Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/281

 1837.] First Reformed Parliament to Death of William IV. 267 were bidding for office. No doubt, out of the 150, more or less, of recognized Radicals there were many who, if any division had been actually made, would have voted for the Whigs ; but, on the other hand, all the Whigs were prepared to vote Radical when their leaders asked them. The gradation of parties from the High Tories to the Radicals was remarkable, and was well understood at the time, as was the consequent difficulty of forming a compact majority on either side of the House. T. S. Buncombe, himself a very decided, and at that time a very active, Radical, made a calculation which illustrates this part of the subject very completely.* He divided the members of the House of Commons in 1836 first into the two great parties, giving 319 to the Conservatives, and 332 to their opponents. This was no doubt an actual and practical division, but he went on to subdivide both sections, with this result. On the ministerial or Liberal side, he said there were Whigs ... ... ... ... ... ... 152 Liberals ... ... ... ... ... ... 100 Radicals ... ... ... ... ... ... 80 332 On the other side Ultra-Tories ... ... ... ... ... ... 100 Moderate Tories ... ... ... ... ... 139 Liberal-Conservatives ... ... ... ... ... 80 319 This estimate was made with considerable shrewdness, and the hundred members whom he called Liberals would have heartily approved of an active policy on the part of the new Ministry. It would have been nothing but just, therefore, and it would have been extremely wise also, if the Liberal leaders, when they were called upon to form a Government, had chosen a fair number of colleagues from the popular party. By this means their own policy would have been kept more healthy ; they would have been in more direct communication with the men who represented not only the popular constituencies, but the popular ideas. They would consequently have retained
 * "Life of Buncombe," vol. i. pp. 212, 213.