Then a certain number of irreconcilable Radicals, in their hatred of all Second Chambers, voted against the Government and reduced their majority to 15.

This was a very tight squeeze; but, after all, everybody had been prepared for it, and when the hour came, we all knew pretty well where we should be.

There might be one or two men more or less in the Tory lobby, but we had sized them up carefully.

When, however, July 19th, and the ninth clause came we were face to face with a very different state of affairs.

Then we had to face absolute uncertainty--and uncertainty not in one, but almost every part of the House.