members were to be disfranchised entirely. Fortysix more were to return only one member instead of two. Most of the seats thus at the disposal of the ministry were given, in almost equal proportions, to the counties and the great towns, a few being reserved for Scotland and Ireland. Both in towns and counties a large number of persons were to be allowed to vote who had never had a vote before. If the Bill passed, the government of the country would be controlled by the middle classes, and no longer by the great landowners, as had been the case before. Inside the House of Commons the Tories were strong. When the House was asked whether it approved of the Bill or not, the majority which approved of it was only stronger than the minority which disapproved of it by a single vote, and after this a majority voted that it should be altered in an important particular. The Government resolved to withdraw the Bill and to dissolve Parliament, in order that the electors all over the country might say what they thought.

3. The Reform Bill rejected by the Lords.-There was very little doubt what the electors would think. Even under the old system of voting there were the counties and large towns which voted as they pleased, and in times of great excitement the towns of a middle size would refuse to vote as they were bidden, whilst some of the very small towns were under the influence of Whig landowners. From one end of the country to the other shouts were heard of The Bill, the whole Bill, and nothing but the Bill.'

The new House of Commons, unlike the last, had an enormous Whig majority. The Reform Bill was again brought in, and was carried through the House of Commons. The House of Lords rejected it.

4. Public Agitation. The news was received with a torrent of indignation. Meetings were everywhere held to support the Government, and in some towns there were riots and disturbances. In the House of Commons, Macaulay, a young man, afterwards famous as the historian of the reigns of James II. and William III., called on the House of Commons to stand forward to prevent the excitement degenerating into deeds of violence. In old times,' he said, 'when the villeins were driven to revolt by oppression, when a hundred thousand insurgents appeared in arms on Blackheath, the king rode up to them and exclaimed, "I will be your leader," and at once the infuriated multitude laid down their arms and dispersed at his command. Herein let us imitate him. Let us say to our countrymen, "We are your leaders. Our lawful power shall be firmly exerted to the utmost in your cause; and our lawful power is such that it must finally prevail.' Outside Parliament there were men who thought that nothing but force would bear down the resistance of the Lords. At Birmingham a great meeting was held by a society called the Birmingham Political Union, at which those who were present engaged to pay no taxes if the Reform Bill were again rejected. At Bristol there were fierce riots, houses were burnt, and men were killed.

5. The Reform Bill becomes Law.-Fortunately the Government and the House of Commons were as earnest as the people. A third Reform Bill, slightly altered from the former ones, was introduced as soon as possible, and carried through the Commons. Some of the Lords thought that they had resisted enough. It was known too that the king had consented to create new peers who would vote for the Reform Bill. Upon this many peers stayed away from the House, and in the spring of 1832 the Bill was accepted by the Lords and became law.

6. Abolition of Slavery, and the new Poor-law.After so great a change the two parties began to take new names. Instead of Whigs and Tories, people began to talk of Liberals and Conservatives. The Liberals had a good deal of work to do. When the slave-trade had been abolished, the negroes who were in our West Indian Colonies remained as slaves. A law was now passed to set them free, and a large sum of money was voted to recompense their masters for the loss. Then too at home there was a change in the Poor-law, intended to prevent money being given to those who were idle. It was thought right that no one should be allowed to starve, but that people who would not work if they could must not be living upon the money of those who are industrious.

7. Dismissal of the Government, and Peel's first Ministry. Besides these a good many other right and wise things were done. For this very reason the Government became less popular than they had

been. There are always a large number of people who have an interest in things remaining as they are, and they usually grow very angry when improvements are made. Besides the people who disliked the Government because it did right, there were also people who disliked it because it made. mistakes. The Conservatives, too, were growing in favour. Peel, who led them in the House of Commons, was a prudent man, and many persons began to think that he could manage things better than the ministers could. Then the ministers disagreed amongst themselves. Some of them resigned. At last Lord Grey resigned, and Lord Melbourne, one of the other ministers, became Prime Minister. The king soon afterwards dismissed Lord Melbourne, and made Sir Robert Peel Prime Minister. Peel dissolved Parliament, and a great many more Conservatives were elected than had been chosen to the last Parliament. But they were not enough to form a majority, and Peel resigned. Lord Melbourne came back into office.

8. Lord Melbourne's Ministry.-Lord Melbourne's ministry was not very successful. Its members were not good men of business, and the Conservatives were nearly as numerous as the Liberals in the House of Commons, and much more numerous in the House of Lords. People in the country were not very enthusiastic in favour of the ministry. Nevertheless, they did some good things. They reformed the municipal governments of the towns, so that the mayors and aldermen would be elected by the

greater part of their fellow-citizens, instead of being elected only by a few. Other things they did; but whilst the Conservatives thought they did too much, there were some Liberals who wanted much more to be done, and thought they did too little. In 1837 William IV. died.

CHAPTER XLV.

FROM THE ACCESSION OF VICTORIA TO THE FALL OF THE MELBOURNE MINISTRY.

(1837-1841.)

1. State of the Country.-William IV. left no son to succeed him. His niece, Queen Victoria, ascended the throne. She was young, and was popular from the first. There were difficulties enough before the Government, and the Government was not competent to meet them. Lord Melbourne was an easy-going man, who disliked the idea of taking trouble. Often when he was asked how some difficult thing could be done, he asked lazily, 'Can't you let it alone?' There were large masses of people in England in misery. Both the agricultural and the manufacturing poor were in great distress. Wages were low and the price of food was high. Soon