New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-16
A GROUP OF BIOGRAPHIES.
BOOKS THAT HAVE THE MERIT OF CON-

x 1885, Roberts Brothers.
WOLFE BY A. G. Bradley PIP. viii. 2ia Mac
milan Co.
Ii HUNG SHANG BY Erd IrGfessVWS a RHoes CO.
Edited Edited by ,!s's s. H. Jeyes,.
PRINCE BISMARCK. BY chsrl leslie. Love e, ~ P 81
Author of Alexander III OF Russia e'o fp
o45. Roberts Brothers.
LORD JOHN RUSSELL. BY Stuart J. Reid. Pp
xvi. 3s1. Harper Bros
MAJOR JAMES RENNELI.: And the Rise OF , Eng
sh Geography BY C os men ROYAL Geosraph
cs p sac,e n and PRESIDENT Of the Hakuyt So
rietv Pr VII 2s2 Macmillan & Co. The
Century Science series)
JOHN DALTON, And the Rise q Modern f e. Is
FF'R. 8 Pp ZIG. Macmillan & CO. CThe Century
Science Series)
CHARLES FRANCIS BARNAR,D n Sketch POI of Hd'
Houghton Mfiin & Co.
WILLIAM LAUD BY William Holden Hutton;
b. D. Fellow. Tutor. Precentor and Librarian 1
of m 81, 'Ghp the sARt onouT seSco Of
tory: With Portrait. PIP. xl' 2aO- Housh'on'
CAVITIES Wits John Ohm Abbott Pr "a Dodd, Mead Co.
LIFE OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA.
By Micent Garrett Fawcett PIP vi, 2es Rob-
erts Brothers.
The life of Chief Justice Hignbotham is prac-
ticay the history OF constitutional liberty IN the
colony Of Victoria He arrived In Melbourne
when the country chaos Of gold-hunters
and traders and he lived to see 1t become pow
erful self-governing State. To him. as his biog-
ranher shows was due largely the fact that this
growth looked at from the political and legal
no,nt Of view was orderly and systematic. He
went 10 Australia because he saw no opportunity
of making his way in England with the half
formed intention Of seeking the gold fields But
his education had been of kind to make him
welcome addition to the intellectual forces OF
new country. He student of Trinity Col
lege Dublin, and to his university training
added knowledge Of law He had also practical
experience as a journalist. His acquaintance with
the House Of Commons due to practice as par
liamentary reporter made clear to his mind what
was very obscure TO most public men OF Australia
at the outset namely. the relation that should
exist between the two houses Of legislature
formed on the English model. 1t was one OF the
great achievements Of his life to have fixed in
the minds of Victorians definite ideas respecting
the prerogatives of the Legislative Assembly.
the popular branch. so TO speak. OF the colonial
Parliament. The cast Of his mind, which was log
ical to a fault. constrained him to abhor COM
promise He looked upon concession as equivalent
to defeat. For that reason he was the better
fitted to work out the problem of the victorian
Constitution a problem which, In Its main feat
ures the same with all British Colonies. is Great
ed. according to Higinbotham, by the perversity
OF the Colonial Office in London.
1t was in his time the aim Of the Colonial Of
fee to nullify as far as possible the seh-govern-
ing powers gradually given to the colonies. His
view was that an imperial statute conceding re-
sponsible government TO a colony conceded also
everything that asrrequired to make response
a theory
he impressed on his fellow countrymen he car
ried out this principle to the minutest details.
showing where colonial rights ended and where
imperial power began AS result Of his efforts
the instructions from the Crown to the COVER
mons were greatly modified, and in Victoria, after
much misunderstanding and bitter controversy.
the relations of the Governor and his ministers to
each other and to the body of citizens were
tabshed on the lines he laid down The Governor
impersonates the sovereign. He reigns. but does
not govern. 1t is needless to go into details But
II in future centuries Victoria to be looked
on as remarkable product Of English consti-
tutional development, Chief Justice Higinbotham
will be revered the most potent original force
in that development. He will also be remem-
bered as long as the colony exists as the first
TO codify It's laws. Polished and accurate in his
diction and courtly in manner he was neverthe
less a favorite with the working classes His SYM
pathies were with them. and one Of his best
membered phrases described the naughty but
somewhat accidental arstocracy OF Melbourne
as the wealthy lower orders" The career Of such
man an inspiration to his biographer who
has given the world an admirable book For its
reticence on many topics the late Chief Justice
was himself responsible, since he directed that
great quantity of his papers should be burned
after his death.
General Lord Roberts takes ground against the
general estimate Of Wellington. He thinks that
the victor Of Waterloo has been unduly depre-
cated as a commander while receiving praise
which he did not deserve as a man. He shows
how the rather frivolous young officer was
trained by experience In India so that he ac-
quired the capacity OF looking after everything
the enemy, the needs Of his army the means OF
supply. the opportunities a campaign. This
early experience supplemented by that gained
In the difficult war Of the Peninsula, where the
English commander hao to be diplomatist as
well as a soldier. One gets the idea that by the
time Wellington reached the field of Waterloo
he was as nearly perfect In every detail Of his
profession as it was possible to be-
On the other hand. he had none OF that
schooling which comes from difficulties Of pro-
motion. Owing partly to his rank by birth op-
portunities were thrown in his way His merit
as an officer that these were never thrown
away. AS a man, he Is credited by Lord Roberts
with some Jealousy of others II is pointed out
that he rarely praised mis- subordinates in the
only way that praise was of value to them "A
careful study of Wellingtons dispatches" re-
marks the author produces the impression that.
though perfectly just and impartial in describing
the operations in which his troops were engaged.
he was somewhat chary Of bringing 10 notice
the meritorious services Of individual regiments.
officers and soldiers" He condemned at times
In the strongest language the character Of the
British soldier. He considered the material OF
which the army was composed anything but
what 1t ought 10 have been but he took no