all parts for
the purpose of urging the Government to make no concessions to the
political enemy. During the summer a meeting of the most influential
supporters of the Government was held in the Foreign Office, and at
that meeting Lord Althorp, Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that
Lord Grey and his colleagues were perfectly determined not to give way,
and he declared that the Government were resolved to keep the House of
Commons sitting until December, or, if necessary, until the following
December, in order to pass the Bill before the rising of the House for
its recess. Naturally this firm declaration had some effect on the
obstructionists, especially on the rank and file of the
obstructionists. Nothing discourages and disheartens obstruction so
much, in the House of Commons, as a resolute announcement on the part
of the Ministry that the House is to be kept together until the measure
under debate, whatever it may be, is disposed of. It is a hard task,
at any time, to keep the House of Commons together after the regular
season for its {165} holiday has come on; and if the rank and file of
Opposition can once be brought to believe that a certain measure is to
be passed no matter what number of weeks or months it may occupy, the
rank and file is very apt to make up its mind that there is no use in
throwing good months after bad, and that it might be as well to get the
thing done, since it has to be done, without unlimited sacrifice of
personal comfort. Still, the leaders of the Tory Opposition were not
deterred by Lord Althorp's proclamation from maintaining their work of
obstruction for some time yet. The impatience and anger of the country
rose higher and higher. A reforming member of the House was in an
unlucky plight indeed if he happened to be caught by one of the
amendments proposed from the benches of Opposition and, believing that
it had something reasonable in it, allowed his too sensitive conscience
to persuade him into supporting it by his vote. Into such a plight
fell a worthy alderman of the City of London--who had been sent into
the House of Commons as a Radical reformer. This well-meaning person
had permitted himself to become satisfied that there was something to
be said for one of the Opposition amendments, and in a moment of rash
ingenuousness he voted for it. He was immediately afterwards formally
censured by his constituents and by the body to which he officially
belonged. He was info