Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/171

 i822.] Death of George III. to the Death of Castlereagh. 157 carried by a majority in the House of Commons ; the minis- terial leader in that House, and the ablest and most popular member of the Tory party, although personally opposed on almost every other question, agreeing in its support. The Peers rejected the bill on the i6th of April, by 159 votes and proxies to 12O, but its ultimate success was now insured. Lord Grenville spoke and voted in its favour, a matter of course, but of the more importance because, in the following year, the Ministry had to seek an alliance with him and his friends. The coalition, if it really deserves the name, took place in January, 1822, before the meeting of Parliament. It occa- sioned very few changes. The Marquis of Buckingham was made a duke, C. W. W. Wynne became President of the Board of Control, and H. Wynne was appointed envoy to the Swiss cantons. The Board of Control had been held by C. Bathurst, in conjunction with the chancellorship of the Duchy of Lancaster, which latter office he continued to oc- cupy, so that there was no displacement, but only an addition to the Cabinet. The alliance illustrated the existing position of parties, and also affected to some extent their individual composition and their relations to each other. The Tories could not but feel their weakness in Parliamentary ability. Canning had left the Government, and his views with regard to the cause of the Queen, irrespective of the jealousy and dislike with which he was regarded by many of his old colleagues, seemed likely to keep him out of office for some time to come. Castlereagh had little power as a speaker, and Peel had yet to win his spurs as an orator and a tactician. Beyond these and the two law officers, there was no one to meet the attacks of Tierney, Mackintosh, Lambton, Brougham, Russell, Burdett, and other opposition speakers. They wanted to add to their voting power some debating skill, and, if possible without affecting their real policy, to attract to themselves something of the popular character of which all the Whigs were supposed to partake. Perhaps the chief induceiTnent,