ent to a decisive
reverse, and could not but injure the prestige of the government, but it
did not actually cause a schism in the cabinet. It was otherwise when
the duke proposed a corn bill in lieu of that rejected at his instance
in the previous year. The difference between these measures was not very
material, but the duke insisted upon certain regulations of detail,
which Huskisson persistently opposed. Peel suggested a compromise which,
after long altercation and some threats of resignation, was adopted. But
the effect was to weaken the government still further in the eyes of the
public, inasmuch as the principle of duties on a graduated scale had
prevailed at last against the declared opinions of the duke. The
inevitable rupture was only deferred for a few weeks, and arose out of
motions for disfranchising East Retford and Penryn--a premonitory
symptom of the great reform bill. These were among the most corrupt of
the old "rotten boroughs," and the scandalous practices which flourished
in both of them had more than once shocked even the unreformed
parliament. In 1827 a bill for disfranchising Penryn had actually been
carried by the house of commons in spite of Canning's dissent, and one
for disfranchising East Retford would probably have been carried, but
that it was introduced too late.

The motions now introduced by Lord John Russell and Charles Tennyson
respectively could scarcely have been thrown out by the same house, but
squabbles arose in the cabinet, partly on the comparative guiltiness of
the two venal constituencies, but chiefly on the disposal of the seats
to be vacated. It was agreed at last that Penryn should be merged in the
adjacent hundred, and the majority of the cabinet, represented by Peel,
were for dealing in like manner with East Retford. The liberal section,
however, represented by Huskisson, was bent on transferring its
representation to Birmingham, and voted against Peel in the house of
commons. Having thus vindicated his independence, Huskisson, somewhat
too hastily, placed his resignation in the hands of the premier on May
20. The duke, having fairly lost patience with his insubordinate
colleagues, was equally prompt in accepting it, and declined to receive
the explanations offered. In the end, Palmerston, Dudley, Grant, and
Lamb, followed the fortunes of Huskisson, and Wellington's government
was completely purged of Canning's old supporters.

[Pageheading: _THE CLARE ELECTION._]

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