Lords through Chatham and his immediate friends, who would own no allegiance to the Whigs. It was the early working of a spirit of devotion to the popular cause, and of independence of old Parliamentary traditions, which ultimately developed itself into the form of a new party.
The same observations apply exactly to the movements for Parliamentary reform which began during this period. Here, indeed, the political weakness of the Whigs was most manifest. Burke and many of the Rockinghamites, who were firm on the other questions which have been under consideration, were, as we have before seen, opposed to any constitutional change. On the other hand, the Duke of Richmond advocated universal suffrage and annual Parliaments. Chatham himself was more undecided on this than on any other great subject with which he had to deal; but through all his irresolution as to details, he was always ready to make some change which should give more definite and powerful expression to the honest public opinion of the country. His favourite plan—and one which he actually submitted to Parliament—was to give a larger share of representation to the counties, those being the constituencies in which he thought bribery, intimidation, and other forms of corruption had least influence. As to the shortening of the duration of Parliaments, he wavered from time to time, but his latest opinion seems to have been in favour of such a proposal as tended to make members more alive to their responsibilities towards their constituents. There was, however, a fixed and growing determination to agitate for reform on the part of the city men, and of some other earnest members of the Commons. And here it was early felt that if any advance was to be made, it must be the result of the efforts not of the people who owned or worked or represented the corrupt and limited existing constituencies, but either of those who were returned by the independent counties or cities, or of people and places who were excluded from all share in elective privileges. It was this feeling that led to the formation of associations and the holding of public meetings for discussing
