Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/258

 244 History of the Radical Party in Parliament, [1833- excited in the great mass of the people than the corn laws." * An attempt to realize these hopes was made by Mr. Whitmore, who, on the i/th of May, moved a resolution to amend the corn laws by substituting in their stead a moderate duty, fixed at all periods except those of extreme dearth. Once more the reform Ministry led the Tories and their own Whig followers into the lobby against the advocates of the popular desires. Lord Althorpe, in a speech which did not attempt to deal with the merits of the case, but objected to the time at which it had been brought forward, moved the previous question, which was carried by a majority of 305 to 206, numbers which proved the interest which attached to the subject. Another motion was made on the i8th of June to bring in a bill to alter the corn laws, but it was defeated. Questions which touched personal liberty were not likely to be overlooked by the Parliament which resolved to abolish negro slavery at a cost to the nation of twenty millions sterling. Hume, the indefatigable, repeated his annual proposal to abolish flogging in the army, and lost it by only a narrow majority, the numbers being 140 for and 151 against. A still nearer approach to victory was obtained on the I5th of August by Buckingham, who moved for the abolition of the impressment of seamen, for which he obtained fifty-four votes, whilst only fifty-nine voted against. It was not likely that the old friends of economy and purity in the administration of the national finances would lessen their exertions when their influence had been so much increased. A considerable amount of time was spent in discussions on this subject, which were rendered at once more vehement and more important from the excited state of public opinion. It had been the generally expressed view, during the reform agitation, that a more representative Parliament would lead to such improvements in method and principle of finance as would effect an immediate and appreciable relief from the burdens of taxation. This expectation could not be realized, and there was a conflict between the agricultural and the
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