lded somewhat more than had been expected, and Althorp was enabled to
present a favourable account in 1833. He anticipated a surplus of about
a million and a half, out of which he was prepared to abolish certain
vexatious duties and to decrease others. But the country gentlemen,
headed by Ingilby, member for Lincolnshire, insisted on a reduction of
the malt duty by one-half, while the borough members, headed by Sir John
Key, clamoured for a repeal of the house tax and window tax. The former
motion was actually carried against the government by a small majority,
but its effect was annulled, and the latter motion was defeated, by a
skilful manoeuvre. This consisted in the proposal by Althorp of a
counter-resolution, declaring that, if half of the malt tax and the
whole tax on windows and houses were to be taken off, it would be
necessary to meet the deficiency by a general income tax. Such a
prospect was equally alarming to the landed interest and the
householders, whose rival demands were mutually destructive, the result
being that Althorp's amendment was carried by a large majority, and the
government escaped humiliation, though not without some loss of
prestige.

It was perhaps to be expected that private members in the first session
of the reformed parliament should be eager to gain a hearing for their
special projects of improvement. So it was, but two only of these
projects deserved historical mention. One of these was the abortive
attempt of Attwood, the radical member for Birmingham, to reverse the
policy of 1819 by inducing parliament to initiate the return to a paper
currency. Cobbett actually followed up this failure by moving for an
address praying the king to dismiss Sir Robert Peel from his councils, a
motion defeated by a majority of 295 to 4.

FOOTNOTES:

[110] _The Croker Papers_, ii., 198.

[111] Mahon to Peel (Jan, 8, 1833), Parker, _Sir Robert Peel_, ii., 209.

[112] Jan. 3, 1833, Parker, _Sir Robert Peel_, ii., 213.

[113] Peel to Croker (Sept. 28, 1833), _ibid._, p. 224.

[114] Russell, _Recollections and Suggestions_, p. 113.

[115] Parker, _Sir Robert Peel_, ii., 212-16.

[116] Greville, _Memoirs_, ii., 364, 365.

CHAPTER XVI.

RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS AND POOR LAW REFORM.

The year 1833, so fruitful in legislation, may be said to have witnessed
the birth of a religious movement which has profoundly affected the
character of the nationa