The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-25

the complications which followed the iaii
Of Peel and the breakup Of the Tory party
in July, 1916. When Lord John Russell
was forming his Government, he saw Peel
and proposed to include several members
of the latter's party. Peel thought such
n junction under existing circumstances
unadvi-abie. but said he should have no
ground Of complaint If Lord John made
ofers 10 any Of his friends; and he should
not attemp; to influence them either way.
The action ended in a proposal of office
to Dolhousie, Lincoln and Sidney Herbert.
Nothing came Of ii, and the Wings we're
left TO 60 on as best they could upon the
narrow base Of their own'party. The Pro-
tectionists, however. gave them to under
stand that, before Lord George Bentinck.
Disraeli and their friends had made up
their minds to turn Peel out, they had
decided that il would not be fair to put
the Wings in merely to punish the betrayer
and then TO turn round upon them. On
the contrary fair and candid support
was. they said. what they intended. So
it came 10 pass that, whereas Sir Robert
Peels Conservative Government had car
ried Liberal measures, Lord John Russells
Liberal Government now subsisted on
Conservative declarations.
The Peelites. according to Ii inemoTsn-
dunn of Mr.. Gladstone's, from a number
approaching 100 in the Corn laws crisis
of ls48 were reduced at once by the general
election of IA7 to less than half The
resultant number added to the Liberal
force. gave free trade a large ma ority;
added to the Protectionists. it would have
just turned the balance in their favor. So
long as Sir Robert Peel lived-he died July
2, ls5O-the entire body Of Peelites never
voted with the Protectionists. From the first.
however. a division arose among Peel's ad-
herents that widened az time went on, and
led to a long series Of doubts. perplexities
and manpuvres that lasted down to 1889.
and constitute a pivotal chapter in Mr..
Gladstone's political story. Many OF those
who had stood by Peel's side in the day Of
battle. and who still stood by him on the
morrow, when victorious policy was con-
joined with personal defeat, were in more
or less latent sympathy with the several
Protectionists in everything except protec-
ton. Among these were such men az Lord
Stanhope. Lord Harding, Gen. Peel. Mr..
Cory and Mr. Wilson Patten most of whom,
in days to come, took their places in Con-
sentative Administ rations. Others, again.
of the Peclitee, Mr.. Gladstone has himself
recorded, whose opinions were more akin
to those of the Liberals cherished neverthe-
less. personal sympathies and lingering
wishes, which made them tardy, perhaps
unduly tardy, in drawing toward that party.
think that this description applied in some
IL ~, in No
same, or greater degree, to myself,
The first Tory Government formed after
the death Of Sir Robert Peel, the Govern
ment formed by Lord Derby and Disraeli
in 1852, was short lived, Mr.. Gladstone with
some thirty other Peelites, cooperating in
it's defeat 1t was succeeded by coalition
Government, to the support OF which the
Wings and Radicals contributed go votes
in the House OF Commons. the so-called
Irish brigade 30 and the Peelites about 80.
Notwithstanding the insignifcance of their
voting strength, the Peelites were repre-
scented in the Cabinet by the Premier, Lord
Aberdeen; by Mr.. Gladstone, Chancellor
OF the Excheauer. and by four other Min
listers or the important offices out OF
the Cabinet. the thirty Peelites got more
than did the 270 Wings and Radicals. 1t
Ii we'll known that this Cabinet was wrecked
owing TO the popular dissatisfaction at
tho conduct Of the Crimean War. Mr.
Gladstone, however. added sigrally to his
reputation by the farreaching and COM
prehensive character OF the earliest Of his
thirteen budgets The simplitcation OF the
tariff, begun by Peel eleven years before.
was carried forward almost to completion.
nearly l4O duties being extinguished, and
nearly I5O being lowered II is interesting
to recall that Mr.. Gladstone in 1853 hoped
that az the end OF seven years, Parliament
would be able to dispense with the income
tax. He remained for more than twenty
years opposed to the retention Of the in
come tax "a portion OF the permanent
and ordinary revenue Of the country.
The Aberdeen Ministry was beaten on
Jan. 20, 1895. by the overwhelming vote Of
325 to l4s. The Queen sent for Lord Derby,
who would have undert AIKEN to form Gov
eminent could he have secured the support
of Lord Palmerston, Mr.. Gladstone al
Sidney Herbert. An extract from his diary
shows that Mr. Gladstone was at this time
inclined to reioin the Conservatives, and
would have done so had Palmerston and
Herbert consented to enter the proposed
Cabinet, and had a seat also been offered
TO Sir James Graham. ITO q Derby Gov
ernment- wrote Gladstone many years
later. now that the party had been drubbed
out OF protection. | did not in principle
object for old ties were with me more
! operatively strong than new opinions "
The negotiations came to nothing, how
ever because Lord Palmerston declined
to cooperate with the Tories, and Lord
Derby made no separate offer to the Peel
ties. Not only Gladstone, but DisraeIi
, thought that at this crisis Lord Derby
missed a promising opportunity Of re-
consolidating the Tory party, and Of gain
ing the support Of the country. Lord
Derby having failed TO form Govern
ment, the Queen sent for Lord Iansdowne
who would have undertaken to discharge
| the commission If Mr. Gladstone had agreed
| to retain the Office of Chancellor of the
Excheuuer. Mr. Gladstone refused, and
F! ever afterward regretted the refusal
In an photographic note of 1897 he
recalls: II said Ito Lord Lansdownel that
the working of the coalition between
| Peelites and Whigs since its formation in
December, 1852. had been to me entirely
| satisfactory, but was not prepared 10
cooperate in it's continuation under any
otbar hand than Lord Aberdeen | thinl,