Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/384

 3/O History of the Radical Party in Parliament. [1846- they possessed of throwing out the bill for repealing the navigation laws, and thereby destroying the Ministry. This bill had been hotly debated in the Commons, and it had been carried by less than the usual free r trade majorities, having been read a second time on the I3th of March by 266 to 210, and read a third time on the 23rd of April by 275 to 214. It came before the Peers for a second reading on the /th of May, which, after two nights' debate, was carried by a majority of ten only. It was known that the Conservatives could reject the bill if they chose, but they shrank from the responsibility, and on the third reading they left the House, and the measure passed. Another attempt was made at the end of the session to shake that composite majority in the Commons which was so fatal to the Conservatives. On the 3rd of July Disraeli moved that the House should resolve itself into committee to consider the state of the nation ; but it led rather to loss than to gain, the votes being for, 1 56 ; against, 296, a heavier defeat than that of the I5th of March. Whilst the Government were being thus attacked by the Tories on one side, the Radicals, on the other, displayed a great amount of activity, which was warranted alike by the ability of their leaders, their strength in the House, and their possession of the confidence of the majority of the people. The support of the Peelites was variable, and the hearty alle- giance of a compact body of from eighty or ninety of the most popular Liberals was of great importance. There was not at this time any intention manifested by the Radicals to swerve from their loyalty to the general Liberal party, but all the same the earnestness of their convictions had to be taken into account, and it was constantly widening the area of their influence. On the question of Parliamentary reform they made, during the session, several demonstrations, some in detail, but one in general terms. On the 22nd of May Tennyson D'Eyncourt moved for leave to bring in a bill for shortening the duration of Parliament, and was defeated by a majority of five in a small House ; and on the 24th of May H. Berkeley introduced a motion in favour of the ballot, when