fatal to any subsequent exercise
of it; and, in spite of the Common Council of London, who, confiding,
perhaps, in the formidable appearance presented by some of the City
Champions on Lord Mayor's Day, petitioned Parliament to preserve it, the
next year the Attorney-general brought in a bill to abolish it, and the
judges were no longer compelled to pronounce an absurd sentence in
obedience to an obsolete law, framed at a time when personal prowess was
a virtue to cover a multitude of sins, and might was the only right
generally acknowledged.

The foundation, too, was laid for other reforms. Lord Liverpool was more
thoroughly versed than any of his predecessors, except Pitt, in the
soundest principles of political economy; and in one of the first
speeches which he made in the new reign he expressed a decided
condemnation, not only of any regulations which were designed to favor
one trade or one interest at the expense of another, but generally of
the whole system and theory of protection; and one of his last measures
made an alteration in the manner of taxing corn imported from foreign
countries, which was greatly to the advantage of the consumer. It was
known as the "sliding-scale," the tax on imported corn varying with the
price in the market, rising when the price fell, and falling when it
rose; the design with which it was framed being to keep the price to the
consumer at all times as nearly equal as possible. At first, however, it
was vehemently denounced by the bulk of the agriculturists, who were
re-enforced on this occasion by a large party from among the Whigs, and
especially by some of those connected with Ireland. But a more suitable
period for discussing the establishment of Free-trade as the ruling
principle of our financial policy will occur hereafter.

The introduction of the sliding-scale was almost the last act of Lord
Liverpool's ministry. At the beginning of 1827 he was preparing a fresh
measure on the same subject, the effect of which was intended to
diminish still farther the protection which the former act had given,
and which was in consequence denounced by many landholders of great
wealth and influence, led, on this subject, by the King's favorite
brother, the Duke of York.[189] But, a few days after the meeting of
Parliament, he was struck down by an attack of paralysis, from which he
never recovered.

In his post as Prime-minister he was succeeded by Canning, not without
great reluctance on