Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/356

 342 History of the Radical Party in Parliament. [1841- Russell's first resolution was lost by 182 to 105, and the others were withdrawn. Villier's annual motion was introduced on the loth of June. Russell this time made another step in advance. In 1843 he had voted against, in 1844 he had abstained, and now in 1845 he announced his intention of voting for the resolution. Peel was able to rally Lord John on this change of front, but neither the ministers nor the protectionists could fail to see that their case was daily growing more hopeless. The division showed for the motion, 122 ; against it, 254, so that the majority had again fallen from 204 to 132. A great part of the time of Parliament was taken up by the consideration of proposals of the Government with regard to the College of Maynooth, which engrossed public attention and aroused in all its bitterness the fury of religious in- tolerance. The determination to introduce the question had led to the retirement from the Ministry of Mr. Gladstone, who held that he was precluded by opinions, which he had previously published, from taking an active part in what he regarded, to some extent, as an endowment of the Roman Catholic Church. This resignation, regretted at the time, was not followed by any hostility to the Government or their measure, but its effect was no doubt felt at the close of the year, when Mr. Gladstone's sympathy and support in the Cabinet would have been invaluable to Peel in the final struggle on behalf of free food. What ministers now proposed to do with regard to Maynooth, was to vote a large sum to put the building in a state of repair, to fit it to become the seat of a national college, to enlarge the annual con- tributions for maintenance, and put the whole institution upon a permanent footing. These proposals gave rise everywhere to violent agitation and fierce discussions. The " no popery " cry was deafening, and men were ready to declare that ministers were acting in open defiance to the known will of the Almighty. The Radicals were not united on the question, although none of them joined the ranks of in- tolerance ; Roebuck supported the scheme as an act of