Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 53.djvu/368

 on the state of Ireland in 1824, and the ministry conceded an inquiry, but in a limited form. It was to Lord Althorp that Lord John Russell, when defeated in his contest for Huntingdonshire in 1826, entrusted in the new parliament the bribery bill which he had introduced in the last session of the old one. To the idea of a coalition of the whigs with Canning, whom he distrusted, Althorp was at first openly hostile. But when Canning formed a government in April 1827 he yielded to the widespread feeling of his party, and consented to give a general support to the new administration. There was some question of his joining the cabinet, but to this the king, whose grants Althorp had more than once opposed, was expected to object. For a short time he was chairman of the finance committee nominated to inquire into the condition of the revenue. His appointment gave the occasion for the quarrel between Herries and Huskisson which broke up the Goderich administration which followed the death of Canning [see, first ]. He supported the efforts of his friend Joseph Hume towards greater public economy, and voted for the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts and for catholic emancipation. At a meeting held at his rooms in 1830 it was resolved to raise the question of the public expenditure, and Charles Edward Poulet Thompson (afterwards Lord Sydenham) [q. v.] introduced a motion accordingly on 25 March 1830, when Lord Althorp declared himself a supporter of an income-tax, though the less advanced whigs were against it. In the same session he introduced a game bill of a liberal character, which was lost for the time being owing to the dissolution, but became law in 1831 as 1 and 2 William IV, c. 32.

In general, Althorp, though in opposition, was not unfriendly to the Duke of Wellington's ministry, which lasted from October 1828 until November 1830, and during that period moderated the hostility of some friends of extreme views. His placable course was the choice of his individual judgment, for the whigs at the time had hardly any party coherence in the House of Commons, and, except for occasional gatherings at Althorp's rooms in the Albany, no party system was maintained. At length, in 1830, their condition became so patently disorganised that a movement arose for placing the party under regular leadership, and Althorp, who had treated a similar suggestion with modest ridicule in 1827, was chosen leader on 6 March. His high character united in his support such dissimilar and independent members as Brougham, Graham, and Hume; meetings of the party were regularly held and a daily criticism of the ministerial proposals was entered upon. These steps at once showed Peel that he had now to deal with a serious and organised opposition. At the general election of 1830 Althorp was returned unopposed. At a meeting held at his chambers the whig leaders resolved to support as a party the cause of parliamentary reform (, iii. 48), and on the first night of the new session, 2 Nov., Lord Grey in the House of Lords and Althorp in the House of Commons made declarations accordingly. Ministers were defeated on the 15th, and the Duke of Wellington resigned.

Althorp was most reluctant to assume the burden of office with Lord Grey (, Life of Lord John Russell, i. 159); he absolutely refused Lord Grey's suggestion that he should form and head the ministry, and only consented to join it on Lord Grey's assurance that on no other terms would he attempt to form one at all. Having consented to be a member, he then selected for himself, to Grey's surprise, the post of chancellor of the exchequer and leader of the House of Commons, as being, in spite of his inexperience, the position in which he could be of the greatest use (, 2nd ser. ii. 153). He stipulated, however, that he should not be asked in the event of Grey's death or resignation to take the vacant place. His appointment was not at first popular with his party, but before long not only the whigs but the house at large recognised in this shy, unambitious, and almost tongue-tied man a person of rare integrity and ability. ‘He became the very best leader of the House of Commons that any party ever had.’

His difficulties began with the new session, and arose from the extravagant expectations formed by his party of the possibility of great reductions of public expenditure, when in fact the previous administration had not been improvident. On 7 Feb. 1831 he introduced his plan for the settlement of the civil list. To please the new king it was necessary to offend the whigs; few reductions were made, and George IV's pensions were spared. The insecurity of affairs on the continent at the same time prevented reductions in the estimates. His budget, introduced on 11 Feb. in a somewhat confused speech, was chiefly remarkable for its proposal of duties on transfers of real and funded property to compensate for numerous remissions on imported commodities. The vigorous attacks of Peel and Goulburn compelled the cabinet, in spite of Althorp's threat of resignation, to with