THE CHRISTENING OF THE PRINCESS ROYAL AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE, February io, 1841.
Her Majesty's eldest child, the Princess Royal, 1840, christened Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa.

The Fall of the Melbourne Ministry

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 27s. on each quarter of wheat when the price fell below 6os.,and diminished in proportion as the price rose till it stood at is. when the price of the quarter was 73s. and upwards.

The next move in Parliament was a vote of no confidence, moved by Sir Robert Peel, and then at last Lord John Russell announced that Her Majesty had been advised to dissolve Parliament immediately.
 

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