St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-05-25
Gladstone's Death.

William Ewart Gladstone, the fore
most politician of all the world, and the
greatest statesman that England has
produced in the greatest epoch making
century, died early Thursday morning at
his home, Hawarden Castle, where he
had lived the past 60 years. The end
came peacefully while he was surrounded
by his family.
Entering'P arliament in January, 1888,
when he was % years old, he made his
last speech there in March, 1894, round
ing out very remarkable and infuen-
tial career. unparalleled in its duration
and achievement. But in his long life,
not only the statesman, the politician,
the financier, the phianthropist, the
orator and the debater of Pertinent are
to be considered, but also the scholar,
the theologian. the man of letters.
Gladstone was born in Liverpool, Dec.
20, 1909. His parents were natives of
Scotland, and his father, Sir John Clad
stone, BART, was successful merchant.
Gladstone was educated at Eaton and
Christ church, Oxford, graduating in
1881 with highest honors in both class
les and mathematics. He won fame as
debater while in college and he was only
% when he was elected to Pertinent, as
Tory. Sir Robert Peel made him under
secretary of affairs in 1884. He went
out with Peel in the following year, and
his next six years was spent in strict
study of the business of legislation.
In 1916 he resigned his seat for New
ark on account OF his free trade views,
and was for few months without a seat
in Pertinent, but in 1S47 he was returned
to the university of Oxford. His address
to the electors showed that he was
changing his grounds in respect to many
tory doctrines, unexpectedly with regard
to the church establishment.
In 1852 Disraeli was chancellor of the
exchequer in that ministry, and in rid
ding his budget" as the treasury
scheme is entitled in England, Glandstone
first showed his unrivaled talent as fnan-
cier; his assaults was so destructive that
the budget was defeated and the minis.
try went down. In the earl of Aber-
deems ministry which succeeded, Mr.
Gladstone was chancellor of the exchcq-
uer, and in April, 1853, he presented his
budget to the House of Commons in a
memorable speech which placed him at
the head of all English finance minister's
He held the office of chancellor of the
exchequer at first in the liberal ministry
of Lord Palmerston, formed in 1855, but
retired with the other Peelites in few
weeks. He came back into the office in
1859, holding it until 1866. The defeat
OF reform bill which he had introduced
brought the Tories back to power, to
pass themselves an important reform
measure; but en- Dec. 9, 1868, he reached
the highest dignity attained by British
subject, that of prime minister. This
position he held four times, retiring IN
March, 1894, on account OF his infrma-
ties.
The history of his ministries is the his.
tory OF the British empire for the time.
One OF the first measures which he carried
as premier was the disestablishment of
the Irish church, and the condition of Ire
land through more than quarter of a
century of the most active part of his life
was the object of his most particular
concern. He prepared bills, in 1886 and
1893. for separate legislature for that
country, but both were defeated.
While Mr.. Gladstone started in his no.