Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/210

 1 96 History of the Radical Party in Parliament, [1827- CHAPTER X. FROM CANNING'S PREMIERSHIP TO THE PASSING OF THE REFORM ACT (1827-1832). WHEN Canning received from the King his appointment as First Lord of the Treasury, six of his colleagues in the Cabinet had resigned their offices. The resignation of Lord Melville followed, and thus seven out of the twelve members of the Cabinet refused to act with him. Nor was this all. Wellington ceased to be master-general of the ordnance, an office which he might have held, and at Canning's death did hold, without politically attaching himself to the Ministry. Other and minor offices were vacated. Mr. Wallace retired from the mastership of the Mint, Sir Charles Wetherell from the office of attorney-general, and Sir J. Beckett from that of judge-advocate. The changes extended even to the house- hold. The Duke of Dorset resigned his staff as lord chamber- lain, and his son, the Marquis of Graham, the office of vice- chamberlain, and the Marquis of Londonderry ceased to be one of the lords of the bed-chamber. These changes, we are told,* came unexpectedly upon the country, and it was evident that social pressure was to be added to political influence to make the task of the new minister seem hopeless. That, in spite of these tactics, and of the active antagonism of the old Tory leaders, of their most influential followers in the Lords and their dependents in the Commons, it was found to be impossible to prevent the appointment of Canning or his success in forming a working administration, must have
 * "Annual Register," 1827, p. 100