Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/430

 41 6 History of the Radical Party in Parliament. [1855- made was Berkeley's annual motion for the ballot, which was introduced on the 22nd of May, and defeated by 218 to 166 a division which, under the circumstances, was not discouraging. Still better votes were obtained by Sir W. Clay on the church rates question, a fact which proved the growing importance and influence of the Nonconformists. On the 29th of March Clay moved for leave to bring in a bill to abolish those rates, and obtained it by 155 to 76. The second reading was carried on the i6th of May in a more triumphant manner, the votes being 217 for, and 198 against As the leaders of all sections of the official Liberals, Palmerston, Russell, and Gladstone, voted against the bill, the protest in favour of religious liberty was all the more remarkable. The measure, of course, came to nothing it never could have passed the Lords ; and on the 25th of July, as no progress could be made, Clay moved that the order for going into committee should be discharged. National education was kept before the attention of the country, not only by discussions upon the estimates, but by the introduction of a Free Schools Bill by Milner Gibson, for which leave was given on the 29th of March. On the 2Oth of March Sir Joshua Walmsley had moved unsuccessfully that the British Museum and the National Gallery should be opened on Sundays. The subject, however, which excited the most general interest was what was called administrative reform, which included the method of appointment to all departments of the public service. The disgraceful break-down of the services in the Crimea had first aroused attention to the matter, and it had been sustained by the discussions attending the appointment of Roebuck's committee. Mr. Layard constituted himself a sort of champion of the cause, and on the I5th of June he brought forward a very remarkable resolution, which declared " That this House views with deep and increasing concern the state of the nation, and is of opinion that the manner in which merit and efficiency have been sacrificed in public appointments to party and family influences, and to a blind adherence to routine, has given rise to great misfortunes, and