The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-19

feating Mr.. Disraeli's reform bill, which
he strenuously opposed In the early part
of the session Of 1868, Mr.. Gladstone
/ brought forward and passed through tue
| House of Commons Il series of resolu
tiuns, having for their object the u,s-
! establishment and disendowmenl OF INV
Irish church. These resolutions VERY
The basis of the Irish Church SuspohSor4
Bill which, on May %. passed seco COM.
roading in the Lower House by 3l2
votes to 25S, but was soon afterwards
rejected in the House of Peers by
majority of % AT the general election
If 1868. Mr.. Gladstone stood as one
If the candidates for Southwest Lanca'
shire. After fierce contest, the result
If which excited the most intense inter-
est throughout the country ne was a.
feated but this defeat did not exclude
him from the House Of Commons, as IN
anticipation of such an event, the cleo
tors of Greenwich had, few days pre-
yious. returned him by large majority.
MS one of the members for that borough.
ON the resignation of Mr.. Disrcall's Mill
istry in December. 1868, Mr.. Gladstone
succeeded that statesman, rs First Lord
of the Treasury. Ihe principal events
| of his administration were the passing
of the Irish Church Discstahlishment
Act (lS69), OF the Irish Land Act (lSIOl
and of the Elementary Education Act
$50: the abolition Of purchase in the
army 10y the exercises of the Royal
Provocative. in consequence of an adj
verse vote by the House of Lords on
the Army Regulation Bill dS7D; the
negotiation 81 the Treaty Of Washington
az inc 1.,I,
the passing of the Ballot Act (lS72):
and the Judicaturc Act 0S73). The
principal measure proposed by the gov
eminent in the session Of 1873 was the
University Education 0reland) Bill,
which was opposed by the Roman
, Catholic members. who. voting on this
occasion with the Conservatives caused
the rejection of the bill by 2S7 votes
against 2S4 March 1lthD Upon this
Mr.. Gladstone rendered his resignation
to Her Majesty. and Mr.. Disraeli was
sent for; but as he declined to take
office, Mr.. Gladstone though with re-
luctance, undertook March 100 to re-
construct the Cabinet. IN August. 1913
Immediately after the close of the SEES
sion. the Cabinet was considerably re-
modelled. Mr. Gladstone assuming the
CHARACTERISTIC of the EXchequer. in adj
diton to his office of First Lord of the
Treasury. On January 81, 1874, a fort
night before both houses were to have
met for the despatch of public bust
ness. Mr. Gladstone took everybody by
surprise by announcing the immediate
dissolution of Parliament. and issuing
his address to his constituents al
Greenwich. in which he promised t.
abolish the Income Tax At the general
election which ensued, the votes were
for the first time, taken by secret bal
lot The result proved most disastrous
to the Liberal party. The returns. com.
pleted on February 81. showed that 351
Conservatives had been elected and 302
Liberals. inclusive Of the Home Rulers
F., who. in point of fact, declined to iden-
| tify themselves with either Of the old
political parties Mr. Gladstone ut once
resigned. and Mr.. Disraeli became
Prime Minister. In the session of 1874
Mr.. GLADSTONE. who had been reelected
for Greenwich, was rarely to be seen
in his place in the House of Commons
but at it's colse he offered a persistent
opposition to the Public Worship Regu-
lation Bill. Even amid the turmoil OF
political life, Mr. Gladstone had de.
voted portion 0f his time to literature.
His "Ecco Homo" printed from G-yl-i
Words appeared in 1868; a pamphlet on
the Irish Church question: entitled ~
Chapter Of Autobiography, was pub
lished November %, 1868; and "Juyentus
Mundi the Gods and Men of the Heroit
Age; in 1869 After his successful at-
tempt to prevent the passing Of the Pub.
lie Worship Regulation Act, he contrl-
buted to the Contemporary Review foA
October. 1874. an article on "Ritualism, >
which gave rise to an animated contrO-
versy. In it he asserted that "ROmt
had substituted for the proud boast of
semper eadem policy of violence and
change in faith" that she had refur-
bished and paraded anew every trusty
tool which was fOndly thought to have
disused," that mo one could become hes
convert without renouncing his moral
and mental freedom. and placing his
civil loyalty and duty at the mercy of
another" and that "she had equally re-
pudiated modern thought and ancient his
tory" Challenged by his Roman
Catholic friends to substantiate these
grave charges. Mr. Gladstone published
November Z, 1874, bulky pamphlet
netitled '"The Vatican DEGREES in their
bearing on civil Allegiance: Il Political
Exposition" which elected numerous
elaborate replies from Mgr. Capel, DIR.
Newman, Archbishop Manning and 9th
er distinguished members of the Roman
Catholic Church Mr. Gladstone's re-
ply to his opponents. published February
"a, 1875, is entitled "Vaticianism An
Answer to Replies and Rreproofs." Mr..
Gladstone followed up his attacks on the
Roman Catholic Church. in an article on
"Thc Speeches of Plus IN. in the Quar-
terly Review for January 1875. On
January 10, 1870 three weeks before
the assembling of Parliament Mr..
Gladstone announced in letter to Earl
Granville. his determination to retire
from the leadership of the Liberal party.
at the age of sixty-fve." he remarked,
"and after forty-twO years of laborious
public life. | think myself entitled to re-
tire on the present opportunity. This
retirement is dictated to me on my per
sonal views as to the best methods Of
spending the closing years of my life. "
Soon afterwards the Marquis Of Hartine-
ton was chosen by the Liberal party t.
be their leader in the House of Com
mons. Subsequently, however, Mr..
Gladstone constantly took part IN the