laration. But in the case of such a measure as
the Reform Bill it may be asked if any great advantage was to be gained
by keeping the nature of the measure a complete secret until the hour
came for its full and official explanation. With regard to this Reform
Bill there were many good reasons for maintaining the profoundest
possible secrecy. If any premature reports got out at all they would
be sure to be imperfect reports, indiscreet or haphazard revelations of
this or that particular part of the Bill, utterly wanting in balance,
symmetry, and comprehensiveness. The whole thing was new to the
country, and there would have been much danger in fixing public
attention upon some one part of the proposed reform until the public
could be in a position to judge the scheme as a complete measure.

Lord Grey's Government had to deal with two classes of men who were
naturally and almost relentlessly opposed to each other--the more
clamorous reformers and the enemies of all reform. It was of immense
importance that the latter class should, if possible, be prevailed upon
to see--at least the more intelligent and reasonable among them--that
the Government had not gone so far in the direction of reform as to
make it seem a threatened revolution. It was, on the other hand, of
immense importance to prevail upon the former class to see that the
Government had not so stunted and dwarfed its proposed reform as to
render it incapable of anything like a political and constitutional
revolution. Any sudden explosion of feeling on either side brought
about by some premature {136} and imperfect revelation might have
caused the most serious trouble in the country.

[Sidenote: 1831--Introduction of the Reform Bill]

Moreover, none of the ministers could possibly profess to be quite
certain as to the genuine wishes and purposes of his Majesty King
William the Fourth with regard to the Reform Bill. The King was not
always in the same mood on the same subject for any two days in
succession, or indeed for any two hours of the same day. If the
opponents of all reform were to get a knowledge of the clauses in the
Bill least favorable to their own ideas as to their interests, and were
to make a commotion among the owners of the soil, the immediate effect
might be to discourage the King altogether, to fill his mind with a
strong desire for escape from the uncongenial part of a reformer and an
overmastering anxiety to get rid of his reforming M