The Bee-Hive. — 1871-11-18 (London, England)

EWART GLADSTONE. I have differed with him; I have voted against him; I have ventured to argue with him; I have in various , ways not seen with him, but, after all, with all his faults, if faults ho has, I can only say I have a feeling more than of respect, a feeling approaching to veneration, and almost reaching affection. I am convinced that, whatever he has, he has the true interests of the country at heart, and that, although he may not be the onward leader of a comparatively distant future, he is the loader for the.. present day, and that he will help cin, thU Liberal party, not further than other men would help them if they could, but further than the present possibilities of the case would enable any other man to •litip them." In expressing his own sentiments, Mr. GILPIN has expressed those of many men besides. But then, it would be a misuse of his k advantage, were the PlLElinat to. ukto4o' his  7:7451fMr  9  acceptablity a cover for any kind of colleagues or any blunders or shortcomings of which they may be guilty. We have already had quite enough of that sort of thing. It would be an excellent thing if some of the older men in the Administration would take note of what is said by the younger. Mr. Wtsmanontast; who was taken on to save the HostE SECRETARY from utter political suicide, speaking of the great impulse given to Liberalism by the accession of working men to the franchise, said they [whom coUld ho menu?] could not help noticing the great feeling of self-reliance in the working classes, who, in this country, as in every other, formed the great body of the people. He did not think the importance of this wits i ceognised at the preJent moment. Many of the Liberal party looked with apprehension at this state of things ; but these men ought to be welcomed among them. Those who were so fearful, tried to distract the attention of the working class from what they called political reform; but they might depend upon it they would never satisfy them by merely providing them with physical oomforts, even if that (multi be done. The working classes were now finding Vieir own strength, and the Liberal party must show them how to use it. If they were true to the traditions of their party and the examples of their forefathers, they would help them in their new position, for it was a now position in the social scale, and by this moans they would bind them to them with tics of affeetion which would not easily be broken. Mr. GILPIN struck a key to whose note there will soon be a loud and general response, when he broached the great topic of the incidence of taxation. " I have come," ho said, "to the conclusion that realised property does not bear anything like its fair share of the public expenditure. It is a monstrous thing, that, when increased expenditure for the army was talked about, that increased expenditure was met almost wholly by the increase of the income-tax, which presses very heavily upon the middle and industrious classes of the country. Those most interested in preventing that chimerical thing, ,an invasion, were men of large estates and large realised property. I am prepared to advocate a great change, which shall make me, as far as l have realised property, pay more than my son, who has not realised property ; or my friend, who may not have realised property, but an income, possibly as large as Mine, but whioh is dependent upon his life, health, and strength, which may at any time slip from him, and leave no residue behind." Now, if Mr. GLADSTUNI: wishes to secure (agave believe he does) the high opinion of his friends, ho will take care to surround himself with colleagues, wise, in their respective dopartments, will act well their part in this and the other matters which Mr. 0 if.eiN noticed as inevitable. What, then, says the leader 'himself, while some of the best of his followers are saying these things ? From the closing sentences of his peace speech at Guildhall, we may gather something of what is now passing through his mind. Ile expressed a generous confidence in the stable character of the English working classes. " hope," he said," we are not over confident, nor blindly or rashly sanguine, when we express the cheerful hope that we have little to apprehend, at least within the limits of these islands. Even here there seem to be souse time. tuations of opinion ; but I can assure this company, that that disturbance, uneasiness, or uncertainty does not affect the minds of her Majesty's Government. We live, my Lord Mayor, under a Monarchy. That I understand to be an established fact. But the in tolligence which the journals of the day bring to us, giyos us to understand that at least one among our fellow-labourers in the House of Commons has recently been agitateti and perplexed with specuLaions as to the best form of government. We have not undergone any disquietude touching these speculations, We are contented with the form of GoVernment which has been handed down to us. We know that this is a self-governed country, and that it is the right of the people of England to discuss without any limit at all questions as to the institutions under which they live. At the same time, Nre believe that those institutions  have been tho fountains of innumerable blessjugs to this country; and. the experience of other countries in which they have been disturbed—l mean other European countries in which different forms or government have sprnng naturally from the soil, and the ex. pericnee of others in which the have been disturbed—Joes not encourage us to give too ready or flattering reception to projects of indiscriminate change. Our great ambition with respect to the Monarchy under which we were born is, that we may gee its strength improved, and not impaired, and that our lot may be amongst those labourers who deepen Its foUndations in the heart and understanding f the British nation." This allusion to the speech made at New by Sir CHARLES DEERE on the ebA of Royalty is an assurance th our minds, that Mr. GLaiesioNE has, for one, resolved to do what ho can to make our limited monarchy vindicate itself on the principle that a tree may be known by the fruits it bears. When the next Civil List comes to be fixed, the monarchy innst be farther limited in a second sense of the word. That is clear; Yet, if Mr. GLADSTONE, or any other man faithfully following the advanced opinion and feeling Of thoughtful Englishmen, can produce and carry such measures as will "deepen the foundations of the monarchy in the heart and understanding of the British nation," that nation, not a small part of it, but the nation itself will not be sloW or niggard to acknowledge it.