engagement to the latter
was announced by herself to Lord Melbourne. A few weeks later the
Queen announced her betrothal at a meeting of the Privy Council.

During the year risings in favour of the "people's charter" took place
in various parts of the country, especially Birmingham and Newport,
the six points demanded being the ballot, universal suffrage,
annual Parliaments, payment of members, the abolition of a property
qualification for members, and equal electoral districts. At
Newport one Frost, a linen-draper whom Lord John Russell had made a
magistrate, headed a riot. He was tried with his confederates by a
special commission at Monmouth, and, with two others, sentenced to
death; a sentence afterwards commuted.

In the East, war broke out between the Sultan Mahmoud and the Pasha of
Egypt, Mehemet Ali, who had originally helped Turkey against Greece,
but had since revolted and driven the Turks from Syria. On that
occasion (1833) Turkey had been saved by Russian intervention, a
defensive alliance, known as the treaty of Unkiar Skelessi, made
between Russia and Turkey, and Mehemet granted Syria as well as Egypt.
On the revival of hostilities, Ibrahim, son of Mehemet, defeated the
Turkish army on June 24; a week later the Sultan Mahmoud died, and
the Turkish admiral treacherously delivered over the Turkish fleet
to Mehemet at Alexandria. Once more the four Powers (Great Britain,
Austria, Prussia, and Russia) interfered to save the Sultan. The
Czar accepted the principle of a joint mediation, the advance of the
Egyptians was stopped, and the Sultan was informed that no terms of
peace would be accepted which had not received the approval of the
Powers. The terms were settled at a congress held in London. Mehemet
refused to accept the terms, and was encouraged by France to persevere
in his refusal.

The dispute between Belgium and Holland as to the Luxemburg territory
was settled by a treaty in the course of the year. Lord Durham
presented his report on Canada, a document drafted by Charles Buller
but inspired by Lord Durham himself; though legislation did not take
place this year, this document laid the foundation of the federal
union of the Canadas, and of the Constitution of other autonomous
colonies, but for the present the ex-Commissioner met with much
criticism of his actions.

Our troops were engaged during the year against Dost Mahommed, the
Ameer of Afghanistan, a usurper who many years earlier had driven