The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-23
served the Queen as Prime Minister for


| In these three years some important
steps forward were taken by the Gov
| eminent. 1t dealt with a perplexing
situation in the Island of Jamaica, estab-
lished the present confederation of Can
ada, met and disposed of Fenianism. pass
ed a new reform bill, which enfranchised
all male borough householders who were
subject to taxation for the relief of the
poor. all dodgers resident Of a years
standing who paid $40 a year rent, coun-
| try residents who had property yielding
e5 a year, and those who occupied lands
and tenements at an expense of ei2 a
year; encountered the first threatening
wave OF trades -unionisIn. sent an expe-
| dition into Abyssinia aud entertained for
/ the Queen Abdul Aziz, the Sultan of Tur-
/ key
Mr.. Disraeli's ten months of admins
| tration, ending in December 1868. in
troduced a new era of English states
manship His short initial term was
| closed by the brilliant triumph of his
great rival, Mr.. Gladstone. on a prelimi-
nary touching the question of dfsestab-
! fishing the Church in Ireland. The meas
ure, being opposed By the Government.
was carried a dissolution followed. and
! in the election OF 1865 the new elective
| franchises Injured to the benefit of the
Liberals, giving them control of the
! House of Commons by a large majority.
Mr.. Disraelt resigned, and the Queen en-
| trusted the Government to Mr.. Glad
stone. During the five years from 1868
IN haa d.
among other matters, an agitation for a
| scheme of national education, disestab-
| lishment in Ireland. Irish land-tenure re-
form, the abuse of comforting military
| commissions for pecuniary or political
considerations. the American Alabama
| claims, renewed misunderstanding in the
! East. and the -Prussian war as far
as il touched England. After FIVE years
of unparalleled labor on his part. finding
a spirit of discomfort rising among his
| followers, Mr. Gladstone early in 1874
surprised the country by dissolving Par
lament and submitting to the jury of his
! countrymen the case of the discontents
against his administration. The verdict
went against him Reaction toward Con-
servatism set in, and overwhelming the
Liberals, carried down the Gladstone
| Government.
| Mr.. Disraeli's administration of the next
seven years made the Queen Empress Of
India and the Prime Minister an earl. The
purchase of the Suez Canal. Englands part
in the war between Russia and Turkey,
! the settlement of the Eastern question
| by the Congress of Berlin, were leading
! features of Lord Beaconsield's term of
| service. --..~-
In April, 1881 Mr. Gladstone returned 10
power only to find a vast deal of unfin-
ished business left to him. The Egyptian
question, the tragic situation of Gordon
at Khartum, and the lattening out of
General Wolseley's pretentious expedition
for rescue, put the Government to Sc
we're test while Irish home rule, the dy-
namiters, and the Parliamentary reform
ers made the Liberal Premiers life for
four years anything but easy. After con-
tending with all these weighty problems,
Mr. Gladstone in June. 1885, fell on ques-
ton of beer tax, and the Queen entrusted
the forming of new Cabinet to Lord SAL
isbury.
The events of the later administrations
of this nobleman, of Mr.. Gladstone and
OF Lord Rosebery are too recent to require
detailed description at this time, Promi-
nent among the parliamentary proceedings
of the period was the long struggle over
home rule. In 1887 the Queen celebrated
her jubilee with great pomp. the occasion
resulting in an extraordinary demonstra-
ton OF national patriotism and affection.
NJ las xaa PC ho O1,eau h,ad Lori mora and
more retired life, although her activity
and interest in matters of state have new
er abated. This, in her case, as Is well
known, is no mere empty figure of speech.
Although conscientiously refraining from
all efforts to exceed the limits OF the au-
! thority conferred upon her as constitu-
tional monarch, she has always exacted
and used the full prerogatives OF her po-
sitlon, and in the framing and execution
of important policies has exerted much
more influence than that of simple royal
| fgurehead. In fact, in the course of long
years OF faithful devotion to her duties she
had become conversant with the inner
most workings of every branch Of the
public service and obtained a wonderful
mastery of the principles and objects Of
that at all events in more recent years,
her Ministers were only TOO glad to Iroht
| by the advice dictated by her natural
sagacity and prolonged experience
Her reign covers nearly the entire pc
riod of the worlds development IN those
useful arts that have changed the worlds
methods of living and doing. Steam had
| for many years been serving man in some
| of its minor capabilities. The steamboat
was fully mastered IL 1t was not full
grown when she came to the throne. Rail-
roads had just begun to be a conceded
possibility, although no one had dreamed
| in 1887 of the present achievements in that
| line. Ocean steam navigation, telegraphy.
cabling, sewing and moving machines, the
| vast variety of electrical apparatus-near-
~ the whole round of labor saving arti-
fees of today-are the fruit of the Victo-
rian age.
In literature the reign has enriched the
! English language to an extent second only
to that which Queen Elizabeth bestowed
upon It, Without attempting classifca-
ton, much less analysis. the names may
be mentioned of Carlyle. Grote, Macaulay,
Harriet Martineau John Stuart Mill,
| Charles Kingsley, Charles Dickens, Ed
ward Bulwer Lytton, Thackeray. Reade.
George Eliot, Tennyson. the Brownings.
| Charles Knight, John Ruskin. Matthew
| Arnold. Thomas Hood, Charlotte Bronte,
| Charles Lever. Benjamin Disraeii, Oar
| r.,,-to,, Uarbart Snencer Prof Tyu-