“V.] G3BDEN’S MOTION AND DIVEAT OF THE MINISTRY. 6 55
The House was proforndly impressed. After along debate, 1857.
" which Lord Palmerston taunted Cobden with his un- zx. 58.
English spirit, and wondered how he could have thought of
tacking an old friend like Bowring, the division was
ken, There was a majority of sixteen against the
Sovornment, The rixteen would have been sixty, it was
uid, jf Lord Derby's party had held together. That so
UANy of them were found on Cobden’s side, showed
‘ha 80 far ag opinion and conviction went, the mi-“rity
 wag very small indeed. Dut, as we are always
eing, it is the tendency of party government to throw
"Pinion and conviction too often into a secondary place.
i. Gladstone said that if the division had been taken
"mediately after the speeches of Cobden and Lord John
Russel, the motion would have been carried by a majority
» Overwhelming that the Minister could not have ventured
5 Appeal to the country against it. The interval allowed
he oid party considerations to resume their usual force.
As if was, Lord Palmerston with his vsual acuteness and
“Orage of judgment determined to dissolve Parliament.
— Bright was now at Rome. “I need not tell you,”
te Wrote to Cobden, “how greatly pleased I was with the
Ws, ang especially that the blow was given by your hand.”
The blow was unhappily to be returned with interest.
The country had not long been engaged in the heat and
Umi] of the general election, before Cobden detected
"Minggg signs, He had long before resolved to abandon
ig Seat for the West Riding. It was too plain that he had no
Chance, His views on education alienated one section, and
US Views on the Russian War had alienated all sections. It
Ray thought that Huddersfield was the borough where the
eoling of which Mr. Baines was the chief exponent, and
“hich Cobden had offended, was least formidable. So to
Hoddersfiela he went. But he was not more active for him-