Prorogation of 1853--End of the Kaffir and Burmese Wars--The Wages Movement--The Preston Strike--The Crystal Palace--Marriage of the Emperor of the French--His Visit to England--The Queen's Return Visit--Festivities in Paris--Lord Lyndhurst on Italy--Lord Clarendon's Reply--Similar Debate in the Commons--Withdrawal of the Western Missions from Naples--The Anglo-French Alliance--The Suez Canal--The _Arrow_ Affair--Mr. Cobden's Resolution--Mr. Labouchere's Reply--Lord Palmerston's Speech--The Division--Announcement of a Dissolution--Retirement of Mr. Shaw-Lefevre--Lord Palmerston's Victory at the Polls--Mr. Denison elected Speaker--Betrothal of the Princess Royal--Abolition of "Ministers' Money"--The new Probate Court--The Divorce Bill in the Lords--The Bishop of Oxford's Amendments--Motions of Mr. Henley and Sir W. Heathcote--Major Warburton's Amendment--The Bill becomes Law--The Orsini Plot--Walewski's Despatch--The Conspiracy to Murder Bill--Debate on the Second Reading--Defeat of the Government--The Derby Ministry 160 CHAPTER XII. THE REIGN OF VICTORIA (_continued_). Condition of India--The Bengal Army--The Greased Cartridges--The Prudence of Hearsey--The Chupatties--Disarming of the 19th--Inactivity of Anson--The Sepoys at Lucknow--A Scene at Barrackpore--At Meerut--The Rebellion begins--The Rush on Delhi--The City is sacked--The Powder Magazine--It is exploded--The Fall of Delhi--Sir Henry Lawrence--Energetic Measures at Lahore--Mutiny at Ferozepore--Peshawur is saved--Action of the Civil Authorities--The Siege Train--Death of Anson--John Lawrence in the Punjab--Cotton disarms the Sepoys--The Trans-Indus Region is secure--Mutiny supreme elsewhere--Progress of the Rising--Lucknow--Oude ripe for Revolt--The first Outbreak suppressed--The Ranee of Jhansi--The Five Divisions of Oude 182 CHAPTER XIII. THE REIGN OF VICTORIA (_continued_). March of the British on Delhi--Battles on the Hindon--Wilson joins Barnard--Hodson reconnoitres Delhi--The Guides arrive--The Delhi Force in Position--An unfulfilled Prophecy--Lord Canning's Inaction--Lord Elphinstone's Discretion--Troops from Madras and Persia--Benares is saved--So is Allahabad--Cawnpore--Nana Sahib and Azimoolah--The Europeans in the Entrenchment--The Mutiny--Sufferings of the Garrison--Valour of the Defence--The Well--The Hospital catches Fire--Incidents of the Siege--Moore's Sortie--Nana Sahib's Letter--The Massacre at the Ghaut--Central India--Lawrence fortifies the Residency at Lucknow--The Death of Lawrence. 203 CHAPTER XIV. THE REIGN OF VICTORIA (_continued_).