New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-01
SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT
II.
AS LAWYER. AS FINANCIER, AS PARlhA-
MzNTARIAN. AS ORAToR-HIs PLACE
IN THE COUNTRY-TRAITs OF
PERSONAL CHARACTER
E,>.N,c1nn AZ PARIIA-

PERSONAL CHARACTER
London March 81.
s,- William Harcourrs strength Les In inc
House Of Commons rather than III the co"""'
His reputation is House OF Commons ieP".a
ton, as he probably prefers II shouiu W.
enter the House he gave up what proh''seu ~ ~
a gree, career at the Parliamentary par W
ne could not follow. Etiquette does no' permit "
member OF the House to practise pefore oo"
mittee of the House. or Of either HOUSE. III pa
BIZ cases 1t was question between d pOi''0"'
career and an income. The income was S"''
thing; the career had at one time elements u "''
certainty The fees al the Paraamen'ar! os' va
coed all others and Sir William had go' oo'h ie0'
on the ladder He had attained Posi"o''
ran,dIv. and a large practice was already his
-, ~ ao.,dod IN renounce IT, We sometimes
hear Of n lawyer giving up the bar wne" II %
tho har which gives up the lawyer. Tha' was
No, tho c,sa with Sir william Harcourt' then
still Mr. Vernon Harcourt
II. bas since had occasion TO deal pretty oi'en
NTH legal matters and with constitutional mat
tors His ene,n,es-for enemies he had-used 10
sneer at his want Of learning The want eNs'eu'
for the most part In their own imagnauohs' -
black-letter lawyer ne never was nor ''''
learned lawyer In the sense In whch so'iie 81"
Judges like Baron Parke have been learheu law
yers or some great advocates hke OH iA'
Davey. now himself Judge. But ne had s'"'p
OF principles: and that is worth more. even a. Wv
bar and certainly more IN puOhc NE iio was
.nd is q i,,rist and he has always had power
~ mastering a subject. legal or other. lie was
professor of international law at Oxford Il posi-
which implies some legal knowledge on 'he paw
OF him who has filed 1t. and filed IL We'll iie ~
been in the running for the LORD ChahceHo 9''p
-perhaps still Is, should the moment arrive W"''
no M longer cared TO lead the House of Com
mons He was as all Know 'he "u'''
the .His,oricus" letters. and the Hstoricus let-
- ,ho,,cb. % course not to the taste Of Amerl-
cans NJ the time were no mean contribute" ~
enc literature Of perplexed international ques-
lions Have they left prejudice behind 'heli
o.,,,et their writer in the American breast II
mas a long time ago and do not quite see why
xva should owe Sir William a grudge because az
toni, the side Of his own country on ulSp"eu
points of law and of diplomacy
Yet Mr. Stead, who has recently re'uIneu'
will not say from America. but from 'he "oi'u
Fair. has announced to q bewildered Ensnsh pun
lie that Sir William Harcourt Is not popu.", j.,
the United States. We are, suppose lor 'Ii'7u
states 10 read Chicago which seems 10 nave w"
the spot Mr. Stead thought best worthy OF "'S a.
tsntion Chicago was not prepared 20 alo" Oh
William 10 be made Prime Mihis'e'' ""' '
candidate ready to beat him; none o'he' '"""
Mr. William Waldorf Aston Such are the '"Nai-
I'LL ,rr,rn,ations most lately impaired to the
british pubic Mr.. Stead is often De"lueriiie'
Ga ,rhe, he explains becomes more bewliderng
-.,, Noro tho les might It be interesting to he
told IN detail the secret Of Sir Williams imasi-
- ,,,oonr,aritv In America II can hardly be
hocausa he married an American wife, or because
,,s fo.her-,n-law was an American Minister IN
x-,enna and London or because Sir Wllllams liN-
,nr for what is American. and his good Will 10
Anoerica extend beyond his own fainlIy'
A similar reproach has been flung at Sir VIII
Han, since he became Chancellor or the f-"c"e
ouer. They say he is not f1nancier' Al Is True
he was not a inanccr. He never had pusi"e''
training was never in a financial house In Inc
.,,, in,e Mr.. Goschen. his predecessor in the
Treasury nor ever that heard or a BANK uHec-
TOR The same thing may be said OF MI "'au-
stone vet Mr. Gladstone has considerable repu-
tation as a fnancier. There nave been 'ii"v'
.,,o, ~ Mr. Gladstone A Bank of England d.
rec.or has been heard TO say that the late fIiiie
N,,r,ster did not really understand finance or
,,,.s IIa survived that criticism, as well as
same others. Sir William Harcourt, imagine
-. ,,,o the Chancerorship Of the Exchequer
,,,ch &c he went into a great engineering case at
.,e Parliamentary bar. He was not an engineer
nu. no could get up case. The other gay
asked one Of the counsel In the great co1ul''
cotton how much he hao to know ABOUT coiui'e
and balistite and nitro-glycerine IN oruer u ~
that cause. Enough TO cross-eNamne ehecuNe'y
tho hest expert" his answer; ana he pres
entity added: "By the time the trial was over We
p,ey "a much about the subject matter as any
or them" And he told me Of the visits ne maue
20 Nohers works-where you have far chahce
Of being blown UP at any moneh'-a'u HIS S'"N'
Of the processes on the spot
Tn the same way, the Chancellor or the bNche-
-. Roc be,n-all the help he wants from bank
ers and other experts Of the cry not u span
:. The Treasurv staff: men who are trained IN
eg,,res and finance from their youth upward
Tverv Minister new to the work has to learn
.,o hus,ness OF his Department. whether 1t be
e,.rce or war or diplomacy. or whatever else lie
vow not he a Turgot or a Sir Robert Peel but ne
-, h,s trade The ChancellOrship OF the EX-
.oouer "a in fact considered rather easy
.or,h. EASY in ordinary times with surplus; not
e.sv IN hard times when deficit mas 10 De
,,,de good and taxes imposed ana ne"
sources Of revenue invented or enlarged. Inc
y,resent is such time, ard the real extent Oh DIT
william Harcourt's financial abilities VIII be
,.ugoable after he has produced his Budget next
month.
There are those who say that the real complaint
against the present Chancellor is not that he Is
TOO little Of a fnancler. but too much. The com
n,a.nt Is probably true OF all Chancenors' as
Chancellors They are guardians Of the pubic
nurse and they tighten the strings OF 1t against
all corners The demand for money to build new
ships OF war was supposed to have found lis
frnnest opponent in Sir William. lie has never
been rcckoned very stanch Imperiallst and he
a. II tba. bo chO called
find three millions sterling In addition to the
usual provision for the Navy at time when
big deficit OF perhaps two millions more stared
him in the face He rather astonished the
House Yesterday by declaring that he had al
H. 49, In ann ~,