1867.] Death of Palmerston to Reform Act. Conclusion. 475 manifested as though a rebellion were impending. The people who had refused to believe in the national demand because it was urged without violence, were panic-stricken when ' their challenge for agitation was accepted. The effect of these outside proceedings was soon felt in Parliament. The Earl of Derby formed a new Cabinet, and the first time he spoke in the House of Lords, which was on the Qth of July, when the excitement was only beginning, he hastened to declare that he was not opposed to reform. He would not pledge himself to bring in a bill immediately, but he could not deny that there were practical anomalies in our representative system, and nothing would give him greater pleasure than to see a large increase in the number of electors, and a considerable infusion of persons who were now excluded from the representation. Disraeli spoke in the same strain when he addressed his constituents. This was cold comfort to the men who had deserted their old party for the sake of preventing reform, which was now as inevitable as before. The Ministry formed by Lord Derby was purely Conservative. He made overtures again to some of the moderate Whigs, and especially to the Adullamites, but with no success ; and had to meet Parliament with a Cabinet taken entirely from the party which was in a minority in the House of Commons. His position was very peculiar. On all questions which, apart from constitutional change, affected practical administration, the Liberals would be united and would outnumber the Conservatives, and on the subjects on which some of the Whigs would help them ministers were unable to make a stand. Fortunately, the session was nearly at an end, and some months were before them in which they could consider and mature their policy. Several important measures had to be withdrawn, among them Mr. Gladstone's proposals for the reduction of the national debt and the bill to amend the Irish land laws. One subject, however, was carried a stage further after the resignation of the Russell Cabinet, and that served to show on what lines the Liberals would act together. On the 1 8th
