y's
Charter..... Debate on the Proposal to alter the
Currency..... Financial Statements..... Bill for Repealing
the Duty on Beer, &c...... The Question of Reform..... The
Case of East Retford, &c...... Mr. O'Connel's Bill for
Reform by Universal Suffrage and Vote by Ballot, &c......
Bill for Removing the civil Disabilities affecting the
Jews..... Bill for Capital Punishment in Cases of
Forgery..... Bill for Amending the Law of Libel, &c......
Alterations in Courts of Justice..... Illness of the
King..... Bill to authorize the adhibiting of the Sign
Manual by a Stamp..... Death of the King, and Accession of
the Duke of Clarence, William IV...........

STATE OF PARTIES.

{A.D. 1830}

At the commencement of this year, government found itself in a new and
unsafe position. It had carried the great party question of Catholic
emancipation, but in so doing it had lost the confidence of a large body
of its most faithful adherents. Ministers had, it is true, on the other
hand, gained the seeming support of their old enemies of the opposition;
but this could not be depended upon. The Whigs were willing to lend
them such assistance as would prevent the necessity of seeking a
reconciliation with the offended Tories; but they were not willing
to concede even this, except as the means of gradually introducing
themselves into an equal share of power. They assented to a coalition in
parliament; but the price of this assent was coalition in office. In a
word, their policy was to aid the government with their countenance and
their votes, so far as it would be sufficient to keep it alive, but by
no means to give it the robustness and vigour of perfect health. On
the other hand, the Duke of Wellington was willing to use them as
supporters; but he was not disposed to extend to them an equal share
of power. It was his wish, indeed, to be reconciled to his old friends;
and, therefore, he stood aloof from a more intimate connexion with the
Whigs, that he might keep open the door of reconciliation to the
former. He flattered himself, that as each of the two divisions of his
adversaries would be unwilling to drive him for the preservation of the
ministry into the arms of the other, he might command the occasional
assistance of both, to an extent sufficient to enable him to govern
without placing himself in the power of either. But this was chimerical.
The Tories showed no