New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-14

VINO had a better right to adopt Mr. Bagehot's view
| vi .lle paramount duty of Parliament or VIII,
| cou'd more trulv say that The Honse of Commons
nd heid mp his hands the responsible head of the
government all through an ariuoas session. But
'ii' EAiuStones friends, and not only Mr. Glad
- iieh"s out the impartial observer. NAV 90
"i'cn further than hat. For one. shonld be dis
posed to reverse the statement and ,boug, = i no.
io0oty true that the House of Commons has sns-
'%heu Mr., q lstone, it is hardly less true TO say
, 1n"' MI 'Iadstone has sustained tie Housc of
co.l'nohS; that to him. and to him almost alone
| Is II cue that the House still retains. in large
measure the respect and confidence of the constit
uo"'i1S' Lord Harrington said in speech
AT the Mansion House. which ouoted a
month ago, what everybody has since bean
repeating that the Parliamentary history of the
year was the history of single measure carriad b,,
" SiEle man. That is true, If you coniine the mean
lhe VI ihe words parliamentary history TO the one
act OF completed legislation which he session hos
produced. Lord HartingtOns eulopy ON Mr. Glad
s'ohe was none too strong. II has been reiterated
ny hundreds of pens, but the most elaborate euoo
Oh Mt Gladstone's handling of this measure
are fully deserved.
The Oldest member of the Honsc can recoIIoct NO
Such exhibition of sustained intellectual mower In
man OF Mr.. Gladstone's age the phvsical ygor of
""ioI nc gave proof was hardly less astonishing
o mental Night after nj ht and till far into the
So, 'Ioi ning ior many months he was at post
Sngie-handed he had TO meet all comers The boln
MS ooileagues gave him was occasional technical
ana useful in emergencies. But there never was mo-
ment when he was relieved from tho s,,os. 80 -
sohai responsibility for the bill Il was he who
Strtedlt, he who kept il going If he were ahse,+
lor an holr the bill langushed. Even his opponenfs
came 10 thlnk 1t grievance if he stayed too long at
.i''ier' during the TWO months while the bill was
- committee ne made many speeches each night
nc eApounded his measure clause by clause
lie had to deal with innumerable ARGUMENTS
anu proposed amendments, often sprung suddenly
upon nm, often contrived with per:dionS inpenn-
lty, often innocent in appearance hut +r,o oI,,o,
ia purpose often obscure in language and unc.rtai,
III chect oiten aiming at some vital prinripe whom
.i'N appeared to relate 10 an unlmportant detail
niougn ihls Parliamentary maze he chose his way
VII" u''eIrm2 Sagaclty. lie met every opponent
3n ms own ground and ovcrthrew him
were eminent lawyers in the House
VINO had made the law of real n orert,,
HE study of their lives and Mr.. Gladstone
was better lawyer than they. There wer. land
," Hors ana land agents who had spent their lives
ID HlSh estates only 10 find that Mr. Gladstone had
more exact acquaintance with the rniputiap of PC
ave management than they bad. TO the last his
''ck OF energy was undimnIShed. He never re-
'Neo tHe steady pressure to which, from beginning
e"d, the progress of the bin was due He usod all
H' authority as leader of the House but used II
WIN 50 much patience and unfaihng good teloper
; 10 c"hchlate those on whom the weight of II fell
eaVIest-the Irish irreconcilables of cou1se ex
epted. Not Lord Melbourne nor Lord Palmers-
on nor Mr.. D,rael himself had over
ri with lighter hand. Without Mir
'"0S'ohe the Land bill cou d not have
zen passed or come anywhere near Passing: and il
,'' P"SN'hS OF the oii and that only, which has
'de"med IN a measure the tame of the Commons.
n opinion was gaining ground that the Uouss had ! ,
''i us eihclency a lie sisatiye machine. that The
monty was master of the majority; that the !
Frates' aSScn by in the world had become i'm.
oteh 10 rad itself of obstruction. Mr. GIadsto,. |
a. rescued the House from that reproach When he
nan nave persuaded 1t. as he VIII attempt 10 next
'SSoh' TO remodel its procedure. and TO abolish
lies which serve 70 protect those who seek to brip,
le House TO contempt, hc will have cstab shcd a
'sh claim to lasting gratitude and lasting honor.