Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/161

 1 822.] Death of George III. to the Death of Castlcreagh. 147 tical traditions and habits of English politics to be speedily eradicated ; but at least it was not, during the reign of George IV., strengthened by any new manifestation of personal affection. The only way in which, for a time, this altered relation between sovereign and subjects could practically exhibit itself, was in making possible divisions among the Tories themselves. Their power over the constituencies was so complete or rather the interests of the majority of the governing class were so involved in the success of their prin- ciples that Parliamentary opposition from the Liberal side was futile. The conduct of the House of Commons which was in existence at the time of the death of George III., furnished no means of judging whether or not any alteration in public opinion was caused by the change of sovereign. But the test of a general election was to be at once applied. On the i /th of February, 1820, the session was formally opened by the speech from the throne, some necessary business was rapidly /transacted, and on the 28th Parliament was prorogued and dissolved. During the interval Lord John Russell intro- duced, and carried through some of its stages, a bill to suspend the issue of writs for Grampound, Penryn, and Camelford, to which, in the course of the debates, Barnstaple was added. A proposition of this kind was not calculated to arouse any great enthusiasm in the mind of reformers ; but neither was it likely to alarm those magnates amongst the Whigs, who, whilst they were honestly desirous of improving the government of the country, did not wish to lose that political and social power which arose from the possession of pocket boroughs and territorial influence in counties. The elections, therefore, were quiet and uneventful. The new Parliament was very like the old one in its general character, in its hatred of change, and its solid support of the Tory Ministry. The relative strength of parties was soon tested by divisions. The session was opened on the 2ist of April, by a speech which acknowledged " the distress which still unhappily prevails among many of the labouring classes