The address was very guarded, temperate, and judicious, and Lord Melbourne strove to construct his answer in the same manner.
[Footnote 163: This accident took place on 24th December in the Sonning Hill cutting, two and a half miles from Reading.
Eight persons were killed on the spot.] INTRODUCTORY NOTE TO CHAPTER X.
I THE session was mainly occupied by the great Ministerial measure of finance, direct taxation by means of income tax being imposed, and the import duties on a large number of articles being removed or relaxed, Mr Gladstone, now at the Board of Trade, taking charge of the bills.
Two more attempts on the Queen's life were made, the former again on Constitution Hill by one Francis, whose capital sentence was commuted; the latter by a hunchback, Bean, who was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment.

An Act was promptly passed to deal with such outrages in future as misdemeanours, without giving them the importance of high treason.

Lord Ashley's Bill was passed, prohibiting woman and child labour in mines and collieries.

But the Anti-Corn Law League of Manchester was not satisfied with the policy of the Government and objected to the income tax; while riots broke out in the manufacturing districts of the North.
In Afghanistan, the disasters of the previous year were retrieved; Sir Robert Sale, who was gallantly defending Jellalabad, made a _sortie_ and defeated Akbar Khan; General Nott arrived at Ghuznee, but found it evacuated; he destroyed the citadel and removed the Gates of Somnauth.
General Pollock swept the Khyber Pass and entered Cabul.

The captives taken on the retreat from Cabul were recovered--Lady Macnaghten and Lady Sale among them.