Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/98

84 History of the Radical Party in Parliament. [1800- governments ; they had from time to time introduced motions in favour of electoral and administrative reform, and had voted for justice to Roman Catholics and Nonconformists. Even these protests would be meaningless and ridiculous when the old movers of the resolutions, the old tellers in divisions, occupied the offices from which alone any practical legislation must emanate. There was but one question raised on which Fox could speak with his old heartiness, and on which he could entertain any hope of a successful issue, and that was the abolition of the slave trade. Wilberforce had for years, in season and out of season, kept this object before the attention of Parliament, and on its behalf had appealed to the conscience of the nation. It had not been made a strict party question, but the Radicals had always given it their sup- port. The new Government formally took up the business, although they were not unanimous even here, for Sidmouth had been a constant opponent of Wilberforce. Fox did not live to see the actual accomplishment of the noble work, but he had the satisfaction of knowing that it was safe in the Com- mons, for he carried a motion in its favour by 1 15 to 14 votes. Lest, in spite of the opposing influences by which they were surrounded in the Cabinet itself, the Liberals in the Ministry should try to accomplish any work of reform, the section of Tories which was left out of office commenced now for the first time the use of that instrument of obstruction which has since become so famous. For night after night Castlereagh and others made long speeches on no particular occasion, inflicting unbearable weariness upon the ministerial ranks, until Sheridan, as a sort of despairing joke, proposed that the burden should be distributed by the process of form- ing relays of attendants, so that no one should be called upon to bear the whole of the merciless infliction. What he sug- gested in fun a later generation has been obliged to adopt in sober earnest, for Canning, and Castlereagh and Perceval did not realize the full value of the method they invented. What Fox had really hoped to do, and what he strove with all his might to effect, was to bring to a close the great