Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/452

 438 History of the Radical Party in Parliament. [1859- Parliament There were forty-four losses and twenty-one gains, boroughs and counties both helping to increase the Conservative following. The alteration in numbers produced a good deal of uncer- tainty and commotion amongst the Liberals. It made the absolute union of all sections a condition of return to power, and the possible ministers, having to be dependent upon keeping Radicals and Whigs alike in good humour, had no easy task before them. This seemed to secure some practical advance, because without that the Radicals would in no way have been conciliated. On the other hand, the ultra-Whig section would not allow a too rapid progress, and on the whole their disaffection would be more dangerous than that of the Radicals, because in a case of revolt they could secure the Conservative vote in their favour, and there was the House of Lords always ready to give the finishing stroke to any pro- posal about which there was any disagreement amongst the Liberals. The difficulty arose at the very outset, in the attempted formation of a new Ministry. It was at last recognized on all hands that the Radicals were a definite power, and that they must have a direct representation in the Cabinet. Not, as had been hitherto the case, the selection of some individual at the sacrifice if not of his principles, at least of his free advocacy of them ; but the admission of men who would be expected to keep the Radical policy before Parliament when in office as they had done when they were out. The process which had nominally elevated, but had really silenced, Hobhouse and Molesworth and Sheil, was no longer possible, and this was a fact which prolonged the negotiations for the formation of a Ministry. Russell and Palmerston had agreed to compromise their differences, and a few years back that would have been sufficient. Now the case was altered, and the fact was set forth in most melancholy terms by a writer in the Times, who said, " What we lament is, that the Liberals would return to power with an aggravation of the difficulties which drove them from it. We cannot flatter ourselves that