om called
England and Wales, ought not to be diminished." This motion was designed
to get rid of the bill altogether, and it produced a violent and
contentious debate. Mr. Sadler, who seconded it, delivered a long,
argumentative, and learned speech against the general principles of
the whole plan of reform. He was followed by the chancellor of the
exchequer, who declared that he was quite sure that the amendment
was put with a view of destroying the bill. It was impossible to
misunderstand it: it was the first of that series of motions by which it
was intended to interfere with the progress of the committee, and which,
if agreed to, would be fatal to the bill. The debate was adjourned till
the next day. On that occasion, of the members who opposed it, some did
not see how an agreement to the amendment could be considered hostile to
the principle of the bill, even if it were carried; and not one, except
ministers themselves, pretended it would be a good reason for abandoning
the whole bill. Mr. Bulwer, for instance, thought that this question
regarding the number of members would make no difference in the general
character of the measure, and Mr. J. Campbell hoped that the bill
would go on, though the amendment should be carried. Mr. Wynn, who had
resigned office because he was opposed to the bill, also thought that
this motion was not of much consequence one way or the other. Sir George
Warrington, though opposed to the bill, would resist the amendment, on
the idea that the effect of it would be, if the bill went on, to prevent
the giving of additional members to Scotland. Sir George Clerk said,
that he, also, would vote against it if he anticipated any such results;
but he saw no reason that it should be so. Sir Robert Wilson, one of the
most zealous of all the reformers, expressed great surprise at the
view which ministers, after all that had passed, chose to take of this
amendment. In voting for it he was not voting against increasing the
representation of either Scotland or Ireland, nor did he believe that
the fate of the bill depended in the slightest degree on the success or
the failure of the present motion. Mr. Stanley, however, declared that
this discussion would decide the fate of the bill. The amendment, he
said, was concocted in a spirit of hostility to the bill, and brought
forward to embarrass ministers. He warned those honourable members,
who, while they professed themselves friendly to reform, supported th