended--The Letter of Napoleon III.--The Western Powers arm--An Ultimatum to Russia--It is unanswered--The Baltic Fleet--Publication of the Correspondence--Declarations of War 19 CHAPTER III. THE REIGN OF VICTORIA (_continued_).