rcumstance that of half
a million of people on the line of road the victim should be the duke's
great opponent, thus carried off suddenly before his eyes.

There was some question of Mr. John Gladstone taking Huskisson's place
as one of the members for Liverpool, but he did not covet it. He foresaw
too many local jealousies, his deafness would be sadly against him, he
was nearly sixty-five, and he felt himself too old to face the turmoil.
He looked upon the Wellington government as the only government
possible, though as a friend of Canning he freely recognised its
defects, the self-will of the duke, and the parcel of mediocrities and
drones with whom, excepting Peel, he had filled his cabinet. His view of
the state of parties in the autumn of 1830 is clear and succinct enough
to deserve reproduction. 'Huskisson's death,' he writes to his son at
Christ Church (October 29, 1830), 'was a great gain to the duke, for he
was the most formidable thorn to prick him in the parliament. Of those
who acted with Huskisson, none have knowledge or experience sufficient
to enable them to do so. As for the whigs, they can all talk and make
speeches, but they are not men of business. The ultra-tories are too
contemptible and wanting in talent to be thought of. The radicals cannot
be trusted, for they would soon pull down the venerable fabric of our
constitution. The liberals or independents must at least generally side
with the duke; they are likely to meet each other half way.'

THE REFORM BILL

In less than a week after this acute survey the duke made his stalwart
declaration in the House of Lords against all parliamentary reform. 'I
have not said too much, have I?' he asked of Lord Aberdeen on sitting
down. 'You'll hear of it,' was Aberdeen's reply. 'You've announced the
fall of your government, that's all,' said another. In a fortnight
(November 18) the duke was out, Lord Grey was in, and the country was
gradually plunged into a determined struggle for the amendment of its
constitution.

Mr. Gladstone, as a resolute Canningite, was as fiercely hostile to the
second and mightier innovation as he had been eager for the relief of
the catholics, and it was in connection with the Reform bill that he
first made a public mark. The reader will recall the stages of that
event; how the bill was read a second time in the Commons by a majority
of one on March 22nd, 1831; how, after a defeat by a majority of eight