he termed the 'living energy and industry of the England of the
nineteenth century, with its steam-engines and its factories, its cotton
and woollen cloths, its cutlery and its coal-mines, its wealth and its
intelligence.' Whilst the bill about Grampound was being discussed by
the Lords he took further action in this direction, and presented four
resolutions for the discovery and punishment of bribery, the
disfranchisement of corrupt boroughs, and the enfranchisement of wealthy
and populous towns. On a division his proposals were defeated by
thirty-one votes in a House of 279 members, and this, under all the
circumstances, was a better result than he expected.

On April 25, 1822, Lord John again tested the feeling of Parliament with
his motion 'that the present state of the representation requires
serious consideration.' In the course of a speech of three hours he
startled the House by proposing that 100 new members should be added,
and, in order that the Commons should not be overcrowded, he added
another resolution, to the effect that a similar number of the small
boroughs should be represented by one member instead of two. Mr. Canning
opposed such a scheme, but complimented Lord John on the ability he had
displayed in its advocacy, and then added: 'That the noble lord will
carry his motion this evening I have no fear; but with the talents which
he has shown himself to possess, and with (I sincerely hope) a long and
brilliant career of Parliamentary distinction before him, he will, no
doubt, renew his efforts hereafter. If, however, he shall persevere, and
if his perseverance shall be successful, and if the results of that
success shall be such as I cannot help apprehending, his be the triumph
to have precipitated those results, be mine the consolation that, to the
utmost and to the latest of my power, I have opposed them.'[2]

Little persuasion was necessary to win a hostile vote, and in a House of
433 members Lord John found himself in a minority of 164. Next year he
renewed his attempt, but with the same result, and in 1826 he once more
brought forward his proposals for Reform, to be defeated. Two months
afterwards, however--May 26, 1826--undaunted by his repeated failures,
he brought in a bill for the discovery and suppression of bribery at
elections. The forces arrayed against him again proved too formidable,
and Lord John, deeming it useless to proceed, abandoned the bill. He
made one more attempt in the expirin