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VICTORIA,
of Turkey. The First Afghan War raged from 1839 to 1842, This war
brought little glory to England, It was undertaken to prevent a
prince favorable to Russia from ruling over Afghanistan. An ex-
pedition under Sir John Keane gained some successes, but these were
followed by the treacherous murder of a large number of British
officers, and by a retreat in which untold sufferings were endured and
many lives lost. At length Generals Pollock, Sale, and Nott retrieved
these disasters by some splendid vietories. The British abandoned
Afghanistan, after the capture of Cabul and the demolition of its
fortifications, in September 1842,
8. In Ireland, Daniel O’Connell continued his agitation for a repeal
of the Union between England and Ireland. Large sums of money
were collected to further this object, and the fund thus
Ce raised was called Repeal Rent. Monster meetings, ac
* companied by considerable disturbance, were held at
Tara, Clontarf, and other places. "The “ Great Agitator,” as O’Con:
nell was called, was arrested, tried on a charge of conspiracy and
sedition, and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. The House of
Lords set aside this conviction, and O’Connell was released. He died
at (jenoa in 1847.
9, In 1843, a memorable ecclesiastical event occurred in Scotland.
A confliet of long standing between the (teneral Assem-
CHR of bly of the Established Church and the civil tribunals
Scotland. terminated in the secession of several hundred ministers
and a large number of people from the Church, and the
formation of an independent religious body called the Free Church of
Srotland. At the head of this movement was Dr. Thomas Chalmers,
ne of the greatest of religious orators.
10. The year 1845 was marked by the total destruction of the potato
erop in Ireland by a new and deadly disease affeeting both the vines
and the tubers of that useful vegetable. As the potato
Fam in formed the staple food of the great 11188 of the people,
* much suffering resulted from this visitation. The evil
culminated in 2 terrible famine in 1847, which led to the depopulation
of wide distriets. A deadly pestilence followed in the track of the
famine, slaying the people by thousands. Puhlic 8ympathy was ex-
cited by this sad occurrence both in England and in America, Parlia-
mont voted large sums of money for relief, while private benefactions
were also generou8sly contributed. Grain-Jaden ships from America
showed in a practical way the kindly feeling of the Western world.
In two years the population of Ireland is supposed to have been
diminished by nearly two millions.
11. In 1841, the Whig Ministry, which, under different leaders, had
bsen in power since 1832, was defeated. Sir Robert Peel, the leader
af +he Tories, or Conserraltires, a8 they now called themselves, hacame