CHAPTER XIV

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A HOPEFUL YEAR.

Hopefulness all round--Ministers at the Fishmongers’--The Queen’s Speech--The Legislative Bill of Fare--The Queen and Mr. Gladstone’s Irish Church Policy--Release of Fenians--Mr. Gladstone’s Scheme for Disestablishing the Irish Church--The Debate in the Commons--The Second Reading Carried--The Bill in Committee--Read a Third Time--The Lords and the Bill--Amendments of the Peers--The Lords Bought Off--The Bill becomes Law--Mr. Lowe’s First Budget--The Endowed Schools Bill--The Habitual Criminals Act--The Lords and the Commons’ Legislation--Official Hostility to Reforming Ministers--Weak Members of the Cabinet--Mr. Reverdy Johnson and the _Alabama_ Claims--The Policy of “Masterly Inactivity”--Liberalism in France--Prince Leopold’s Illness--The Queen’s Interview with Mr. Carlyle--Visit of Ismail Pasha to the Queen--The Peabody Statue--Prince Alfred in Australia--The Prince of Wales and Court Dress--Death of Lord Derby--Death of Lady Palmerston--Opening of Blackfriars Bridge and Holborn Viaduct--O’Donovan Rossa, M.P.--Orangemen and Fenians 325

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