t Hon. John Wilson
Croker, who exchange signs with their fingers, showing that the
proceeding does not altogether meet with their approval. In the
background may be seen Sir Charles Wetherell, hated of the reformers of
Bristol, looking as opposed to the measure as ever; the bill, as we
know, was thrown out by the Lords in October, by a majority of 41. The
same month, its enthusiastic advocate, the Rev. Sydney Smith, at a
reform meeting at Taunton, compared the attempt of the House of Lords to
stop the progress of reform to a certain fictitious Dame Partington of
Sidmouth, who had essayed during the progress of the great storm to
arrest the progress of the Atlantic with her broom. "The Atlantic was
roused," said the wit; "Mrs. Partington's spirit was up; but I need not
tell you that the contest was unequal. The Atlantic Ocean beat Mrs.
Partington." Immediately after this speech appeared the sketch of _Dame
Partington and the Ocean of Reform_, in which the character of the
apocryphal and obstinate dame is sustained by that vigorous opponent of
the Reform Bill, his grace the Duke of Wellington.

A DEAD LOCK.

As the Lords had thrown out the Reform Bill, it was necessary to begin
_de novo_. Accordingly, on the 12th of December, Lord John Russell again
moved for leave to bring in a new Reform Bill, which passed the third
reading by a majority of 116 on the 23rd of March, 1832, and its second
reading in the House of Peers, by a majority of nine, on the 14th of
April. Then the fighting and opposition became once more as strenuous
and as sustained as ever. On a subsequent division the ministry were
left in a minority of thirty-five, whereupon Earl Grey proceeded to the
king, and tendered to his Majesty the alternative either of arming the
ministers with the powers they deemed necessary to carry through their
bill (which really meant a power to create whatever new peers they might
deem requisite for the purpose), or of accepting their own immediate
resignation. In the course of the following day the king informed his
lordship that he had determined to accept his resignation rather than
have recourse to the only alternative which had been proposed to him;
and accordingly, on the 9th, Earl Grey announced in the House of Lords,
and Lord Althorp in the Commons, that the ministry was at an end, and
simply held office till their successors should be appointed. The Duke
of Wellington attempted to form an administration, and failed