HOME—GENERAL CONDITION OF GREAT BRITAIN.
The year 1856 opened mildly as to the season, compared with 1855. The winter and spring months passed away without witnessing the severity of weather, or its fatal influence upon health and life which characterized the corresponding months of the previous year. The attention of the people was much occupied by foreign politics and events. The unwelcome peace with Russia, the wars with Persia and China, the threatening aspect of affairs in India, especially in Oude, engaged the minds of men most seriously, and checked in some measure the general prosperous condition of affairs.
There were few incidents connected with the court interesting to the public. The King of the Belgians paid a visit to his august niece early in the year, and rumour attributed a motive in connection with it which referred to the projected peace with Russia. His majesty, indeed, never visited England but some rumour did not prevail as to the influence he sought to exercise over the mind of her majesty, in sympathy with some foreign nation not altogether in harmony with British interests and views. It was believed that he came on this occasion to make as easy terms as possible for Russia. The movements of the royal family throughout the year were as had been customary. The return of the troops from the seat of war gave her majesty opportunity to show her interest in her brave soldiers, and to put forth her benevolence wisely and freely on their behalf.
The prosperity of the country may best be contemplated from trade returns of the year: these were reported by command of her majesty to both houses of parliament. On March 19, 1857, returns were made to the legislature, containing abstracts of reports of the trade of various countries and places for the years 1855—1856, received by the board of trade, through the foreign office, from her majesty’s ministers and consuls. Those abstracts are too voluminous for these pages: a perusal of them in their original form would repay the reader, and show that the great commercial country of the world was Great Britain—that so extensive and ramified were her trade transactions, that she might be considered the centre of universal commerce. The great manufacturing towns in the north of England increased prodigiously in wealth and influence, and the chief provincial ports became hives of industry, while their waters were crowded with forests of ships. The Liverpool Year-book for 1856 * disclosed an extraordinary state of power and prosperity in that great commercial thoroughfare and entrepot of the world.
* Edited and compiled by Lee and Nightingale, published by Benson and Mallett, Liverpool.
During the official year, which ended August 31, 1856, the nett ordinary income of the borough amounted to £223,319 18s. The docks of Liverpool were amongst the wonders of England; and since 1856 they have been improved and enlarged, so as to surpass in magnitude and adaptation all previous speculation.