The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-10

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lied upon rectification of the bill by
the House of Lords. And the Lords
did rectify il largely; but these rectl1-
cations were ali rejected when the bill
returned to us. except the minority
representation, which Mr.. Disraeli
was strong enough to secure by means
of the votes of a BODY of liberals who
approved it, and which he accepted to
humour or comfort the Lords a little.
while he detested it. and made. as
Bright said the best speech ever de-
livered against il. So came about the
establishment of an effective household
suffrage i'm the cities and borou2hs of
England"
The process effecting this wide ex-
tension of political power to immense
classes hitherto without it" writes Mr..
Morley, was in every respect extra
ordinary. The great reform was car
ried by Parliament elected to support
Lord Palmerston, and Lord Palmerston
detested reform. 1t was carried by a
government i'm a decided minority. 1t
was carried by a minister and by a
leader of opposition, neither of whom
was at the time in the full confidence
of his party. Finally, it was carried
by House of Commons, that the year
before had, in effect, rejected a meas
ure for the admission of only 100000
new voters, while the measure to which
it now assented added almost a million
voters to the electorate.
I'VE also do best to seek rational ex-
plantations in large affairs. 1t may be
true that IF there were no plumbers
there would be no politics. but when
we have made full allowance for blum
der, caprice, chance, folly, craft still
reason and the nature of things have
a share. The secret of the strange re-
versal in 1867 of all that had been said,
attempted and done in 1866, would seem
to be that the tide of public opinion
had suddenly swelled to flood. The same
timidity that made the ruling classes
dread reform had the compensation that
very little in the way of popular dem
onstration was quite enough to fright
en- them into accepting it,"
His Diary.
Here are some fragments from the
diary kept by the Grand Old Man,
most Of them referring to the great
budget of 1860:
July 2O-H. of C. Lost my Savings
Bank Monies bill; my first defeat in a
measure of finance in the H. of c. This
ought to be very good for me; and
earnestly wish to make 1t SO.
Aug. 6-H. of C. Spoke ~ hour on
the Paper duty; a favourable House
Voted in 266-233 A most kind and in.
deed notable reception afterwards
Here is another passage from the diary,
showing the internal fighting in the
cabinet"
April 10, '61-Saw Lord Palmerston
and explained to him my plans, which
did not meet his views. A laborious
and anxious day. 11.-Cabinet. Ex-
planned my case 1-3. Chaos! 12.-
up in one sense and all but in another
1S.-Cabinet 3-46. My plan as now
framed was accepted, Lord Palmer
ston yielding gracefully Stanley OF
Alderly almost the only kicker The
plan of one bill was accepted after
fighting. 15.-H. of c., financial state
ment for three hours. The figures rath-
err made my head ache. 1t was the
discharge of long pent-up excite
ment."
MOrIey's Introduction.
In his introduction to the biography
Mr.. Morley says:
Gladstone used to say of himself
that his life was ever greatly absorbed
in working the institutions of his coun-
try. We mark a signal trait. Not fol
| two centuries, since the historic strife
of Anglican and Puritan. had our is
land produced a ruler in whom the re-
! ligiouS motive was paramount in this
| like degree. He was not only politi-
/ cal force, but a moral force. He strOvt
to use all the powers of his own geniu;
and the powers of the state for mora
| purposes and religious. Nevertheless
J his mission in all it's forms was ac
! ton. He had none of that detachment
often found among superior minds
which we honor for it's disinterested
ness, even while we lament it's imRo
| tence in result. The track in which
/ he moved, the instruments that he em
p1oyed, were the track and the instru
ments, the sword and the trowel, o
! political action; and what is called thu
! Gladstonianers was distinctively a DO
! litical era"
Here is an eminently characteristic,
passage by Mr.. Morley about his sub
! ject: His name is associated with I
record of arduous and fruitful legisla
tive work and administrative improve
ment, equaled by none of the great meI
who have grasped the helm of tn
British state. The intensity of hi
mind, and the length of years through
/ which he held presiding office, enabled
him to impress for good in all the de
partments of his own severe STANDARD
of public duty and personal exactitude
He was the chief force, propelling, re
straining, guiding his country at man!
decisive moments. Then how man!
! surprises and what seeming paradox
| DeVotedly attached to the church. h
was the agent in the overthrow of es
| adjustment in one of the three king
doms, and in an attemDt to overthrow
it in the principality. Entering publ,
| life with vehement aversion to the re
cent dislodgment of the landed arts
| tocracy as the handspring of parlia
mentary power. he lent himself to TIVE
| further enormously extensive change
| in the constitCtionality of center o
gravity With a lifelong belief in par
liamentary elaboration as the CRANE
security for judicious laws and nationa
control over executive act. he yet at
certain stage betook himself with mag
ical result to direct an individual
appeal to the great masses of his coun
| trymen, and the world beheld the as
tonishing spectacle of a politician will
the microscopic subtlety of thirteenth
century schoo1man welding at will tn
new democracy in what has been called
| the country of plain men,. A firmet
and trained economist, and no friend t
socialism, yet by his legislation upol
land in 1870 and 1881 he wrote the open
ing chapter in volume on which man,
an unexpected page in the history o
property is destined to be inscribed
%"* Well was it said to him, 'Yol
have so lived and wrought that vol
have kept the soul alive in England
| S
And there is another strang
thing have observed" remarked tn,
aged philosopher, stroking his lonl
white beard.
There is?" asked the interested lis
tener. What is it?"
That the coming man is always on,