But Nottingham almost equalled Bristol in its
horrors. Because the Duke of Newcastle was a resolute anti-Reformer, a
ferocious gang attacked and set on fire the fine old Castle; and, not
content with committing fearful ravages in the town, roamed over the
adjacent district, attacked the houses of many of the leading country
gentlemen, plundering and burning the dwellings, and in more than one
instance murdering some of the inhabitants.
The King had hitherto borne himself between the contending parties in
the state with scrupulous fairness to both. Though, he had, probably,
been taken by surprise by the sweeping character of the changes his
ministers had proposed, he had given them a frank support, consenting,
even at a moment's notice, to dissolve the Parliament after the
unfavorable division in the House of Commons on the first bill; but he
had, at the same time, warned them that he would never consent to employ
any means of coercion to overbear the free decision of the House of
Lords. And he had more than once rejected as unconstitutional their
solicitations to allow them to make peers with that object. At last they
endeavored to compel his consent by resigning their offices, though the
ground for so decided a step can hardly be deemed sufficient, since the
provocation which they alleged was only Lord Lyndhurst's success in
carrying an amendment to take the enfranchising clauses of the bill
before those of disfranchisement, so as to give the latter a more
gracious appearance, as if the boroughs to be extinguished were made to
suffer, not so much for their own positive unworthiness as in order to
make room for others which had become of undeniably greater importance.
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