principle had not yet been set up as a part of our
constitutional system that the sovereign was bound to submit his own
will and pleasure to the advice of his ministers. It would have been
quite in accordance with recognized precedents since the House of
Hanover came to the throne if the King were to proclaim his
determination to act upon his own judgment and let his ministers either
put up with his decision or resign their offices.

For some time, indeed, it appeared as if the King was likely to assert
his prerogative, according to the old fashion. The disagreeable and
almost hazardous task of endeavoring to persuade the King into
compliance with the desire of his Ministry was entrusted to Lord
Brougham, who was supposed, as Lord Chancellor, to be keeper of the
sovereign's conscience. Brougham was not a man who could be described
as gifted with the bland powers of persuasion, but at all events he did
not want courage for the task he had to undertake. William appears at
first to have refused flatly his consent to the wishes of the Ministry,
to have blustered a good deal in his usual unkingly, not to say
ungainly, fashion, and to have replied to Brougham's intimation that
the ministers might have to resign, with words to the effect that
ministers, if they liked, might resign and be--ministers no more. The
King, however, was at last prevailed upon to give his assent, but then
a fresh trouble arose when he found that Lord Grey and Lord Brougham,
presuming on his ultimate compliance, had already taken steps to make
preparations for the ceremonials preceding dissolution. As the {152}
Ministry thought it necessary that there should be no delay whatever in
the steps required to dissolve Parliament, a message had been sent in
order that the Life Guards should be ready, according to the usual
custom when the King went to Westminster for such a purpose. William
found in this act on the part of the Ministry a new reason for an
outburst of wrath. He stormed at Brougham; he declared that it was an
act of high-treason to call out the Life Guards without the express
authority of the King, and he raged in a manner which seemed to imply
that only the mercy of the sovereign could save Grey and Brougham from
the axe on Tower Hill.

[Sidenote: 1831--The second Reform Bill]

Perhaps it was fortunate on the whole for the peaceful settlement of
the controversy that the King should have found this new and unexpected
stimulant to his