Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-06-29
IA1g oi.bis antc.cedents-


i went to hear him with strong preiu-
dice against him, and came away with
still stronger dislike. have confessed toa
prejudice-but he seemed 10 me to sneak
himself vain, INSCRIPTIONS, and intriguing,
in every sentence. 1t would be unjust not
to say also that he exhibited wonderful
6ncssc, great adrotness as an intellectual
gladiator, and above all consuminate skill
in singing his smooth pebbles right at tho
vulnerable point of his adversary. lie attack
ed the ministry for two hours and half
but it was all personal, all bitter--"excc-
lent vituperation" as the Tunes excelently
said. Mr.. Disrael is not fluent nor all
elegant speaker he frequently blunders and
corrocts himself and his speeches seem
more weighty when read than in the delivery
lie is awkward in his movements, and in
spite of his proverbial dandyism in dress, is
unprepossessing in appearance. lie seems
always to aim at " hits" in his speeches,
and in this he always succeeds. have been
trying to think Of something good that
could say Of him to relieve SO bad picture
| can think Of nothing except that he has -
pretty small foot and "a love Of little
white hand
An hour in preliminary business and two
hours and half in opening the debate-that
brings US to half past seven or eight CLOCK.
From this time to ten, the debates generally
lag. The floor is taken by one Of those boros
known as dinner-bels" and the greater
part of the House respond by slipping out
behind Mr. Speakers chair, confess that
at first | sympathized with the honorable
gentlemen who were so unceremoniously
refused hearing, and thought that if | was
in their place | would resent such rapid
| vacating Of seats as an insult, but in very
short time | began to wish that the rules of
the gallery would allow me also to beat
| temporary retreat with assurance of
requiring my place. Happy men to be allow
ed even this opportunity of hearing your
selves talk and atisfying their constituencies
The reporters lounge and chat and sharpen
their PENCILS speech Of half an hour occu-
pies III the mornings report perhaps two
squares-perhaps one. And now the old
buzz rise. again nobody seems to hear but
the reporters, and they don't hear much
! u
tunate pants of tho hard benches in the
strangers gallery About nine members
drop in again one by one. The House is fill
ing but very noisy. Suddenly a lear voice
rings through the din the House is still in an
instant half dozen men in the gallery leap
up and bear over the railing, and whisper
goes about that's Mr. Gladstone Every
| bodr han NJ ElodstOpa
rises. His open, ingenious countenance, his
clear eyes, and his modest, scholarly bearing
conciliate you as completely as the sinister
look of his rival repealed. The great budget
, speech by which Mr.. Gladstone bafled that
: rival and asserted for himself position as
an orator unapproached by any living En-
. glishman, all the world has heard of. 1t has
!, been written by an able witness, that in the
| delivery of that great five hours speech " he
hardly referred to q note, never paused
moment, brake through cheers, dashed
} through interpretations, logic, figures, Illus
8 trations, extracts, with whirl and fury that
Y took the breath away and left stenography
o painting after and he did it all with the
i utmost ease and got to the end without turn
ton elegant, and though his sentences are
long, and complex, they are so finished and
balanced and SO happily modulated by the
: swelling and falling tones Of his rich and
flexible voice, that he charms you as mere
elocutonist. But when you consider also
= his wonderful Imagination, his scholarship,
, and his direct, irresistible logic, you will
look long even among the dead for his peer
A Here again take Inc with an allowance, for
such a man as Gladstone awakes an enthu-
siasm which perhaps blinds the critic. On
D this occasion he seems to appreciate the
G anomaly. of his position, and to feel that it
n will require all the resources at his command
to vindicate his apparent inconsistency. He
speak. boldly and nobly, calling on the
g Government in the name Of European civili-
q zation and human progress to do all that can
d be done towards opening to Christendom the
gates by which they may return to happiness
and TO peace
q Next rise. Lord John Russell Small in
i stature, feeble, and apparently worn out with
l. toll, he has the least physical presence of any
Q man in the House. His voice is shallow, his
It tones low and almost UNMARRIED, his vocals
n di.agreeably fat. Pray how is it that when
It ever this little weak old man rises TO his feet,
e there is such rush from the lobbies and re-
= freshment rooms. Such bending of necks
}, from the remote corners of the House, such
: an alertness on the part of the reporters to
!, catch every word from his lips Your New
l. York contemporary who talks so aippantly Of
v English affairs, says that Lord John Russell
h is man of moderate abilities So much
If the worse for your contemporary. | can
d imagine a veteran Parliamentarian giving
10 such advice as this to political aspirant at
d the outset of his Parliamentary career
o Never miss speech of Lord Johns run
n from your club-room, throw away your
: cigar leave your partner in the midst of
l. waltz, rather than be absent when be is
d speaking Contrast his welghty sentences,
n fraught with the wisdom of experience, his
rs deliberate unimpassioned Judgment, his in
e innate knowledge of history, and his plain
h manly language with the much more brilliant
y and more demonstrative accomplishments of
v hundreds of his compeers, and learn why in
IT spite of n cold manner, an uninteresting ap-
l. pearance, and a bad voice. he never speaks
& but to full House and a deeply intent
= audience.
\ Mr.. Whitesde move. the adjournment Of
,, the debate until the next evening when he
ID resumes the floor Of right. of this gentle
n man shall not have much to say-though
Vt he is good speaker and produced great
is effect but he did one thing which thought