HOME AFFAIRS.—GENERAL PROSPECTS.
A.D. 1854
The year 1854 opened gloomily upon the United Kingdom. Sickness prevailed; bad harvests in western and southern Europe caused a dearth of food; and there was reason to fear that the fleets and armies of England and France would encounter those of Russia in open war. There was much dissatisfaction with the government. The Earl of Aberdeen and the whole Peelite section of the cabinet were believed to be too friendly to the czar, and adopting a policy unworthy of English greatness and of English honour. The court was supposed to be influenced by the German powers in favour of Russia, and to be secretly hostile to the French emperor. An active and almost authoritative interference in the administrative affairs of the government, home and foreign, was attributed to Prince Albert; and that interference was believed to be unfavourable to free opinions at home, and a dignified attitude on the part of England to foreign powers. A passion for Germanizing the army and the home-office, for centralization—so contrary to English opinions and traditions—and for subjecting the policy of England to German interests, necessities, or views, was believed to possess the prince, and to spread its influence in the court. The prince, who had won so wide a popularity, became, in fact, unpopular. No open demonstrations were made of this feeling, but his royal highness was received coolly when he appeared in public, and the newspapers of the whole of the united kingdom gave him the discredit of such rumours. Happily, when parliament met, the statements of the ministers lessened these unpopular impressions, but did not efface them. It was thought that the public men who were favourable to England’s taking a spirited part in defence of Turkey, in conjunction with France, and against the wishes of the German courts, were thwarted by the prince.
The desire was universally entertained that parliament should meet at the beginning of January, but it was the last day of that month before it assembled.
The approaching rupture with Russia occupied the attention of the public intensely; the youth of the country burning for war against a power so despotic and cruel. The massacre of Sinope had goaded the English nation to a feeling of resentment against the czar personally, and to an antipathy to the genius and spirit of the nation which he governed. For sake of treating the events of the time with unity, we shall pass over the home incidents connected with the proclamation of hostilities until the peaceful incidents which were important to the country are first recorded.
A new Crystal Palace was erected at Sydenham, which excited a wide-spread interest, that even the thunders of war could not distract.
The friends of literature were gratified by the erection of a monument to Thomas Hood, in the cemetery at Kensal Green. No writer of modern times, in prose or verse, possessed his facility for touching the hearts of his countrymen, and leaving his words deep in their memory.
In the autumn the public were much affected by tidings concerning the fate of the great arctic navigator, Captain Franklin, which left no longer a hope that he had survived the perils of the polar seas. Dr. Rae, the celebrated American traveller, landed at Deal, in October, and made a communication to the admiralty to the following effect: that the captain and his whole party had, according to the testimony of certain Esquimaux, perished of cold and famine in the spring of 1850. Dr. Rae and his party purchased various articles from these people, which were undoubtedly relics of the unfortunate expedition. During September, the screwsteamer, Phoenix, had arrived at Queen’s Town, on her return from a searching voyage in connection with the gallant captain. This vessel was the remains of the little squadron, commanded by Captains Collinson, McClure, and Belcher. Captains Collinson and McClure succeeded in establishing the fact of a north-west passage. They were, however, unable to discover any traces of the Franklin expedition, such as would lead to any certainty as to his fate.
During the summer and autumn the cholera smote London and the provinces with great severity. During the quarter ending September, about thirty thousand persons perished in England of cholera and diarrhoea; during the three months ending with December, several thousands more were added to the sad enumeration.
One of the events of the year which most interested the commercial public, was the great loss of property by shipwreck. The coasts of the United Kingdom were strewn with wrecks in every direction, but especially along the north-east of England. There were upon the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland nine hundred and eighty-seven wrecks. During the first month of the year the greatest havoc was made. During that month four hundred and sixty-seven lives were lost. The total number lost by shipwreck during the year was one thousand five hundred and forty-nine. Such was the report of the Admiralty’s register; but it is certain that omissions were made, and that the number was considerably higher.