Unpopularity of the Whigs--Fall of the Melbourne Ministry--Peel's Cabinet--The Afghan War--Murder of Sir A. Burnes and Sir W. Macnaghten--The Retreat from Cabul--Annihilation of the British Force--The Corn Duties--The Pioneers of Free Trade--Failure of Potato Crop in Ireland--Lord John Russell's conversion to Free Trade--Peel and Repeal--Rupture of the Tory Party--The Corn Duties repealed--Defeat and Resignation of the Government--Review of Peel's Administration. [Sidenote: Unpopularity of the Whigs] The closing months of the Melbourne Ministry afford melancholy matter for chronicle. The Government went on steadily losing popularity in the country and forfeiting respect in Parliament. The sword, long impending, descended at last. Mr. Baring, who had succeeded Spring Rice as Chancellor of the Exchequer, had to confess to a deficiency in his Budget of nearly two millions, which he proposed to meet by a re-adjustment of the sugar and timber duties, which brought about the defeat of the Government by a majority of thirty-six. Still, Ministers did not resign. Russell had determined at length to make a bid for the Free Trade vote, and gave notice of his intention to propose a permanent reduction in the duty on corn. But the announcement fell flatly; people only saw in this sudden conversion another desperate effort to retain office, for the Whigs hitherto had been inflexible in resistance to Free Trade demands. Melbourne had sworn roundly that of all the mad projects he had ever heard of the surrender of duties was the maddest; and Russell had been equally explicit, though employing fewer expletives. The duty on imported corn had been established by legislation in 1815, and was on a sliding scale according to current prices. The impost was 27_s._ on each quarter of wheat when the price fell below 60_s._, and diminished in proportion as the price rose till it stood at 1_s._ when the price of the quarter was 73_s._ and upwards. [Illustration: TELEGRAPH CABLE SHIP "MONARCH." This ship was built and is maintained by the Post Office specially for the laying and repairing of submarine telegraph cables. She is fitted with sheaves in the bows, over which the cables are led. The "Alert" is another ship employed for the same purpose.] [Illustration: A PORTION OF A TELEGRAPHIC OPERATING ROOM AT THE GENERAL POST OFFICE, LONDON. The number of telegraphic messages transmitted from the various London offices in the year 1895-6 was 27,025,193, and the total for the United Kingdom, 78,839,610. As many as six messages--three in each direction--are now transmitted along a single wire at the same time.] [Sidenote: Fall of the Melbourne Ministry.]