sters. The consequence of this vote
was that on the next day the Duke of Wellington in the lords, and Sir
Robert Peel in the commons, announced that they had tendered, and his
majesty had accepted, their resignations, and that they continued to
hold their offices only until successors should be appointed. They
afterwards declared that they came to the resolution not so much on
account of the vote on the civil list as from anticipation of the result
of a division on Mr. Brougham's proposition for reform, which stood
for the day on which this announcement was made. But if the civil list
question had not been deemed important enough to justify a resignation,
the majority that decided it showed a settled and stern system of
opposition, which must have convinced ministers that they could no
longer rule the country. At the request of his friends, Mr. Brougham
postponed his motion for reform till the 25th of November, professing to
do so with reluctance, "because he could not possibly be affected by
any change in administration." He pledged himself to bring forward his
motion on the day appointed, whoever might be his majesty's ministers.
He repeated the same declaration on a motion made by Sir M. W. Ridley to
postpone the consideration of election petitions till after Christmas;
but two days afterwards Mr. Brougham was gazetted as lord high
chancellor of Great Britain with a peerage.

FORMATION OF EARL GREY'S ADMINISTRATION.

{WILLIAM IV. 1830--1831}

The Tories had lent their votes to displace the ministry, but they had
formed no plan, and taken no steps, to ensure to themselves any share
in the succession. Earl Grey was authorised by the king to form a new
administration, of which he himself should be the head; and his lordship
accepted the office on condition that he should have authority to make
parliamentary reform a cabinet measure. The ministry was formed in about
a week, and it consisted of Whigs, and of those who had been formerly
adherents of Messrs. Canning and Huskisson, and who had held office
with the leading members of the displaced administration. The greatest
difficulty lay in managing Mr. Brougham, who had just declared that no
change could affect him, by which it was found he meant that no change
would bring him the offer of an office sufficiently high for his
ambition. Earl Grey was afraid to leave him neglected or discontented
in the lower house, and the honourable gentleman was determined not to