Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/109

 1815.] Dismissal of Grenville to the End of the War. 95 of the ministers, Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Perceval. This was rejected, but was repeated in an altered form on the nth of the same month, and was again defeated, the numbers being 85 for, and 310 against. Both these motions were avowedly brought forward with the view of proving the necessity for reform. In the same month Curwen moved for leave to bring in a bill for the prevention of bribery and corruption. This was the mild Whig method of dealing with the subject. Windham immediately opposed even the proposition for leave to be given. He said " it had been for many years his opinion that the House ought strenuously to oppose as dangerous and mad any proposal for Parliamentary reform," and this was the so-called old Whig policy which Windham declared he had imbibed from Burke. The ministers, however, allowed the bill to pass, but they altered it so completely in committee that its parents would not own it. So thorough was the change that Lord Folkestone moved that a new title should be given, and that it should be called, " A bill for more effectually preventing the sale of seats in Parliament for money, and for promoting a monopoly thereof to the treasury by means of patronage," and this curious proposal he took to a division, securing 28 votes for it against 133 for Government. Another proposal which may be taken as coming from the broader section of the official Whigs was made on the 8th of June by Whitbread, who moved for an inquiry as to " how far it may be expedient to limit the number of persons holding seats together with pensions, sinecures, and places of emolu- ment under the Crown." This was defeated by a majority of fifty-nine, there being fifty-four votes recorded in its favour. It was now the turn of the Radicals to submit a scheme of reform, and this was done on the i5th of June by Sir F. Burdett. The plan he brought forward contained the follow- ing propositions : 1. That freeholders and others subject to direct taxation in support of the poor, the Church, and the State be required to elect members to serve in Parliament. 2. That each county be sub-divided according to its