CHAPTER V.

THE REIGN OF GEORGE IV.

Accession of George IV.--Meeting of Parliament--General Election--Opening of the New Session--Dulness of Affairs--Brougham on Education--Queen Caroline--Omission of her Name from the Liturgy--She rejects the King's Proposals, and arrives in England--Attempts at a Compromise--The King orders an Inquiry--The Secret Committee--The Bill of Pains and Penalties--Arrival of the Queen in the House of Lords--Discussions on the Form of Procedure--Speeches of Denman and the Attorney-General--Evidence for the Prosecution--Brougham's Speech--Abandonment of the Bill--General Rejoicings--Violence of Party Feeling--Popularity of the Queen--Her Claim to be crowned refused--The Queen's Attempt to enter the Abbey--Indiscretion of the Act--The Coronation and the Banquet--The subsequent Scramble--Death of the Queen--Departure of her Body--The King's Visit to Ireland--A Royal Oration and its enthusiastic Reception--The King and Lady Conyngham--Changes in the Government--Discontent of Eldon--Wellesley in Ireland--Alarming State of the Country--Canning's Speech on Catholic Emancipation--Parliamentary Reform--Agricultural Distress and Finance--Eldon's Outbreak on the Marriage Bill--Suicide of Lord Londonderry--Scene at his Funeral--Visit of George IV. to Scotland--Loyalty of Sir Walter Scott--Account of the Festivities--Peel's Letter to Scott--Return of the King--Canning takes the Foreign Office and Leadership of the House of Commons--Huskisson joins the Cabinet--The Duke of Wellington sent to Verona--His Instructions--Principles of the Holy Alliance--The Spanish Colonies--French Intervention in Spain--The Duke's Remonstrances with the French King--His Interview with the Czar--The Congress of Verona--Failure of Wellington to prevent Intervention in Spain--Vindication of Canning's Policy in the Commons--He calls the New World into Existence 204