This system gave every encouragement to corruption. The smaller boroughs were eagerly bought by those who desired to control the politics of the Lower House; and consequently, before the end of the last century it was found that so many of the boroughs were owned by members of the House of Lords that both Houses of Parliament were under the control of the nobility. Some of the peers, besides sitting in person in the House of Lords, virtually appointed four, five, six, or, in one instance, nine members of the House of Commons. Of the decayed boroughs some were held by the government, some by peers, and some by unscrupulous speculators who were in the habit of selling the representation to the highest bidders. In times of political excitement bribery became systematic, and in some cases assumed colossal proportions. That the constitution was able to survive the strain put upon it, is perhaps the most striking proof of its remarkable vitality and strength. The necessity of a fundamental reform in the methods of representation was first publicly announced by Lord Chatham in his speech on the right of taxing the American colonies. The younger Pitt, in the early years of his administration, made several attempts to bring the subject into parliamentary favor. But the excesses of the French Revolution made even reformers timid; and the government was so exclusively occupied with the Napoleonic wars that the agitation made but slow progress. It happened, moreover, that for several years the most eloquent and influential members of the House of Commons were opposed to the measure. From 1807 to 1830 the Tories were in power, and during this period, therefore, there was no reason to hope that any thing could be done except in the way of creating public opinion. At the head of the movement in behalf of reform was Earl Grey. For nearly half a century he devoted his great energies and his excellent judgment to the subject with such skill and discretion that constant inroads were made on public opinion. At length the subject took so strong hold of the people that in spite of the fact that the Tories were intrenched in power behind the old system, the Whigs were victorious in the election of 1830. Earl Grey was appointed Prime-Minister, and it was universally understood that the first object of the government would be the passage of a reform bill.