inistry. If, on the
other hand, the Peterloo men, the Chartists generally, and the
populations of the northern towns were to get into their minds through
some imperfect revelation that the Ministerial Bill was not intended to
do half so much for them as they were demanding, and if in consequence
there were to be a stormy agitation throughout the country, then it was
quite possible that the King might take alarm and tell his ministers
that it was hopeless to think of conciliating such agitators, and that
the safety of the State, and especially of the monarchy, could only be
provided for by postponing reform until some more favorable
opportunity. For all these reasons, and many others, the leaders of
the Government had their hearts set on keeping well their secret until
the right hour should come for its official disclosure, and it is a
fact of some historical interest, even to readers of the present day,
that the secret was faithfully kept.

The 1st of March, 1831, was a day of intense excitement and even tumult
in and around the House of Commons. We are told that never before in
that generation had there been so great a crowd of persons struggling
for seats in the galleries of the House of Commons. It is recorded, as
an illustration of this intense eagerness on the part of the public,
that every available seat in the House {137} was occupied for hours
before the business of the day began. This, however, is not a
statement that could fill with surprise any reader of the present day.
We have been accustomed lately to read of occasions when not merely
crowds of strangers anxious to obtain seats, but crowds of members
positively entitled to get seats, have had to take their stand at the
outer gates of the House of Commons hours before daybreak on the
morning of the day when some great measure was to be introduced, that
they might get a reasonable chance of a place, in order to hear a
speech which could not possibly begin before four o'clock in the
afternoon. Certainly the House of Commons did not then consist of
nearly as many members as it has at present, and the reformed House of
Commons has not even yet been so reformed as to impress it with the
idea that there ought to be so many seats for so many members. However
that may be, it is quite certain that there was intense interest
manifested by the public on the day when the Reform Bill was to be
introduced; that immense crowds of people made for the Parliament
bui