322 History of the Radical Party in Parliament. [1841- the national debt, and the right of the Irish people to obtain a repeal of the Union. Advantage was taken of this argumenta- tive matter to refuse consideration to the petition. On the 3rd of May, the day after its presentation, Buncombe moved that the petitioners be heard at the bar by themselves or their counsel in defence of the claims they preferred. The Whigs did not, as they might well have done, leave the ministerialists to deal with this proposal, but Macaulay and Russell took very early opportunities of opposing it. The discussion was not prolonged, the most characteristic part of it being Buncombe's opening speech, in which he said that the Chartists of to-day were the Radicals of former times. There was much in the petition which many of the friends of the people could not approve, and the clause about the repeal of the Union gave so much offence to reformers outside, especially to those in Scotland, that another petition was soon afterwards set on foot.* Under these circumstances, those who voted for Buncombe's resolution may well be regarded as thorough- going Radicals. There were 49 of them, besides the two tellers, and there were 287 votes against them, f More support was given to a motion in favour of one of the points of the charter, the ballot, which was introduced on the 2ist of June
- " Life and Struggles of William Lovett," p. 264.
t The following is the list of the minority : Blake, Sir V. Holland, R. Scholefield, J. Blewitt, R. J. Hume, J. Scale, Sir J. F. Bodkin, J. J. Jervis, J. Somers, J. P. Bowring, Dr. Johnston, A. Strickland, Sir G. Brotherton, J. Muntz, G. F. Tancred, H. W. Browne, R. D. Murphy, F. S. Thorneley, J. Cobden, R. O'Brien, J. Villiers, Hon. C. Collins, W. O'Connell, D. Wakley, T. Crawford, W. S. O'Connell, M. Wallace, R. Dalrymple, Capt. O'Connell, M. J. Ward, H. G. Dashwood, G. H. O'Connell, J. Williams, W. Duncan, Visct. Pechell, Capt. Wood, B. Duncan, G. Plumridge, Capt. Yorke, H. B. Easthope, Sir J. Powell, C. Ellis, W. Ricardo, J. L. Duncombe, T. Elphinstone, H. Roche, E. B. Leader, J. T. 5 Fielden, J. Roebuck, J. A. Hall, Sir B. Rundle, J. Tellers.
