The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-05-19

 the method of obstruction invented and practiced not only by the followers of MT. Parnell, but also by some members of the tory party. After the passing of the crimes act, which closed a period of almost unexampled parliamentary and administrative difficulty, Egypt be- gan to occupy the mind of parliament. The struggle with Arabi, Ca. v), came to head in July, when Sir B. Sey- mour now Baron Alcester) bombarded the forts of Alexandria and was ended | on September 13, when Sir Garnet Wolseley won the battle of Tel-el- kebir But MT. Gladstone's difficulties were only just beginning. The revolt of the Arab tribes of the Soudan, the destruction of Hicks Pasha's Egyptian | army, the two Suakim expeditions the despatch of General Gordon to Khar- | toum, and long afterwards of Lord Wolseley's relieving force, the advance | of this latter, it's difficulties and its hard-won victories, it's failure to | reach Khartoum in time to save Cor | don-these things are too fresh in the public memory to need a detailed repe- | tition. The session of 1884 was occu- | pied, as far as home politics are con- cerned, with the franchise bill-a bill for extending household suffrage to | the counties, and thus completing the ! democratizing of the constitution. Passed in the commons, it was thrown out by the lords, who, under the guid- | ance of Lord Salisbury, declined to pass it until the redistribution scheme was before them. But after an autumn of popular demonstrations" 1 series of conferences between the lib- eral and tory leaders were held, in l which the lines of a redistribution bill | were settled. In 1885 both bills were l passed, but very shortly afterwards, on June 9, of the same year, MT. Glad | stone was overthrown by a vote on the | budget and the conservatives, under | Lord Salisbury's leadership, came into power.
 A general election took place in No yember, just five months after MT. l Gladstone's defeat, and the liberals were successful. Their strength, nu- merically, was about equal to that of the tories and Parnellites combined.
 When MT. Gladstone returned to office | he announced his readiness to intro | duce a home rule measure for Ireland,
 and this created dissensions in the lib-
 eral ranks and practically broke up the party. Lord Harrington and others de-
 c1ined to accept offices, and MT. Cham
 berlain and MT. Trevelyan only ac- cepted on grounds which subsequent ly proved untenable. In a powerful
 and lengthy speech MT Gladstone in
 troduced his measure of home rule on April IS. The day will be long remem-
 bered by those who were in the house
 and the tens of thousands who read of
 the scenes and stirring incidents which
 occurred before, during and after the
 speech. The following day, at the sec-
 ond reading, the bill was rejected by a
 majority Of thirty.
 MT. Gladstone then appealed to the
 country, but was overwhelmed as a re-
 suit, and the conservatives and union
 ist-liberals won by large majority.
 MT. Gladstone resigned without meet
 ing parliament and Lord Salisbury be-
 come prime minister for the second
 time on August 3, 1886.
 Early in 1888 MT. Gladstone visited
 Italy and was very warmly received
 there. He paid second visit to that | CouilIy III DeGelllDGI dIlu IGluIllGL u
 Hawarden in February, 1889. MT. and
 Mrs. Gladstone celebrated their golden
 wedding on July 25 following and on
 the occasion of his eightieth birthday, December 29, 1889, the venerable states
 man received congratulations from all
 over the world Three months later
 MT. Gladstone delieved a beautiful
 oration, his subjct being "The Parnell
 Commission" and it was said by many
 to be one of his finest and most elo-
 quent efforts
 In the Autumn of 1890 MT. Gladstone
 demanded that MT. Parnell retire from
 the leadership of the Irish party, and
 based his demand on the grounds that
 as MT. Parnell had been found guilty
 of adultery with the wife of Captain
 OShea, Ireland's interests would C
 best served by his retirement. The
 outcome of this was a serious split in the ranks of the Irish nationalist mem
 bers, the majority of whom sided with the views of Mr. Gladstone.
 A memorial fountain was unveiled at
 Hawarden to commemorate the
 grand old mans" eighty-first birth
 day. During 1892 Mr. Gladstone car
 ried out yet another and most vigorous
 campaign in Midlothian. He was elect ed, but by greatly reduced majority
 and for the fourth time he became pre-
 mier. On October "A he delivered his first of the Romanes lectures choosing , Medieval Universities for his sub , ject, at Oxford and was accorded a most enthusiastic welcome. In April 1893, Mir. Gladstone moved the second | reading of another home rule bill fol 1 Ireland in the house of commons, but the bill was thrown out by the lords During his stay at Biarritz in Febru ary, 1894 London Journal announced } MT. Gladstones retirement, but the re : port was contradicted in very guarded } terms. After his return to England tn } rumor was renewed and in the mids of the uncertainty MT. Gladstone deliv ) cred his last speech as prime ministe in the house of commons on the first O l March. the occasion being the lords } amendments to the parish councils bill The next day his resignation was mad f public, and the discovery that the pre- 3 mier was suffering from cataract il l both eyes was given as the chief caus for such a decisive step On March MT. Gladstone, in an audience with tn l queen, gave up the seals of office. l f111r1