Events in England—The Budgets of 1848—Repeal¹ of the Navigation Act—The Jewish Disabilities Bill—Election of Baron² Rothschild by the City of London—He is refused the Oath—Election of Alderman Salomons—He takes his Seat in Spite of the Speaker—Action in the Court of the Exchequer³—The Bill finally passed—Colonial Self-Government—Lord Palmerston's Foreign Policy censured⁴ by the House of Lords—The Don Pacifico Debate—Testimonial to Lord Palmerston—Peel's last Speech—His Death—Testimony⁶ as to his Worth—Honours to his Memory.

While stirring events were in progress on the Continent, public attention was naturally distracted from home politics; nor were these in themselves of a nature to command enthusiasm. The Russell Government was weak, but the Opposition⁷ was weaker. Sir Robert Peel with his little band gave, on the whole, his support to the Ministry⁸, and Mr. Disraeli, on the retirement⁹ of Lord George Bentinck, had only just begun to rally the Conservatives, who had been utterly¹⁰ dispirited and crushed by the carrying of Free Trade. Finance was always a weak point with the Whigs, and that of 1848 was no exception to the rule. Urged by the Duke of Wellington's letter to Sir John Burgoyne on the state of the defences, the Chancellor¹¹ of the Exchequer determined¹² on increasing the

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