And before the end of the next session the prospect of the early success
of their aspirations was greatly increased by the death of the King.
George IV., who in his early manhood had attached himself to the Whigs
with an ardor and ostentation altogether unbecoming his position as heir
to the throne, had formally separated himself from them after the death
of Fox in 1806, and had gradually come to regard their adversaries with
a favor as exclusive as he had formerly shown to themselves. But the
Duke of Clarence, who now succeeded to the throne, had always shown a
leaning toward the Whigs, who of late had been commonly regarded as the
reforming party. While the war lasted, and during the few remaining
years of the reign of George III., no active steps toward Reform were
taken in Parliament; but under George IV. more than one borough
convicted of gross and habitual corruption, as has been mentioned, was
disfranchised. Grampound was so punished in the time of Lord Liverpool,
and its members were transferred to Yorkshire, so as to give that
largest of the counties four representatives; and it may be remarked
that this arrangement caused the Prime-minister to suggest an
improvement in the details of an election--which was afterward
universally adopted--when, in reply to a remark on the great
inconvenience that was found to exist in taking the poll at once in so
large a county as Yorkshire, he hinted at the possibility of obviating
that difficulty by allowing polls to be taken in different parts of the
county.
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