1867.] Death of Palmer ston to Reform Act. Conclusion. 473 "rateable " should be used instead of " clear yearly." This was carried by 315 to 304, and the Reform Bill and the Govern- ment were at once destroyed. On this occasion forty-four Liberals had voted against the Ministry, and only one Conser- vative for them.* On the ipth, Earl Russell and Mr. Gladstone informed the Houses that ministers had resigned. The victory had been gained by the combined enemies of reform, but before it was well completed those who were most interested knew that it would prove fruitless. The desperate defenders of privilege, the Grosveners and Dun- kellins, the freelances, the Lowes and Horsmans, might be willing to fight for the retention of the position which had been gained ; but those who were called to power, and who would be responsible for the conduct of affairs, knew that no government could be carried on which did not accept the necessity for reform. For that overwhelming public opinion, for the expression of which the opponents of progress had called, and which they had boasted did not exist, now manifested itself in a form not to be mistaken. There had been an absence of great demonstrations before, not, as was now seen, because the people were indifferent, but because, all parties in Parliament being pledged to reform, there was a reasonable hope that justice would be obtained without agitation. That hope had been rudely shattered, and now, convinced that they could only succeed by their own action, the people " took the matter into their own hands, and showed in an unmistakable manner, both to friends and foes, that they were thoroughly in earnest." f The agitation which was immediately commenced had three great elements of success. It had a definite object, about which there was no division
- Some few Liberals who had voted for Earl Grosvenor did not support Lord
Dunkellin, but the following additions were made to the list of the deserters : Biddulph, Col. Bering, Sir E. Heneage, E. Blennerhasset, R. Finlay, A. S. MacEvoy, E. Browne, Lord J. Foley, H. W. Peel, Sir R. Cholmeley, Sir M. Foster, W. O. Pritchard, J. Clinton, Lord E. Goldsmid, J. Sheridan, R. B. t Molesworth's History of England from 1830 to 1874, vol. iii. p. 289.
