New-York tribune., 1906-10-24

Ig Igs Taornas Eodgkin. D. c. L. svo pr. xxi, 81
fousrnans. Green & Co.
r,s t,vsi7e volumes in which this Political
r,e;ory" is 10 be completed are appearing as
,,. different authors get them finished II is
-, surprising, therefore, that the latest TO come
81 hand are the eleventh and the first We make
:, spology for giving precedence to the former
Not one OF the volumes IN this series which we
hsye thus far reviewed, not one in the entire
a. IS more likely TO meet a real need than
,s,z eleventh volume. written by the late Mr.
George c. Brodriok and Mr.. ]. K FotheriughaEn.
harriet Martineau. William N Molesworth and
eobe-t Mackenzie all wrote OF the period Il
,overs that from 1901 TO 1887 But Miss Mar
.ueau's survey extended only from 1900 TO 1915;
Molesworth began with 1880. and while Macken-
p;e covered the period from 1900 TO 1880 and.
v-tthfn his limitations and MS plan. covered #
rel aH three histories are much out OF date.
There is embodied in none Of them any OF the
material which has been brought TO light IN the
,ol,ticaI Biographies and memoirs published dur
ins the last forty years Sir Spencer waIpoIe
has written hts History of England. quite re-
eeutly brought down 20 1870. since much of
-hig new material has become available. But
walpole begins only at 1916. the year to which
Harriet Martineau carried her survey; so that
urevious 10 the publication Of the Brodrick-
England which comprehensively covered the
pe-tod between Pitts resignation as Premier IN
1901, and the beginning OF the reign OF Queen
Victoria in 1897. Volume XI should conse-
ousntly appeal 10 wider audience than almost
any ether volume in the series. It has also an
ether distinction. II IS the only volume which
's 4 Sort work The late Mr.. Brodrick dealt
with domestic politics and with the social and
economic progress Of England between 1901 and
1887 while Mr.. Fotheringham is responsible for
the treatment OF foreign affairs. On the whole.
this division Of the work has been a gain for
she student, and especially for the student Of
Fuglaad's Continental relations during the Ma
noleonic wars; for those relations, tangled and
involved as they were, are admirably treated
BY Ny. Fotheringhar. In fact, his mastery
exposition Of them gives the new work much Of
IT'S special value students who are concerned
with EngIands great struggle with Napoleon
Some loss necessarily attends the full and
special treatment of Continental affairs. the
greatest period Of reform in England in the
first half Of the nineteenth century lies between
1920 and 1887. The era of reform is generally
understood 70 have begun in 1880 This is so
as regards the epoch making reforms for which
the first great Whig administration IN the
nineteenth century was responsible. But be-
tween the peace after Waterloo and the down
faH of the last Of the old Tory adrninistra-
tions-thet OF the Duke Of Wellington in 1880
there were many notable reforms. Some OF
these concerned the House OF Commons and
the old system OF Parliamentary representa-
ton. These were minor reforms; but they
showed that the era OF reform had begun; and
thev further showed that the old Tory party
was not utterly reglectful Of changing condi-
tions and Of the new forces that were making
themselves felt IN English life. In this period
aso-1S2O- 30-came the abolition Of secterian
tests which had so long hanpered English Non
oonfornlity. and IN particular had excluded the
Naaconforuists from any part IN municipal gov
gnmert; and the great measure OF Catholic
emancipation, which was enacted in 1929 From
1880 70 1881 was the period Of the greatest
activity Of the Wings in constitutional reform.
First came the remodeIIing Of the Parliamentary
representation in 1882. This was followed in
is34 by the reform OF the poor law; and in
1885 by the reorganization Of municipal gov
ernment on a democratic basis. In this period
also there were some reforms in the judicial
system, in the marriage laws and in the sys-
ten under which tithes were paid TO the estab-
nshed Church Moreover. II was IN these years
that Parliament began seriously to concern itself
with elementary education and TO establish the
connection between the state and education
which Led TO the great measure Of 1870, the
measure which at the time OF writing is await
:ng third reading n the House Of Lords.
Modern England may be said to date from the
period which was assigned by Dr. Hunt, the
editor of the series 10 the late MT Brodrick for
no one can possibly understand the England OF
to-6sv and especially its system of Parliamen-
tsry representation, Its municipal government
its care for the poor and its system Of public
education who has not mastered the new be-
ginnings which were made between the peace
after the final downfall Of Napoleon and the end
Of the reign Of William ". These great
changes. with the economic and social progress
Of England between 1901 and 1887. II they to
be adequately treated, call for volume as large
the present one; and if Mr. Brodrick's treat
rent falls somewhat short Of being adequate. i
IS nor because he did not grasp them well and
realize their significance. but simply because
seven ont Of the twenty chapters into which the
work IS divided We're assigned 70 Mr.. Fother
!nghan for foreign affairs. For general reading
the b-evltv with which some Of the events
treated may not detract from the value Of Mr..
B,od-ick's work: but this brevity is likely 10
make q less serviceable g book Of reference
FOR period in English history for which books
q reference are none too numerous Mr.. Brod-
rick's style has much 10 commend it, and few
Students viii be inclined TO take issue with hts
point ~ view. He puts George III in a much
better light than earlier historians who have
treated Of his reign. He does much the same
Service for Addington, Castlereagh and other OF
he Tory leaders Of the last twenty years Of the
reign; and it IS quite possible TO do this without
Doing any injustice to historical accuracy. for
these leaders in the closing years Of the era of
Toryism which began about 1883 were IN power
a. a tine cf great stress in national life, when
The condition Of the working classes IN England.