CHAPTER XVII.

1835-1837.

Ministers in a minority-Motion regarding Lord LondonderryLord J. Russell's resolutions regarding the Irish Church— Resignation of Sir Robert Peel-Reconstruction of the Whig Ministry-Lichfield-house compact-Rejection of the Irish Church Bill-Orange lodges-Municipal Reform-Lord Lyndhurst's "alien" speech-Speech in reply to Lord Lyndhurst-Death of William IV.-Peculiarities in mode of public speaking; acting.

IN the choice of a Speaker, Ministers were, on the 19th February, defeated by a majority of ten; and on the 26th Lord Morpeth's amendment to the Address was carried against them by a majority of seven. Sir Robert Peel however did not resign; and upon being questioned as to whether he intended to retain office without being able to command a majority in the House of Commons, he declared that it was his inten

tion to bring forward his measures in detail, and if that course were not approved of by the leaders of Opposition, he challenged them to bring forward a motion of want of confidence. But this, in direct terms, it was not their policy to do. The circumstances in truth are rare in which such a motion has any chance of being carried, whatever the weakness of a Government may be; and it is obvious that its defeat must always tend to strengthen the hands it is designed to weaken. Various points of attack however soon presented themselves; amongst the rest was that of the selection of the Marquis of Londonderry as ambassador at the court of St. Petersburg. On the 13th of March, Mr. Sheil brought the subject under the notice of the House in a temperate and judicious speech. He disclaimed all objection to the noble lord on personal grounds, but remonstrated against his nomination to so important a trust on the gravest reasons of public policy. The encroaching spirit of Russia had never before needed to be so closely watched. By our negligence and apathy in 1828, and again in 1832, we had suffered Turkey to fall almost within her grasp. If it were not yet too late to put a check upon her ambitious career, the Government of England must be wakeful and ener

getic, and prepared, if occasion should arrive, to act promptly and with vigour. But how could this be done unless the representative of the country at the court of the Emperor Nicholas were a man of high intellectual qualities and of thoroughly liberal views? The opinions which Lord Londonderry had publicly expressed, not only regarding Poland, but with respect to the conduct of Russia towards the Ottoman Porte, disqualified him peculiarly for such an office. Nor had he any pretensions on the score of diplomatic experience or mental endowments which could compensate for the want of coincidence between his known sentiments on foreign policy with those of the great majority of the nation. Lord Stanley, Mr. Cutlar Ferguson, and Mr. Hobhouse supported these views; and though the appointment was defended by Sir Robert Peel, the effect of the discussion was felt to be highly damaging to the Government, and three days afterwards Lord Londonderry declared in the House of Lords that he had spontaneously relinquished the honour intended for him.

But the question which was destined more than any other to test the strength and decide the fate of parties, was that of the Irish Church. On the 30th March, Lord John Russell moved, "that the House

resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, in order to consider the present state of the Church establishment in Ireland, with the view of applying any surplus of the revenues not required for the spiritual care of its members to the general education of all classes of the people, without distinction of religious persuasion." The motion was supported by Mr. Ward, Mr. Sheil, Lord Howick, Mr. C. Wood, Dr. Lushington, Mr. Spring Rice, Mr. O'Connell, &c. &c. ; and was opposed by Sir E. Knatchbull, Sir J. Graham, Mr. Gladstone, Sir R. Inglis, Sir W. Follett, Mr. Praed, Sir H. Hardinge, Lord Stanley, and Sir R. Peel. After four nights' debate it was carried by 322 against 289. A second resolution expressive of the same principle was carried, after another long debate, by a majority of twenty-five; and finally, on the following day, a third resolution was moved by Lord John, declaring that "no measure on the subject of tithes in Ireland can lead to a satisfactory and final adjustment, which does not embody the principle contained in the foregoing resolutions." This was adopted by 285 to 258. On the following day Sir Robert Peel resigned; and Lord Melbourne, after an interval of just six months, was restored to power. Lord John Russell became Home Secretary,

and Leader of the House of Commons; Lord Palmerston resumed his place as Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the Marquis of Lansdowne that of Lord President; Mr. Spring Rice was made Chancellor of the Exchequer; Lord Mulgrave went to Ireland as Viceroy, with Lord Morpeth as Chief Secretary.

The combination by which this rapid and complete reversal of the retrograde policy of the Court had been effected, naturally became the most prominent topic of party discussion. Various steps had been taken during the brief term of Lord Melbourne's administration towards the conciliation of both the English and the Irish Radical party, without whose aid it had become impossible for the Whigs, after the secession of Lord Stanley and his friends, to claim a majority in the Commons. In the Lords they were still weaker; and their summary dismissal from office, almost without an intelligible pretext, had proclaimed to the world their loss of influence with the Court. Without a fusion, therefore, cordial and complete, between the different sections of the Liberal party, it was plain that no effective resistance could be made to the re-establishment in power of those who had hitherto resisted to the last every measure of political reform, and whose policy abroad was avowedly one of