The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-04-29
DISRAELI AND SERIOUS
GLADSTONE.


Treasury bench, the duliest debate al
ways had a resource of interest. No one
knew that the Premier might not inter
pose, and no one could imagine what ne
would say if he did. His resource was
unfaiGng and his audacity untapeable.
In whatever r-mood he might be he was
interesting. He never laughed himself,
but he was cause of constant laughter.
in others. Sometimes, when he assum-
ed that solemn mask from behind which
he was wont to give tongue to vague and
solemn generahties, he was laughed at.
Oftener he was laughed with, and by
mere audacity he often succeeded iD
turning into jest situation which prom
ised to be full of danger.
There is q phrase already become
c0lloquialism, which illustrates this rare
and great gift Of governing. People Of
ten write or say ''a great deal has hap
pened since then," and think they are
enough for all practical purposes; but
whilst the precise wording of the aphor-
ism has been lost, the circumstances that
gave 1t birth have long since been for
gotten, 1t was on the 18th of April,
1874, that the House was crowded in ez-
pectation of seeing the Premier hoored
on what was certainly an awkward point.
The new Government had not been long
in office, and Parliament had scarcely
settled down to work. During the cleo
ton contest, the turmoil of which was
only just subsiding, the then candidate
for Buckinghamshire forgot the posi-
bilities OF responsibility, and in more
than one speech alluded to the Coercion
Acts, which he denounced as ''the most
stringent and severe known il any part
of the world. Lord Robert MontagU
had hunted up these speeches, and had
given notice that he would ask the. Prime
Minister whether it was true that he had
thus alluded to the Coercion Acts, and if
so, whether he considered that such Acts
were necessary for the rule of Ireland by
a British Parliament.
This was just one of those questions
! that Mr. Gladstone would have blunder-
| ed over. He would have treated the
matter with supreme gravity, and would
have argued at some length in support of
Ii
would do in these circumstances was an
ticipated with the liYeliest interest. Lord
Robert Montagu put the question amid
the profound silence Of crowded House.
The Premier, approaching the table and
pulling himself together with the familiar
shrug Of the shoulders, said, with In
imitable voice and manner, "It is some
time ago since the observations referred
TO by the Noble Lord were made; and. .
he added, dropping his voice, ''a good
deal has happened in the interval" The
House burst into a roar of laughter amid
which the Premier, with a face solemn tc
the point Of righteousness, resumed his
seat. Lord Robert Nontagu was savage
beyond control at the easy manner il
which the fish that almost seemed to b,
in his landing-net had escaped. He ros
and insisted upon hoying a more delinitt
reply, but the Premier had drawn thC
House with the bait OF jest. Iort
Robert Montagu shouted in vain arains
the cries of ''Order!" that came from al
parts of the House.
IS for the Premier, he was not til
man to spoil success by an additions
word. Whilst Lord Robert Montagl
fumed and shouted, and the House roar
: ed, Mr.. Disraeli. with one hand light,
reposing in his waistcoat and the othe
holding copy of the ORDERS sat Wit
one leg crossed over the other, regariin
: the lighted ceiling with an absent all
! This is but one instance of a score tha
recur to the memory in looking back {
the time, that seems already SO far al
tant, when Mr.. Disrael led the House
Commons.
In this first session of the new Parli:
= ment the position of Mr.. Gladstone j
the House of Commons must have bee
V painful to himself as it was embacrassiu
d to everyone else. No one quite .unde
h stood it; and the House of Common
e may be forgiven if, after for at lea
: twenty years owning his suprenacy,it il "
not readily to be brought to consider hi