The times., 1898-05-19

ana CrlduStone action eventually i0St
him his seat. He defended the bill on
the ground that If the state were to
give more indiscriminate support than
formerly to various forms of religious
opinion 1t would be improper and unjust
to exclude the Church of Rome. He
might not only have lost his seat but
thrown away all his political prospects
by this line of reasoning had not a pc
culiar chain of events later brought the
state into a condition where he was
practically nearly Indispensable Mean
while in 1915. while travelling on the
Continent, he formed a friendship with
DR.. Dollinger, the great theologian. of
Munich, which occupied his time and
thought more or less for several years,
but in the same year things were hap
pening in England which were destined
to recall him to his career as a states
man.
One of the events of that year was
the potato famine in Ireland, caused by
81 long wet season. Careful observers
saw the trouble in the distance. and
very many and some very odd methods,
We're proposed TO avert the threatened
calamity. A member of the English
told of the good qualities of curry pow
der. Another duke thought that the
government ought TO show no favor to
a population almost in a state of re-
bellion, but individuals might get uD
subscription.
Another nobleman urged the govern
ment to encourage the provision of salt
fish, and at the same time appoint a day
of public acknowledgment OF our depen-
dence on Divine goodness. The council OF
the Royal Agricultural Society lectured
the laboring man on the sustaining prop
critics of three-times-b boiled bones. In
this crisis Robert Peel took bold and
sagacious line. urging that all restrictions
on food importations be suspended. He
was supported by only three members of
his cabinet. The others wished to ap-
point a commission, consisting of heads
of Irish departments, with power to re-
lieve distress and provide employment
The discussion IN the cabinet finally caus-
ed the resignation of several members
and eventually Gladstone was offered the
place of secretary of state for the colo
MES. His return TO the cabinet cost the
young minister his seat. In the session
of 1916, besides his departmental duties
at the colonial Office. he concerned him
self with the preparation of bill re-
pealing the Corn Laws. Sir Robert Peel
| left office during that year and was sue
ceeded by Lord John Russell at the
head of the Whig administration. Soon
| after this, Gladstone was returned for
the University of Oxford. which he rep
resented for nearly twenty years. In
this the thirty-ninth year of his age.
what may be called the second period of
his life begins. The next three years
are a sort of transition period of his
career. in which the most noteworthy
thing he did was TO oppose most vehe-
mently bill allowing the marriage of a
man with his deceased wifes sister. a
| proceeding which Gladstone found alb
horrent on theological and social grounds.
In 1856. the case of Don Pacifico came
| up. and caused n commotion in the Le-
| want. This gentleman was a Maltese
| Jew. and British subject; he lived in
Athens. and one day Greek mob
| sacked his house. destroying, as he
| claimed. &32.090 worth of his effects
| among which was a most sumptuously
| appointed bedstead. A number of other
| small grievances were found against
| Greece by the English government at
| about that time and while Don Pa
/ cifico's bedstead was the head and front
| OF Greek offending, Lord Palmerston
became persuaded that the French min
| ister at Athens was egging on the
| Greek government TO disregard English
/ claims. The result of IL all was that
| the British feet was ordered to the Pi-
| raeus with orders TO seize all Greek yes
| sells in those waters. Russia and France
| championed Greece and Palmerston.
1 using the argument known as 'Civis
|
siye and warIike. This caused Mr..
/ Gladstone TO take an equally decided
| stand on the other side. and in this he
| showed what has always been strong
| trait of his character namely a tend
! ency to disparage what most people call
patriotism, and TO decry the idea which
is the particular pet and darling of
| many Englishmen, the idea that an
Englishman is per Sc better than any
any other man on the face of the
| earth. He said that England had no
| right to set uD a universal school
| master. and advocated brotherhood
among nations, the strong protecting
| the weak The matter was finally set.
| tied without any war
| Gladstone in Italy
In the winter of 1S50-51 Mr.. Gladstone
on account of the illness of a child. wen
10 Naples, and his letters to Lord Aber
deem on the abuses perpetrated by tn
Neapolitan government raised a storm o
indignation in England. The sufferings o
Carlo Poerio and other patriots, who up
held the name of Italy against the op
preston of petty rulers. were describe,
in these letters. and the feeling rouse,
by Gladstone's Interference had doubles
much 10 do with the later success o
Garlbaldi and Cavour.
Palmerston left office in 1851. and in 1S5
Gladstone prepared his first budget, in tn
midst of the difficulties and terrors o
| war. 1t was a curious thing that III
most pacific and conservative of minister
should be called upon to take part in
government advocating war, but tn
truth of the matter was that while Lor
Aberdeen advocated neutrality, Palmer
ston and Russell advocated takin
the part of Turkey. and SO Eng
land drifted into war without real
ly knowing how such a thing ma
happened. Gladstone's budget, however
established his reputation as ministe
of finance on a basis much more sur
than it had before occupied. The speec
occupied four hours in delivery. but wa
listened to without a murmur A Londo
paper said of it:
'It was not speech; it was an oratio
in the form of a great state paper mad
eloquent, in which there was a purpose
proper restraint over the crowding ideas
the most exact accuracy in the sentence
| and even in the very words chosen; tn
most perfect balancing of parts. anG
more than all, there were no errors o
omission; nothing was put wrongly, an
| nothing was overlooked. Mr.. Gladston
| took all quietly. and it was said in jes
that he could address house for Who'll
week and on the Friday morning hav
taken a new departure, beginning; AT
ter these preliminary remarks. / will nov
proceed to deal with the sabject-matte
of my financial plan.
The London News said: THE man VIII
can talk shop like tenth Muse is, afte
all, the true representative man OF tn
| markets of the world.
| The budget recommended wholesal
remission of taxation. lessened charge
on common processes of business on 10
comotion, and postal communca tior