Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/261

i834-J The First Reformed Parliament. 247 popular sympathies, and was as ready in action as he was quick in intellectual apprehension. Grote was at once a master in scholarship and a deep philosophical thinker, especially in that best school of historic science which lays the firmest foundation for political experiment. The two men united to bring the subject of education before the new Parliament. On the 3Oth of July Roebuck moved and Grote seconded a resolution that the House would, "early next session, proceed to devise a means for the universal and national education of the whole people." The scheme which he propounded included the main elements on which alone any national system could be based ; it proposed compulsory attendance, the division of the country into school districts, a popular election of local managers, a special education rate, and the appointment of a member of the Cabinet as minister of public instruction. The resolution was, on the request of Lord Althorpe, withdrawn without a division ; but its dis- cussion, no doubt, assisted to induce Government to propose, later in the session, a vote of ^"20,000 in aid of public educa- tion, which was the first step in the long and tedious process by which we have at length reached a national system. Parliament was prorogued on the 2Qth of August, the session having been the longest, as well as the most important, of modern times. The new session commenced on the 4th of February, 1834. There was, of course, no alteration in the numerical strength of parties, but in other respects there was a marked difference. It was felt, both by their friends and their enemies, that the position of ministers had undergone a marked change for the worse, as regarded their command of the confidence of Parlia- ment, and their hold upon the public opinion of the country, since they first met the reformed House twelve months before. Reasonable or unreasonable it might be, but there was no doubt that this feeling really existed. During the early part of the session the Government did nothing to remove this unfavour- able impression, nothing to show that they had an active policy and were prepared to carry it out. It was known not only that