Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/486

 472 History of the Radical Party in Parliament. [1865- was that which struck at the proprietary influence in the small boroughs which were to be grouped. Many of these places were as much the appanage of territorial houses as were the close boroughs disfranchised by the first Reform Act. It was likely, therefore, that the alliance which had been so nearly successful against the Franchise Bill would be doubly energetic on this point. The Redistribution Bill was read a second time on the 1 4th of May, and on the 28th the two measures were referred to the same committee. On the motion that the Speaker leave the chair, for the House to go into committee, Captain Hayter moved " That in the opinion of this House the system of grouping proposed by Government is neither convenient nor equitable, nor sufficiently matured to form the basis of a satisfactory measure." During the debate, it became so evident that the landed interests on both sides of the House would be too strong for ministers that Mr. Gladstone had to declare that the principle of grouping was not vital to the bill. This was enough, and the amendment, which its mover wished to withdraw, was rejected by 403 votes to 2. The bills were now in committee, where the opposition would have increased means of resistance and obstruction, and they soon gave evidence of their intention to make use of them. On the /th of June Lord Stanley moved the postponement of the franchise clauses until redistribution had been considered, but was beaten by 287 to 260. The crucial point was now reached. On the nth of June Ward Hunt moved that the county franchise should be based on rating instead of rental. This amendment was debated for two nights, and the division taken on the I4th showed for the amendment, 273 ; against it, 280, giving Government a majority of seven only. This vote, given on a subject which the Ministry had declared to be of the very essence of the bill, encouraged the seceding Liberals and presaged the defeat of the measure. The end came on the 1 8th of June, when Lord Dunkellin, a professed Liberal, opened the same question with regard to boroughs which had been raised by Hunt in respect to counties. He moved that, in describing the new borough franchise, the word