that the military system of England had failed them, and that the military machine which they inherited from Wellington had broken down. They had toiled long and wearily to mend it when the distinguished persons who afterwards attacked them were away enjoying their holidays. But when Parliament reassembled on the 23rd of January, 1855, the gathering storm broke on the head of the Government. Mr. Roebuck gave notice of a motion for the appointment of a committee to inquire into the mismanagement of the war; Lord John Russell deserted his colleagues and resigned. The Ministry, who resisted Mr. Roebuck’s motion, were beaten, on a division, by 305 votes to 148, and the Coalition Government resigned on the 31st of January, 1855. The army was starving, with abundance of supplies within its reach, through the sheer stupidity of those whose duty it was to feed it. Its camp was a hospital, and its hospitals were pest-houses. The nation was utterly humiliated. As for the War Party, which was really responsible for the invasion of the Crimea, it naturally destroyed the Ministry which had stooped to be the instrument of its braggart passions and its ignorant policy. [Illustration: THE STORM OFF BALACLAVA.] CHAPTER XXXI. PARTY GOVERNMENT AND WAR. Stratford de Redcliffe Cooling Down--Tory Distrust of the French Alliance--The Queen’s Kindness to Lord Aberdeen--The Emperor Napoleon and Prince Albert--The Prince Visits France--The Queen at Balmoral--Her Feelings towards the Prince of Prussia--The Queen holds a Council of War--She Demands Reinforcements for Lord Raglan--Napoleon’s Alarm--Prince Albert’s Plan for an Army of Reserve--The Queen on the Austrian Proposals--Her Anxiety about the Troops--Raglan’s Meagre Despatches--The Queen and Miss Nightingale--At Work for the Soldiers--Extorting Information from Lord Raglan--Ministerial Changes--Lord John Russell’s Selfishness--A Miserly Whig Duke--The Queen’s Disgust at Russell’s Treachery--Resignation of Russell--Fall of the Coalition--The Queen and the Crisis--She holds out the Olive Branch to Palmerston--Palmerston’s Cabinet--Quarrel between Mr. Disraeli and Lord Derby--The Sebastopol Committee--Mr. Roebuck and Prince Albert--The Vienna Conference and the Death of Czar Nicholas--The Austrian Compromise--Parties and the War--Russell’s Humiliation--He Resigns in Disgrace--The Queen quashes the Peace Negotiations--A Royal Blunder--The Queen tries to Gag the Peelites--Aberdeen Browbeaten by the Court--Canrobert’s Resignation--Crimean Successes--Failure of the Attack on the Redan--Death of Raglan.