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, AGURESBION. 541

O'clock in the Royal Coramission’~—the last public business 1850.
1 which he was engaged—and in four hours afterwards he Zr. 45.
*eceived his mortal stroke. We do not yet know the full
stent of our loss. It will be felt in the state of parties
and in the progress of public business to its full extent
hereaffor, I had observed his tendencies most attentively
during the last fow years, and had felt convinced that on
Questions in which I take a great interest, such as the
reduction of armaments, retrenchment of expenditure, the
diffusion of peace principles, ete., he bad strong sympathies—
Stronger than he had yet expressed—in favour of my views.
Reaq his last speech again, and observe what he says about
diplomacy, and in favour of settling international disputes
by reference to mediation instead of by ships of war.”

If the Don Pacifico debate in Parliament gave a check to
the confidence of Cobden’s aspirations, a storm which burst
Out over the length and breadth of the land a few months
later, still more effectually chilled his faith in the hold of
good sense and the spirit of tolerance upon the minds of
his countrymen. In the autumn of 1850, Great Britain was
Convulsed by the tempest of the Papal Aggression, which
Bow looks mone the less repulsive because we can see to
What a degree it was ludicrous. Unfortunately Lord John
Russell lent himself to the prejudices and alarms which
are so instantly roused in the minds of Englishmen and
Scotchmen by anything that reminds them of the existence
of the Roman Catholic Church. He fanned the flame by a
letter to the Bishop of Durham, which has as conspicuous a
Place among his acts and monuments as the letter from Edinburgh
 in 1845. In a damaging moment for his position at
this time. ag well ag for his future political reputation, he

? The Commission for the Grasé Exhibition of 1851.
Ty (3. Hadheld Jobe B, 15:60