1846.] Sir Robert Peel's Administration. 341 statement against protective duties was almost contemptible when aimed against a minister who had done much to extend commercial freedom, by one who, during a long tenure of power, had scarcely attempted to touch the subject. As to the corn laws, Lord John, although he had declared against protection, still adhered to his idea of imposing a fixed duty, a proposal rejected by the earnest men of both sides. He was now, however, willing to reduce the duty from eight shillings, which he had for years advocated, to six, five, or four shillings, as the House might prefer a kind of Dutch auction in which he obtained no new bidders. As regarded education also, he touched no solid ground ; the very term "religious and moral education" showed that he was not prepared to grapple with the real difficulty which was in the way of the establishment of a national system. But what made the Radicals most dissatisfied was, that in an elaborate scheme which professed to deal with the questions affecting the labouring classes there should be no mention of any desire to extend their political privileges. Accordingly, whilst ministers were able to dispose of his new-born zeal for free trade, Crawford moved an amendment to insert in the first resolution the words, "to give immediate attention to the claims so repeatedly urged in petitions for an extension of the Parliamentary suffrage." On this amendment, which raised one of the main issues between the Whigs and the Radicals, a division was taken, when there were 33 for, and 253 against.*
- On this occasion the reformers did not poll their full strength, but the list of
the minority is given because it was the last important division on the subject during Peel's administration. The names were Baine, W. Ellis, W. Russell, Lord E. Berkeley, Hon. H. F. Etwall, R. Tancred, H. W. Blake, M. J. Fielden, J. Trelawney, J. S. Blewitt, R. J. Ferguson, Col. Villiers, Hon. C. Bouverie, Hon. E. P. Granger, T. C. Wakley, T. Christie, W. D. Hally burton, Lord J. F. Warburton, H. Cobden, R. Hill, Lord M. Ward, H. G. Collett, J. Mitchell, H. Wawn, J. T. Duncan, G. Metcalfe, H. Yorke, H. W. Buncombe, T. Pechell, Capt. Dundas, Hon. J. C. Plumridge, Capt. Crawford, W. S. ) Ellice, E. Ricardo, J. L. Bowring, Dr. J lellers '
