Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/323

 1841.] Accession of the Queen to Fall of Melbourne. 309 budget, and it was generally believed that their financial and commercial proposals would be framed as much with a view to their effect upon the country as with any expectation that they would be carried in Parliament. The 3ist of April was the day fixed for the financial statement, but before it was made, Russell gave notice that on the 3ist of May he should move " that the House resolve itself into a committee of the whole House, to consider the Acts of Parliament relating to the trade in corn." This was exactly the resolution which Mr. Villiers had moved year after year, and its adoption by ministers was regarded as a bid for popular support in the election which it was known could not be much longer delayed. Identical in terms as the motion of the Government was with that of the League, it did not cover the same intention, a compromise in which the principle would be sacrificed being all that the new friends of free trade intended to accomplish. This was soon made known in the House of Lords, where, on the 3rd of May, Melbourne, questioned by Ripon as to whether the alteration in the corn laws was to be on the principle of taxation or protection, said, " Unquestionably it will be upon a principle of protection." After Russell's notice the budget was brought on. It showed the usual and inevitable Whig deficit, amounting this year to no less than 2,421,000. The Chancellor of the Exchequer did not attempt to deal with the whole of this evil, but he proposed to mend it- to some extent by changes in the duties on foreign timber and foreign sugar. He said nothing as to the proposed change in the corn duties, except that Russell's proposals would not seriously affect his calculations. This was felt not to be explicit enough to form the foundation of a financial scheme, and on the 7th of May, when the sugar duties were to be debated, Russell again interposed, before going into committee, with a statement that he intended to propose fixed duties on wheat of 8s., on rye of 5^., on barley of 4s. 6d., and on oats of 3^. 6d. per quarter. The discussion on the sugar duties then proceeded, Lord San don moving an amendment to the Government proposal. In the debate Peel