The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-24

TO forward copies OF il to their respec-
tive courts. In 1858 he published an
elaborate work on Homer C"Studies on
Homer and the Homeric Age" 8 col
umes.)
In July, 1861, he was solicited to be-
com a candidate, in the LIBERAL inter
est. for South Lancashire, but re-
fused to forsake his former constitu-
ents. Having been rejected by the
University of oxford at the general
election in July, 1865, Mr.. Gladstone
was returned, being third on the poll,
for South Lancashire. After the death
Of Lord Palmerston. he became leader
OF the house of commons, retaining
the chancellorship of the e~xchequer in
Lord Russe!I's second administration.
Early in the session Of 1866 he brought
in a reform bill, and a motion in com
mittee having been carried June 18th,
against the government by eleven
votes, Mr.. Gladstone and his colleag-
ues resigned. The divisions in the lib
ing Mr.. Disraeli's Reform Bill which he
stronously opposed.
I'm the early part of the session of
1868 Mr.. Gladstone brought forward
and passed through the house of COM
o a series Of resolutions, having
for their object the disestablishment
and disendowment of the Irish church
IlOll W TIc 'NllS VDdoAS III lit
Irish church s~uspensory bill. which, on
May %, passed a second reading in the
lower house by 312 votes TO 258, but
was soon afterwards rejected in the
house Of peers by a majority Of 50. At
the general election of 1868, Mr.. Glad
stone stood as one Of the candidates
for southwest Lancashire. after a
fierce contest, the result Of which ex-
cited the most intense interest through
nr1. ,ha ,,n.r 1a v-a 1Zrao+a1 Frtg
his defeat did not exclude him from
the house of commons, as in anticipa-
ton Of such an event, the electors of
Greenwich had, a few days previous,
returned him by a large majority, as
one of the members for that borough.
ON the resignation of Mr.. Disraeli's
ministry in December, 1868, Mr.. Glad
stone succeeded that statesman, as
First Lord of the Treasury.
The principal events were the pass
ins of the irish Church disestablish-
ment act 1850, of the Irish and act
QS10); he abolition Of purchase in the
army by the exercise of the Royal
PrerOgative, in consequence of an ad-
verse vote by tine House Of Lords on
the Army Regulation Bill 0S7D; the
negotiation Of the treaty of Washing
ton respecting the Alabama claims
087); the passing of the ballot act
80 anu III n.y. AO'c(
The principal measure proposed by the
government in the session Of 1873, was
the University Education Greland) Bill,
which was opposed by the Roman
Catholic members, who, voting on this
occasion with the COnse rvatives, caus-
ed the rejection Of the bill by 2S7 votes
against 2S4 OMarch1D. 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 reluctance,
undertook (March16) TO reconstruct
the cabinet. In August, 1873, immed-
lately after the close of the session,
the abine was considerably remod-
elled, Mr.. Gladstone assuming the
CHARACTERISTIC of the excheQuer, IN ad-
dition to his office of First Lord of the
Treasury.
On January "a, 1874, a fortnight before
both houses were to have met for the
dispatch of public business. Mr.. Glad
stone took everybody by surprise by
announcing the immediate dissolution
of parliament, and issuing his address
to his constituents at Greenwich, in
which he promised to abolish the in
come tax. AT the general election
which en.ued, the votes were, for the
first time, taken by secret ballot. The
result proved most disastrous to the
liberal party. The returns, complet-
ell on February 2Tth, showed that 351
conservatives had been elected and 302
liberals, inclusive of the Home Rulers,
who in point of fact, declined to iden-
tify themselves with either of the old
political parties. Mr.. Gladstone at
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 its close he offered a persistent
opposition to the public worship regu-
lation bill.
On January Is, 1875, three weeks be-
fore the assembling of parliament,
Mr.. Gladstone announced in a letter
to Earl Granville, his determination to
retire from the leadership of the Lib
eral party. A the age of sixty-five,"
he remarked, land after forty-two
years of laborious public life, l think
myself entitled to retire on the present
opportunity. This retirement is die
tated to me on my personal views to
the best methods of spending the clos
ing years of my life"
Mr.. Gladstone took an active part in
the agitation respecting the massacres
in Bulgaria, n ~strenously opposed,
both in and ont of parliament, the
policy of the conservative government