226 History of the Radical Party in Parliament. [1827- It was thus that issue was joined between the party of resistance and the party of progress. The first business of the reformer was to remove from his " station in the Govern- ment " the Prime Minister who misrepresented and opposed the opinion of the country. This was done on the 1 5th of November, when, on ministers bringing forward their proposals as to the civil list, in the House of Commons; an amend- ment was moved by Sir Henry Parnell for a select committee to take them into consideration. This was carried by 233 to 204, giving a majority of twenty-nine against Ministers. Next day they announced that they had tendered, and that his Majesty had accepted, their resignations. They afterwards declared that they came to this resolution not so much on account of the civil list vote as from an anticipation of the result of a division on Mr. Brougham's proposition for reform.* The King sent for Lord Grey, and he undertook to form an Administration on condition that he should have his Majesty's authority to make Parliamentary reform a Cabinet question. On this basis the Ministry was formed which framed and, after a long and fierce contest, ultimately carried that first great Act which, with all its defects and deficiency, yet did, nevertheless, give the national sanction to the principle that the House of Commons should not be composed of nominees of borough-mongers or of close cor- porations, but, to some extent at least, should represent the people in whose name it spoke, and on whose behalf it professed to act. The Ministry which had to undertake this great work was composed mainly of Whigs and Canningites,f but on the
- "Annual Register," 1830, p. 163.
t The Ministry was first composed as follows : IN THE CABINET. Earl Grey Sir James Graham Viscount Althorpe Viscount Goderich Lord Brougham Lord Auckland Marquis of Lansdown Charles Grant Lord Durham Duke of Richmond Viscount Melbourne Lord Holland Viscount Palmerston Earl of Carlisle
