The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-04
and esteemed New Yorker, Mr.. Leonard


Jerome.
During the Beacons6eld Parliament
QS74-S0), Lord Randolph made no great i'm
preston on the House OF Commons. de
was absent from many important diVl-
sions, and for a time scarcely a mention OF
his name occurs in the Debates" 1t was
not until Mr. Gladstone became once more
Prime Minister in 1880 that Lord Randolph,
who was thoroughly dissatisfied with the
meek leadership of the Conservatives by
Sir Stafford Northcote, who had been Glad
stones private secretary, came to the front
az the chief of a so-called Fourth party, the
three other members Of which were Mr.
A. j, Balfour, Mr.. (afterward Sir John
Gorst and Sir II. Drummond-Wo How
active and aggressive the members Of this
party were from the outset IL evident from
some figures read out to the House OF Com
mons in August, 1880, 1t appeared that
during the four months which had elapsed
since the dissolution Of the ~Beaconsheld
Parliament, Mr.. Gorst had spoken los times,
and asked eighteen questions; Sir Henry
Wolff had made sixty-eight speeches and
had asked thirty-four questions, and Lord
Randolph Churchill had made seventy-fou
speeches and had asked t~wenty-one ques-
tons. Mr.. A. J, Balfour had been scarcely
less conspicuous. 1t il interesting to learn
that the proceedings and progress OF the
Fourth Party in the House Of Commons
did not escape the attention Of Lord Beacons-
field, but that, on the contrary, he regarded
them from the first with sympathy and APP
proval. He was on friendly terms with all
the four friends, though it was Mr.. Gorst
with whom his relations were most init
mate. He took a keen interest in all their
parliamentary maneuvres, and made par
ticular inquiry az to what was thought Of
the Fourth Party in Ministerial circles.
Meeting Sir Henry James at a dinner in
the spring Of 1881, not long before his last
illness. BeaconsfeId said, Well, what do
you think of Randolph" Sir Henry James
having praised his parliamentary instincts
and aptitudes, "Ah, yes, you are quite right, 1"
rejoined B~eaconsfeld. when they come
in they will have to give him anything he
chooses to ask for, and in a short time
they will have TO take anything he chooses
to give them" In the preceding autumn the
ex-Tory Premier had confided to Sir Henry
Wolf that, when Mr.. Gladstone had an
nounced his withdrawal from public life,
he had fully believed the statement which
had been confirmed from sources on which
his lifelong rival placed entire reliance.
Il thought" said B~eaconsheld, that when
Gladstone was gone, Northcote would be
able to cope with any one likely to as
sum the lead on the other side. and /
wanted rest. I now much regret having
retired from the House of Commons, as Mr..
Gladstone, contrary to my firm persuasion,
returned. fully appreciate your feelings
and those of your friends; but you must
stick to Northcote. He represents the re-
spectability Of the party. | wholly sym
pathize with you all. because l never was
wholly respectable myself, In my time
the responsibility Of the party was repre-
sented by -, a horrid man; but had
to do az well as l could; you must do the
same
On the other hand. the great Tory news
papers labored assiduously to ignore the
existence Of the Fourth party and, when
compelled, alluded to the proceedings OF
it's members only with a sheer. Though
throughout the so-called Gladstone Par
Lament" they were really the life and soul
OF the Tory Opposition, they were freely
represented as hostile to its interests. They
had, however, some other friends besides
BOTO beACOnSHelQ. NTlJu1B 10 LORD TIan-
dolph in September, 1880, Sir Henry Wolff
mentions that after you left yesterday I
received two very handsome tributes to
the Fourth party-one from Lord Cadogan,
who said that he would look with dread at
Its being lone away with, as being the only
portion OF the Conservative party that did
any good at all-the other was from a man
whose name l cannot recollect, and who
came up to me in st, James street to say
he had been staying with Chenery, the editor
OF the Times, who had expressed himself
very warmly as to the future of the Fourth
party While opinions we're thus divided,
it was natural that Lord Randolph and his
friends should wish to give some public
demonstration OF their influence in high
places. Through Mr.. Balfour, Lord Sails
bury was induced to accept an invitation to
address a meeting held at Woodstock in
November, 1880, an incident which was
recognized by the Liberal organs az a
further proof of the growing power Of the
Fourth party.