Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/211

 1832.] Canning's Premiership to Passing of Reform Act. 197 been owing to the growth of Liberal opinion in the party itself as well as in all other sections of the community. The fact that this growth or change, constant although gradual, was going on in the nation, gives its greatest importance to the history of these transactions. If the acceptance, by an increasing number of members, of Radical opinions had been an isolated fact, it would have had little result, and have been worthy of little consideration. It is because the birth and progress of Radicalism were parts of a national development that they possess 'permanent interest. The accession of Canning to power marked and drew attention to a distinct stage in that development, appreciable in every party and section into which English politicians were divided. There was at one end of the scale the extreme high Tory party, and even there the altered state of affairs was suf- ficiently evident. That there was no one to take the place of Liverpool as a Premier pledged to resist Catholic eman- cipation was in itself significant. Sidmouth's place was unfilled ; and Eldon, who was willing enough to rally to the old cry of resistance and repression, was quietly dropped, even when a compact Tory Ministry was contemplated after the death of Canning. Peel had already given an intimation of his liability to conviction ; Wellington was not long in learning that the old doctrine could not be reconciled with the new life ; and Copley now made Lord Lyndhurst accepted office under the new Prime Minister, with whom he had engaged in bitter controversy but a week before. The movement which isolated Eldon and affected Peel manifested itself in another section of their party, by furnishing to Canning such a number of supporters as, added to the votes he received from the Liberals, gave him a working majority in the House of Commons. We come then to the Whigs, and it has been before observed that there was a very considerable and very rapid advance made by the representatives of the old leaders on the subject of Parliamentary reform. With some of them, no doubt, the opinion was affected by the fact that it was