1832.] Canning's Premiership to Passing of Reform Act. 207 March, was carried without a division. By the time for going into committee, fixed for the i8th of March, ministers had made up their minds to accept the inevitable. On that day Peel, speaking on behalf of the Government, at the head of which was the Duke of Wellington, the champion of Conserva- tism, announced the surrender. " He was," he said, " prepared to dismiss from his mind any idea of adhering to the existing law, or even of the proposal of mere suspension." The best and wisest course, he declared, would be to come to such a final arrangement as, while it should not affect the fair and conscientious scruples of the dissenters, would give a reason- able proof to the Church of England that in the repeal of the tests her rights were to remain sacred. He accordingly introduced a declaration to be taken, in lieu of the tests, that the person taking office would never exert any power or influence which he might possess by virtue of his office, to injure or subvert the Church. The amendment was accepted, although not without protest from the Liberals, and the bill passed the Commons. It was taken into the Lords virtually as a Government measure, and passed the second reading there on the i/th, and its final stage on the 28th, of April. Some alteration had been made in the wording of the declara- tion, to make it look as much like an oath as possible ; but this was acepted by the Commons, and the bill became law. The change, however, by which the declaration was made, "on the true faith of a Christian," had the effect of keeping out the Jews, and so of raising another long and bitter struggle between the friends and foes of religious liberty. The repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts was a proof that the Radical feeling in the country was making itself felt in Parliament, in spite of restricted franchises and close and corrupt constituencies. The Ministry were supposed to be all-powerful, yet they opposed it in vain, and public opinion was so decided that they could not continue their resistance. The measure was not a favourite one with the old Whigs, for not many years back they had furnished its strongest opponents. Harriet Martineau says, very truly, " The credit is
