Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 49.djvu/466

 of, and often in opposition to, his colleagues and the prime minister [for the foreign policy of Russell's government, see art. , third ].

Meanwhile the revolutionary agitation in Europe found faint echoes in England and Ireland. The chartist movement died away after the fiasco of the meeting in London on 10 April 1848. In Ireland the Treason Felony Act of the same month and suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act (July) were followed by the easy suppression of Smith O'Brien's rebellion. Russell attempted to alleviate the situation in that country by a further amendment of the poor law, by endowing the Roman catholic priesthood, and creating a fourth secretary of state for Ireland in place of the lord-lieutenant; but the two latter measures proved abortive. Other measures which Russell endeavoured to pass in 1848 were bills for promoting the health of towns, for removing Jewish disabilities, and repealing the navigation acts. The first was successful, and the second was rejected by the House of Lords [see ]. The third measure, after being abandoned by the government in 1848, passed both houses next year (1849). In October Russell brought before the cabinet a new reform bill, but he was outvoted, and the measure went no further. His great measure of 1850 was the Australian Colonies Act (13 and 14 Vict. cap. 59), whereby Port Phillip district was erected into a separate colony under the name Victoria, and New South Wales was given responsible representative government. In November Russell's letter to the bishop of Durham, which was called forth by the ‘papal aggression’ (i.e. the bull creating Roman catholic bishops in England), and contained references to high churchmen as ‘unworthy sons of the church’ and to Roman practices as ‘the mummeries of superstition,’ was received with unbounded enthusiasm by protestants, and with equal disgust by high churchmen and Roman catholics. In February 1851 a bill was passed rendering illegal the assumption in England of ecclesiastical titles by Roman catholic priests, but was suffered to fall into desuetude. In the same month the government was defeated by one hundred to fifty-two votes on Locke King's motion for assimilating the county to the borough franchise. Russell at once resigned, but Stanley (afterwards Earl of Derby) was unable to form a ministry, and in March Russell returned to office.

In December Russell's disagreement with Palmerston came to a head. The latter, without consulting his colleagues, recognised the government formed by Napoleon after his coup d'état of 2 Dec., and, on the ground that Palmerston had exceeded his authority, Russell demanded his resignation. On 26 Dec. Granville succeeded him as foreign minister. Palmerston soon had his revenge. In February he moved an amendment extending the Militia Bill which the government had introduced in apprehension of invasion from France, and carried it by eleven votes. Russell resigned, after having acted as premier for four and three-quarter years. The Earl of Derby became head of a conservative administration, with Disraeli as chancellor of the exchequer. But Lord Derby's government had a brief existence. Parliament was dissolved in July 1852, and the conservatives were in a minority in the new House of Commons. Disraeli's budget was defeated in November, and Derby gave way next month to a coalition ministry of whigs and Peelites under Lord Aberdeen as prime minister. Palmerston became home secretary, Mr. Gladstone chancellor of the exchequer, and Russell foreign secretary. It was a coalition, but not a union, and neither party was satisfied with the amount of influence it possessed. Russell led the House of Commons, but on 21 Feb. 1853 he resigned the foreign secretaryship, being succeeded by Lord Clarendon; he remained in the cabinet without office, and continued to lead the house. During the session he introduced a bill enabling municipalities to rate themselves for the support of voluntary schools, but it did not pass. In October Aberdeen proposed to retire from the premiership in Russell's favour, but the cabinet would not sanction the change. In December Russell brought before the cabinet a new reform bill. Palmerston objected to it, and resigned; he was induced to withdraw his resignation, but it became evident in April 1854 that if Russell persisted with his bill the government would break up; he therefore postponed the measure. In May he suggested and carried into effect the separation of the war and colonial departments. In June he accepted the presidency of the council.

Meanwhile England had drifted into war with Russia [see ]. During the negotiations that preceded it Russell threatened to resign, because he was not fully consulted before decisions were taken, and because he was not prepared to support the porte against its Christian subjects; at the same time he was more hostile to Russia than Lord Aberdeen. The differences in the cabinet had an evil effect on the conduct of the war. Russell grew dissatisfied, and, being ill prepared to resist Roebuck's motion for