The Washington times., 1901-07-28
THEIR MAIDEN spEEcHEs.
DisrneIi's, GIadstone's, and ParneiPs
First ERarts In Parliament.

FtrSt E0Qrts In Parliament.
One night early in 1893 nhe year aftel
he had failed in his contest as n Radica
for the borough of High wycombe, Ben
Jamin Disraeii, sitting In the Strangers
Gallery of the House II Commons listen
ed to the debate on the address in which
Lord John Russell. Macauiay. Stanley
Eulwer. and other leading members OF
the House took part. Next day he wruts
to his sister: Was at the House of Com
mons yesterday during the whole of the
debate--one of the finest we have had for
years. Macaulay was admirable. but, be-
tween ourselves. could floor them all
This entire nous. was never more conf
dent of anything than that 1 could carry
everything before me in that House The
time win come
The time did come four years later
when on December 7, 1897, Disraeli, hav-
ing been returned as a Tory. stood up In
the Honse of Commons. to make his
maiden speech. The story of that historic
fiasco has never been fully told What Is
generally known is that Disraeli was in.
terrupted by bursts of ironical laughter
almost from the beginning Of his speech
and that at length. utterly unable to
catch the ear of the House. he concluded
by shouting at the utmost pitch of his
voice the famous phrase: Though 1 sit
down now, the time will come when you
Will hear me-" But the whole episode
what led up to It, and what followed is
most interesting.
The subject Of the debate was a motion
by Mr.. Smith O'B-ien for select COM
mittee to enquire into the alleged practice
of vexatious petitioning against Irish
mnmDRrS elected In hp int
Daniel OConnell supported the motion,
and it had been arranged that Sir Robert
Peel should reply. but the strongly ex-
pressed wish of Disraeli that the duty
might be given to him. backed as 1t was
by many members of his party. induced
tho Tory leader to give way to his ardent
young recruit.
There had been an absurd, though very
bitter quarrel. between o'Connen and Dis
raeli. O'Connell was one of Disraelrs
sponsors when he carried the Radical flag
on the hustings at High Wycombe in 1892
Three years later Disraeli, having turned
Tory, attacked the Melbourne Administra-
ton. which was retained in power by the
Irish party, for having clasped, as he put
1t. the bloody hand of O'Connell" OCon-
nell retorted in speech of savage vitu-
raeli's life was living ne," and that he
was descendant Of the impenitent thief
on the cross" Disraeli challenged OCon-
nell, but the Irishman. after killing DEs-
terre in 1915. had made a vow against
dueling, and always wore a black kid
glove on his right hand as token of his
lifelong repentance for having shed an
other mans blood. Then" wrote Dis
aali t,
I'VE shall meet at Philippi" Now the two
antagonists were face to face at Philippi
lin the House of Commons. with, happi-
ly, the floor between.
Disraeli's failure on this occasion was
not due to nervous tinidity. but to the
less amiable fault of over-confident flu
ency. to the young members irritating
of manner inspired, obvi-
ously. by the conviction that he was
about to leap into Parliamentary fame at
a single bound. This, with his foppish
attire, his affected gestures, and the
of his rapid change of politi-
cal opinions, caused the British Radicals
and the Irish Repeaters, both led by the
lusty lungs of G'Conneil, to indulge in
roars of ironicaI laughter and other dis
cries.
~1AoSSafdys WiitlA6 " q lLicIlu III 1dIlS,
a few days later, said, Speaking of the
House. Disraeli nearly killed 1t on Thurs
day night. You have, of course, seen his
speech in 'Galignani.' Can you conceive
the impudence of the Attorney General
not knowing him personally and going up
to him in the lobby and saying, A very
pleasant speech Of yours. Mr.. DisraeIL
VIII you be kind enough to tell me what
Lord John held beside the keys of st.
Peter? The red cap of liberty, sir
During the performance, Peel quite
with laughter"
Gladstone's first appearance as a
speaker in the arena in which he was for
so long period the most eloquent and
personality, was obscure and
He took his seat as a
member for Newark on January %, 1898.
the opening day of the first session of
the first Parliament elected under the Re-
form act-being then twenty-three years
old.
Three weeks later. on February q, he
made his maiden speech. A petition sign
ed by 1900 Wings of Liverpool was pre-
sented alleging bribery and corruptions
against the Tory representatives of the
town, and in the discussion which follow
Gu oiddStOilt IpOSCu OIl the
electoral honor of his native place.
Every great orator from Demosthenes
to Burke" Gladstone once said, "has suf-
fered from nervousness on the eve of an
important speech, and although 1 cannot
claim to share their gift of golden speech.
can claim more than fair share of
heir defect of nerves. Certainly he was
extremely nervous on this occasion, as
his indistinctness of utterance and hesi-
.ancy of manner only too obviously show
ed. That voice which subsequently held
so many thousands spellbound by its
music was inaudible from the gallery in
which the reporters were taking notes So
speech delivered in the House a few
months later by his brother Thomas in
defence of their father, who was an own
,r of slaves on his estates at Demerara
has often been described in biographical
sketches as Gladstones maiden effort
Lord Salisbury was twenty-four when,
Is Lord Robert Cecil, he took his seat
n the House of Commons as member |
months later, on April I. he delivered his |
irst speech on Lord John Russelfs Uni
-ersity bill. ''Hansard' gives 1t only |
Eighteen lines of its narrow columns and |
he members who Immediately followed in |
he debate made no reference to it; but |
speaking later in the evening
recognized IN generous terms the abilities |
II the young man who was destined after /
ne lapse OF tnlrty years TO become his I
hief political rival. This first effort,
ich with promise" said he Indicates |
hat there still issue forth from the ma !
ernal bosom of the university men who /
n the first days of their career give earn |
st of what they may afterward accom- |
lish for their country
The most successful maiden speech of |
ecent times was that of Sir William Har-
ourt. He was forty-one years old when
e took his seat member for Oxford on
Is. 1863. and just a week later
the House for the first time
he subject was happily one in which he
fas well versed. Viscount Bury asked
Or leave to introduce measure entitled