The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-07

the first TO send private vessel (the Kings
mill) to Calcutta upon the opening of the
East India and China trades to other than East
India CompaDy's vessels, in 1914. From that
time to the present the family have been ex-
tensively engaged in that trade. The house
of Robertson Gladstone (John's second SOM is
one of the first firms in Liverpool having
very large relations with every part of the
East. 1t was but natural that so energetic a
character as John Gladstone should take a
deep interest in the public affairs of the town
in which he lived. As he was always opposed
to the close and self-elected municipal corpora
tion of the ante. Reform bill days, it is not to
be wondered at that he was never elected
to any corporate office, but he was the
means OF removing very many local abuses and
restrictive imposts which bore heavily against
the interests Of the port. A very valuable SER
vice of plate was presented to him in recogni-
tiOn OF what he had effected, many of the sub
scribers being his strongest opponents on cor
poration matters of dispute. at that period
Liverpool was like young giant, though not
containing one fifth Of its present population.
Supported at the back by the great products
of manufacture from Yorkshire, Lancashire,
Stafordshire, Warwickshire and Cheshire,
with immediate access to coal and salt, 1t be-
came the port of shipment to all parts of the
world, and by 1882 the declared value of its
exports exceeded that Of London itself. In po-
litical opinion John Gladstone was what would
now be termed Liberal Conservative, and his
desire was to have the best men to represent
the town, to some extent, Independently of
their being ardent partisans Of either of the
two great parties. When the celebrated
William Roscoe retired from the rep
resentation, Mr.. Gladstone was desi-
rous that George Canning and Henry
Brougham should be returned. They
were then in their early prime, and gradually
becoming regarded as the two leading men of
the day. But Brougham selected Creevey,
very extreme Radical, and man of little or no
public standing, as his co-oandidate, aud Glad
stone declined to support the two in alliance.
He therefore threw his weight on the side of
General Gascoyne, a member of the family of
town. remarkably severe contest, lasting
fourteen days, ensued; and the result, mainly
through John Gladstone's influence, was the
return of Gascoyne and Canning. From this
date there existed very close intimacy be-
tween Mr.. Canning and Gladstone, an init
macy which exercised very important infu-
ence upon the mind and career of his distin-
guished son. Throughout Canning's pre-
maturely shortened life, he consulted Mr..
Gladstone on all important mercantile affairs.
Ere long, at the suggestion of Canning, Glad
stone solicited return to Parliament, being
provided by the Marlborough family with a
seat for their pocket borough OF Woodstock.
He remained long enough in Parliament
to be witness of the earlier triumphs of
his youngest son. John Gladstone was twice
married. He does not appear to have had any
issue by his first wife. He married, secondly
Ann Robertson, of Stornoway, N. B., daughter
of Andrew Robertson, who had been Provost
of Dingwall. Miss Robertson was native of
Dingwall. One who knew her well testifes
that she was "a lady of very great accomplish
ments, of fascinating manners, OF commanding
presence and high intellect, one to grace any
home and endear any heart By her he had
a family of four SONS and two daughters. OF
these, three sons-Sir Thomas, Bart, of
Fasque; Robertson, the Liverpool merchant;
unmarried, survive. John Nelson, captain
in the navy, and NJ p. for Portarlington, died
few years ago. John Gladstone was made a
baronet by Sir Robert Peel in 1S45 He died
in 1851. Besides the provision made for his
family by will, he gave to each of his sons
100000 in his lifetime.
"With such parents as John Gladstone and
Ann Robertson, it was most natural that the
development of the minds of each of their
children should be carefully watched, and any
germs of excellence which should appear be
as sedulously cultivated. William Ewart was
born on the 10Th of December, 1909, in the
same bedroom as that in which, five years
later, his friend Mr.. Cardwell first saw the
light. The Cardwell family purchased the
residence of Mr.. Gladstone on his removing
from one house to another"
Thus, born in 1S09 Mr.. Gladstone won his
Oxford double-frst honors in the Michaelmss
term of 1881, entered Parliament in 1882, anG
became Minister Of the Crown whilst still il
his twenty fifth year.