New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-08
NOTES FROM LONDON.
MR.. MUNDELLA-Hrs RESIGNATION nv
POLITICAL POSITION, AND HIS prn
SONAL CHARACTER MR.. cr,An
STONES ODES AGAIN MR.
HUXLEY ON HIMSELF

him; and sorry that he did not disappear ~
promptly l imagine the secret OF his ,Inso-,..
Is to be found In his individual CONSEQUENCE. :.
rectitude. How often that misleads man, ~
says to himself: Il know that / meant .. ~
nothing wrong l am incapable OF disbon...'
may have been careless I may have al,o,...
others to compromise me- But will M. 49,,
a step which looks like a confession =, -,
when know I am innocent" 1t is all nsr,sS.,"
natural and entirely unwise. Mr. Mundels NM.
have been aware, had he chosen to look ,h,-N
In the face. that people would Judge him No, -
his Intentions, but by his acts. and by the 49,.
Of those to whom he stood in the relation q, ~,
league. He had given them the power to CON-
promise him, and they did compromise hr.
Upon the directors OF the New-Zealand Loan
Company. Of whom Mr.. MundelIa was one ,.r
the burden Of the sentences in which the On
cial Receiver had spoken Of "reprehensihs a..
tees"
The public recollected, moreover. tina, ".
Mundella had done his utmost to avoid n,A
lie examination Not because he had anv,h,.-
to conceal, l am convinced but because q n,h,,.
examination is seldom enforced upon anv ~.
who is not suspected. 1t is a stigma to he a,t.s
TO submit yourself to the court or 10 the ofnc.,
Of the court In such circumstances. Still N.
public fails, as a rule, TO discriminate nicely r.
judges, and must Judge. roughly When n,
Mundela was asked about the transactions =.
some OF them. which had brought this comn.,,
into difficulties and disrepute he did not remer,
Der. But the public expects a public man on
tangled i'm commercial or financial undsr,o.
ings to have a longer memory than that.
Nor Is that all. Mr.. Mundella was pres,as,.
Of the Board Of Trade. and as President wouM
have had, or might have had. to determine who,
steps should be taken with reference to the very
transactions in which he was implicated. Tia,
Of itself, ought to have been decisive But puh
lie opinion goes far beyond this Mr.. MundeD.
himself am told. still thinks that he need rot
have resigned had he held different ofsc.
There is want Of dellcacy in his perception.
There is In this country a real effort to keen
public life not only pure. but free from, the sus
cion OF suggestion OF impurity In money mat.
tors. Public opinion will not. when attention
IS drawn 10 the matter, tolerate the continued
presence In the Government and. most OF all. in
the Cabinet. Of a Minister who however clean
handed personally. is mixed up by the ndiscrs.
lions Of others in proceedings which are re.
garded as shady Ia the City It is not thought
that the City--whch here means the world OF
finance. and is used as We use Wall Street,,
over sensitive in such matters II the City. with
its somewhat elastic standards OF financial cor.
RICHNESS. condemns a man. he is no longer good
enough for the Ministry And the City does
think Mr Mundella guilty OF being found IN
bad company
He has done excellent work in times past
Whether he was nrs;-rate President Of the
Board OF Trade IS. believe disputed Probably
his best service was I'm the Education Office. under
the cumbrous title OF Vice President OF the Com.
mittec Of Council on Education. In his hands was
the working. for a long time and at different
periods, OF the late Mr. ". f. Forsters great Ed.
ucation Act of $50: the most important act Of
modern times the act on which depends In no
small measure the ultimate success Of the very
large and sometimes very violent experiments IN
suffrage which circumstances have forced rather
prema,urely upon England. Mr. Mundella hadm
steer between the Church. on the one hand and
the Radicals and Secularists and L!beratonisn
on the other 7, was no easy task lie accom-
pilshed ii with skill. lie administered an ao
which was itself as between the Church and the
Secular or Noncorformst school. a COMPROMISE
in the spirit Of compromise. lie reused far Jess
hostility than the presen: Minister Of Educatioh
Mr.. Aclarl. has reused The work he did was
not less efficient. and probably more efficient.
Personally. Mr. Mundella was liked though 10
was supposed to be one Of those Radicals d.
whom Mr. I.aboGchere sneered as too icnd o.
lord and of royalty. Tie Radicals too oiteh' 10
doubt-and 70 thgt extent Mr.. Laboucheres
taun: was justin l-ndemnify themselves iof
their revolutionary or iconoclaSuc views N po'H'
life by a somewhat marked Difference 10 p''a''
life 10 people and things as they are Ihe' ""
lower than they need. They do not al leei '"e'''
selves the social equals Of all whom 'he! 49,
and therefore they are not Mr.. Muhueha No.
the abilities and force Of character when caii'ea
him on from very moderate beginnings 10 QUO W
the highest political positions open 10 p'i'"'e 1
bition II he was not In the 'front.' rath' lac "1
very good place in the second. MOI an oias"'
not remarkable as a debater. he yet stoou "eh -
the House. and was listened TO; as, Tor 'na' mo-
ter most men are whom the House ''""'
masters OF their business and their su0!e'-
Whether they speak we'll or i'll is seconu',.
matter His cordial manner served him well ~
WAS nj times a little ELUSIVE. but this was rea'''
overlooked In appearance he was patriarcnA-
tall OF stature. with a high forehead anu So.
flowing gray beard. II was an Impressive -,
ence. am afraid It will now be less imprsss ss.
vet the feeling toward Mr. Mundella is stu gnu"
and there is a general hope among those WV
know him that he may presently ii'iu "'' .ood
back. II not into the Cabinet. YET mo so,n IA.
and honorable place in public ire "a
stituents Of Sheffield seem to stand o' ~" =,
that OF itself Is q favorable sign. nie' ..r.
the House Of Commons with a poweriu,
stituency like Sheffield at his back must "'"N
be a person to be recHoned with vss.
He had a good word from Lord Roseoe'y -.
terdav afternoon at birmingham. Inc s,..
Minister is perhaps rather in the haD, Of 0 a.
trlbutng blessings on his colleagues rms pose.
At anv rate a timely ore. or course LORD hosS
berry did not throw his mantle over 'ne "a
of the New-Zealand Loan Company .sa, hs
the individual ,and to his late colleague sr,et
referred. He declared II TO be "A soul0. ,,sv
and weakness to the Government va
should be deprived of the services OF MS