140 History of the Radical Party in Parliament. [1815- of his remarks, and had no violent opposition to offer ; he accepted, indeed, the only practical suggestion the disfran- chisement of Grampound, although he was not quite pre- pared to say to what constituency the members should be transferred. Lord John, on his part, was touched by the kindness and courtesy of the minister, and withdrew his resolutions, giving notice of his intention to move for leave to bring in a bill to disfranchise Grampound. This was indeed a weak and contemptible solution of a great political problem. Here there was a nation which, in the opinion of the Whigs themselves, was frightfully misgoverned ; its re- resources being wasted, and its liberties undermined ; the constitution under which it was governed so defective that the representative House itself, as the Marquis of Tavistock declared, " could not, and ought not to, possess the confidence of the people." With these facts the mass of the people were deeply impressed, and they called, with a vehemence which ministers thought bordered upon revolution, for some thorough reform which should give them an effective voice in the government of the country. Under such critical conditions, and in response to so earnest an appeal, the party which assumed to be the protectors of freedom and the champions of reform proposed to disfranchise one corrupt borough, and to give its members to some constituency not yet selected. There is little cause for wonder that the people should not accept such an offer, and that they should distrust the party by which it was made. The Whigs had yet to be thoroughly convinced that without the support of popular enthusiasm no progress of any kind was possible, and that such a feeling could only be aroused by men who had sufficient love for liberty, and sufficient faith in the people, to propose a scheme which should give to the popular element a substantial power in the Constitution. The lesson was to be rapidly learned, but in the mean time the Radicals had to go on, in spite of the hatred and persecution of the Tories, and the coolness and contempt of the Whigs, with their great work of educating public opinion and giving direction and energy to its expres-
