Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/131

 i82o.] Close of the War to the Death of George III. 117 The commercial and financial pressure, however, reached the monied classes, and their dissatisfaction made itself felt with more effect. Ministers proposed, in the session of 1816, to continue the property tax, and this was strongly resisted. The ordinary strength of the combined opposition was about 130, as was shown by divisions on the Budget and on the military establishments ; but on the income tax ministers were defeated by 238 to 201. The Government replied to this by a proposal which proved that it was not by chance that the land-owning class were protected at the cost of the indus- trial community. Instead of trying to make up the deficiency caused by the repeal of the tax, they immediately proposed to add to it by the removal of the malt tax, and to cover the whole deficit by loans. Even these concessions were not considered sufficient, and Mr. Western, the representative of the landed interest, proposed to increase the stringency of the corn laws, passed only the year before, by rescinding the provision for bonding corn free, and by giving bounties and drawbacks for the encouragement of exportation. In favour of this broad statement of the principle of protection the House declared by unanimously resolving on going into committee for its consideration. The resolutions were not carried into law on this occasion, but it was clearly made known that, in the contest between the poor and the monopo- lists, the sympathy of what should have been the people's House was against the people. That this was understood by the popular representatives was stated clearly enough by Burdett, who, speaking in the property tax debate on the 27th of February, declared that "he despaired of making the majority of that House, constituted as at present it was, feel for the distress of the country ; but he hoped that the sentiment of the people would be so expressed as to compel ministers and, through them, their adherents, to abandon the measure." It was becoming every day clearer to the popular mind that Burdett's words were true, and that, without a change in the constitution of Parliament, no legislation was possible which should aim at increasing the public welfare, lessening