Wellington, soldier and statesman, and the revival of the military power of England . re under ourold Parliamentary regime. Nor had he any real Greville, Memoirs, ii., 84-85. 348 Wellington knowledge of the Great Britain of manufacture andcommerce, and of the great interests which had beengrowing up for years and yet had very little weightin public affairs ; he failed to understand the changedconditions of the national life; he did not correctlydiscern the signs of the time. He was rather a mar-tinet than a thinker in the political sphere, and re-form seemed to him especially dangerous, whende
Wellington, soldier and statesman, and the revival of the military power of England . re under ourold Parliamentary regime. Nor had he any real Greville, Memoirs, ii., 84-85. 348 Wellington knowledge of the Great Britain of manufacture andcommerce, and of the great interests which had beengrowing up for years and yet had very little weightin public affairs ; he failed to understand the changedconditions of the national life; he did not correctlydiscern the signs of the time. He was rather a mar-tinet than a thinker in the political sphere, and re-form seemed to him especially dangerous, whendemocracy was gaining triumphs abroad, and wasmaking rapid and threatening progress at home ; hewas not wholly in error when, in 1829-30, he believedthe season was unpropitious for making an immenseexperiment in all that related to the institutions ofthe State. These considerations partly excuse theattitude he took at this important juncture; never-theless his speech in reply to Lord Grey was intem-perate, unwise, unworthy of him,—it was one of thefew great mistakes of his CHAPTER XII FROM 183O TO 1841 The Grey Government—It introduces the Reform Bill—Progress ofthe measures brought in—Wellington called upon to form anadministration—He fails—The Reform Bill becomes law—Characteristics of the measure—Wellington steadily opposes itall through—Agitated and critical state of England—TheDukes life exposed to danger—The first Reformed Parliament—Fall of the Government of Lord Grey—Lord MelbournePrime Minister—William IV. changes his Ministry and placesWellington at the head of affairs—His patriotic conduct—PeelPrime Minister—His first short administration—The MelbourneGovernment restored to office—Wise and moderate attitude ofWellington in opposition—Death of William IV.—Accession ofQueen Victoria—Soult in England—Feebleness of the Mel-bourne Government —Wellington and Peel, who had been es-tranged, are completely reconciled —
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