The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-05-26 00:00:00

AT HAWARDEN

MR. GLADSTONE AND THE LIBERAL PARTY.

About 600 of the Liberals of the Otley Division of
Yorkshire on Tuesday visited Hawarden Park, and
there was an enthusiastic demonstration when Mr.
Gladstone made his appearance on the terrace in
front of the castle. In response to loud calls, Mr.
Gladstone said: Ladies and gentlemen, you know I
am under an engagement hero not to make any
speech to you, and I am quite sure you would
not wish me to break mf word. (Laughter). I
am, therefore, rather alarmed at seeing several
gentlemen underneath me with note-books, who look
as if they intended—but I hope I am mistaken—
to put down any words that might fall from me
by accident (laughter) in breach of the engage.
ment that I have made. I am sure they will
be too considerate to do anything of that kind.
(Laughter.) Gentlemen, Iwould not have said even
these few words to you if it had not been that I think
myself bound to remember two things; indeed, I will
say three things—first of all, I am very sorry not to
see here your excellent representative, Mr. Barran
(cheers) ; but I am quite certain that his heart is
with us, although he may not be bodily present (hear,
hear), and with respect to him I will only say I hope
that whenever the occasion offers you will return him
by a very large majority. (A Voice: "They dare not
oppose him," and cheers.) Very good; I hope you
will return him either unanimously, or else by such a
majority as will make anybody disinclined to try the
experiment of opposing him again. (Laughter and
cheers.) The second thing is that I heard
a gentleman among you say, "Three cheers
for Mr. Herbert" (Renewed cheers.) .The
only fault I have to find with that is,
that when I have been at Leeds I have always
heard him called "Herbert," and not "Mr. Herbert."
(Laughter.) I used to rejoice in hearing him called
"Herbert," because it showed me that he had got a
place in the hearts of the people. (Cheers.) Well, I
know, gentlemen, he is not now the member for your
division of Leeds; but still you have not forgotten
that he was once the representative of all Leeds, and
believe he represents now the spirit of all Leeds,
and not only of the part for which he is technically
the member. (Loud cheers.) And I wish to take the
opportunity of thanking you, and all your fellow
townsmen through you, for the great kindness and
confidence which you have at all times shown him,
and which I am sure he will prove himself deserving
ef, if it please God to prolong his life. (Cheers.)
At this stage Mr. Herbert Gladstone informed his
father that his hearers came from a division of the
West Riding close to Leeds, 15ut not from a division of
the town of Leeds. Mr. Gladstone proceeded: Very
well, the Otley division not being actually in Leeds,
I should not have described it as if it had been,
but there is another thing in which I am not wrong.
(Laughter.) Ido not forget that I was once mem-
ber for Leeds myself, and that you returned me by
a majority of 11,000—(cheers)--and I hope that
majority of 11,000, though it cannot be repeated now
the town is divided, inasmuch as you have not got,
I suppose, voters enough to yield such a majority
in any one division—yet I hope that it will be an
encouragement and an example to the Liberal party
in Leeds to show them in the future how elections
were managed in the year 1880, and how they ought
to be managed again. (Cheers.) On the other hand,
I am very glad to reflect that I never surrendered
the seat for Leeds; recollect that. (Laughter.) I
never gave it up; I was elected for Midlothian at the
same tine; but I did not surrender the seat at Leeds
in order to take the Midlothian seat in preference.
What happened was this—that I accepted office, and
thereby both seats were vacated, and I had to make
a new start—(laughter and cheers)--and I think
you will say I was right in making a new start to
chocse Midlothian, for this reason, that if I had not
gone to Midlothian at that day—it is perfectly safe now
for anybody—if I had not gone, there is no saying
what would have happened to the seat, whereas
I knew that the seat for Leeds was safe enough.
(Hear, hear, and cheers.) Now, that was my justifi-
cation for it: '-Next, let me say that, although the at-
mosphere is dull, and the park has not put on its best
clothes if I may say so, its best attire, to receive you
—(A Voice: " We didn't come to see the park, we came
to see you," and cheers)—l hope that, on the
whole, it is likely to hold up long enough for you to
escape the inconveniences of wet weather, and for you
to-get'llaek safe and dry to your'own ' homes. Now,
gentlemen, about politics I will literally say only one
sentence. Never has the Liberal party stood upon
broader, firmer, and surer grounds than you stand now.
(Loud cheers.) The Liberal party was never engaged in
higher and nobler pursuits. (Cheers.) It has noble
objects before it as far as the whole country is con-
cerned; but as respects Ireland—(renewed cheers)—
as respects that which I have plainly shown, what-
ever you may say, or think, or wish about it. it is at
this moment the key to the position of every English
question, and the real helm that steers the ship of
politics. (Cheers.) As regards Ireland, what are we
labouring for? We are labouring to restore peace to
a distracted country, to restore unity to a divided
Empire, and at once to promote the highest interests,
and, let me add, the repair of the tarnished honour
of England. (Prolonged cheering.)