 On 22 March , the vote on the second reading attracted a record 608 members , including the non @-@ voting Speaker ( the previous record was 530 members ) . Despite the high attendance , the second reading was approved by only one vote , and further progress on the Reform Bill was difficult . During the committee stage , Isaac Gascoyne put forward a motion objecting to provisions of the bill that reduced the total number of seats in the House of Commons . This motion was carried , against the government 's wishes , by 8 votes . Thereafter , the ministry lost a vote on a procedural motion by 22 votes . As these divisions indicated that Parliament was against the Reform Bill , the ministry decided to request a dissolution and take its appeal to the people . 
