on's "Dispatches and Letters," II, 451.

581. The Lords reject the Bill; Serious Riots (1831).

The King dissolved Parliament (S534, note 2); a new one was elected,
and the Reform Bill was passed by the House of Commons; but the upper
House rejected it. Then a period of wild excitement ensued. The
people in many of the towns collected in the public squares, tolled
the church bells, built bonfires in which they burned the bishops in
effigy, with other leading opponents of the bill, and cried out for
the abolition of the House of Lords.

In London the rabble smashed the windows of Apsley House, the
residence of the Duke of Wellington. At Nottingham the mob fired and
destroyed the castle of the Duke of Newcastle because he was opposed
to reform. In Derby a serious riot broke out. In Bristol matters
were still worse. A mob got possession of the city, and burned the
Bishop's Palace and a number of public buildings. The mayor was
obliged to call for troops to restore order. Many persons were
killed, and four of the ringleaders of the insurrection were hanged.
All over the country shouts were heard, "The Bill, the whole Bill, and
nothing but the Bill!"

582. Passage of the Great Reform Bill, 1832; Results.

In the spring of 1832 the battle began again more fiecely than ever.
Again the House of commons voted the bill, and once again the House of
Lords defeated it.

Earl Grey, the Whig Prime Minister (S479), had set his heart on
carrying the measure. In this crisis he appealed to the King for
help. If the Tory Lords would not pass the bill, the King had the
power to create a sufficient number of new Whig Lords who would.
William refused to exercise this power. Thereupon Earl Grey, with his
Cabinet (S534), resigned, but in a week the King had to recall them.
Then William, much against his will, gave the following document to
his Prime Minister:

"The King grants permission to Earl Grey, and to his Chancellor,
Lord Brougham, to create such a number of Peers as will be
sufficient to insure the passing of the Reform Bill--first calling
up Peers' eldest sons.
"William R., Windsor, May 17, 1832"[1]

[1] "First calling up Peers' eldest sons": that is, in creating new
Lords, the eldest sons of Peers were to have the preference. William
R. (Rex, King): this is the customary royal signature. Earl Grey was
the leader of that branch of the Whig party known as the "Aristo