Year: 1874




BETWEEN SIR WILLIAM HARCoUEr AND MR'


GLADSTONE.


irRou THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE'J
LONDON Aug s-The debate of Wednesday may
almost be called the event of the session. ohouiu
prove to be such in the magnitude OF Its conse-
quences that hon in lambs skin, the Public Wor-
ship Regulation bill will mark the legislative be-
ginning of great controversy which seems hKely
enough to end in the rearrangement OF parties ana
of some other things more important than parties.
What actually happened, however, is quite sufhclent
for the presents since il threatens TO bring about or
perhaps has brought about, Cabinet crisis not 10
sneak of possible breach among the leaders OF the
Liberal party also.


The amendment to the Public Worship bill on
which the outbreak occurred is of no great conse-
uuence, and may be explained in sentence for the
sake of making the story clear. The Lords. under
,be lead of the MARQUIS of Salisbury, struck out of
the bill provision for an appeal to the Archbishop
in those cases in which Bishop should refuse to
entertain complaint against ritualistic practices
The House of Commons had previously by 70
majority. voted to retain the provision. The bill
came hack from the Lords to the Commons for con-
currence in the amendment, and on the question OF
concurrence arose the debate, in which Sir William
Harcourt Mr.. Disrael and Mr.. Gladstone took part
Sir William Harcourt led of with panegyric upon
Mr. DIsraeli to whom he appealed to vindicate the
independence and dignity of the House. Up 10 that
moment the House unaware that It's mdepend-
ence and dignity stood in need OF vlndlcatlon py
ANYBODY, and it listened with some amazemeut to
the rather high-flown compliments which the
possible future leader of the Liberal party
was bestowing on the actual leader of the Tory
party. ave have leader of the House of Com
MONS" said Sir William Harcourt, "who is proud of
the House of Commons. and of whom the House OF
Commons is proud. Well may the Prime Minister
be proud of the House of Commons, for it was the
scene of his early trumpbs. and 1t is still the
arena of his later and well-earned glory" MI.
Disrael he declared, had always maintained dlg-
nified decency, and was rot more admired Tor his
talents than respected for his behavior in the con-
duct of the affairs of the first assembly of gentle
men. b. this time, the House was all curiosity to
know what was coming If there be any one,"
pursued Sir William Harcourt, II will not say who,
who should anywhere-I will not say where or
when-have designated the deliberately expressed
opinion of the House of Commons as buster and
the voice of its majority as 'bugbear''
the right hon. gentleman will not for
get that it is by virtue of that clustering
majority he is Prime Minister of England"
He knows what belongs to moderation and good
breeding which is the characteristic OF English
gentlemen and English statesmen, and I'VE may
well leave the vindicatOn of the reputation OF this
famous assembly to one who will well know how 10
defend its credit and its dignity against the i'll
advised rage of a rash and rancOrous tongue, even
though it be the tongue of a Cabinet Minister
Secretary of State. and colleague" If Lord Sails
bury had been mentioned by name he could not
have been more clearly pointed out.


What response could Mr. Disraeli make to IN ap-
peal of this sort How could he manage to appear
at the same moment as the champion of the House
of Commons and the apoogist Of hls own colleague
who had insulted the House To be both at once
might seem impossible. Yet how refuse either
of the two rreconcilable duties And would Mr.
Disrae really respect the principle of the solidarity
of Cabinet far to enter the lists in behalf of
the man with whom he had once quarreled bitterly
and with whom his present friendly relations were
suspected to be more political than personal His
solution of the difficulty was most characteristic of
theman OF his loyalty to the House of Commons
there could be no question OF his defense of his col
league 1t can be said that it defense in form.
What ii was in fact may be judged by his beginning
with compliment to the ability of Sir VIM. Har-
court and then describing his mobile friend" as
long a member of the House of Commons, and well
known TO many of the present members. Then pro-
ceeding: He is not a man who measures his
phrases He is one who is a great master of jbes
and flouts. and jeers but don't suppose there is
any one who is preudiced against member of Par
lament on account of such qualifications. He is
not perhaps" continued Mr. Dsraeli, superior to
the consideration that. by making speech of that
kind and taunting respectable men like ourselves
with being clustering majority he might stimu-
late the amour propre of individuals to take the
very which he wants and to defeat the bill.
Now hope we shall not fall into that trap. hope
shall show my noble friend that remember
some of his maneuvers when he was simple MEM
Der Of this House. and that we not to be tainted
int taking very ndiscreet step. "A ruinOus a
all our own wishes and expectations, merely show
that we resent the contemptuous phrases of one of
our colleagues"


Now Lord Salisbury is one of the proudest of liv-
ing men. Could it be expected that he would
patiently hear taunts and sneers and insults-for
they are nothing ess-flung in his face by the Chief
of the Cabinet which he had reluctantly consented
to enterf Could Mr.. Disraeli have expected Lord
Salisbury to remain member of his Government 7
Could he have attacked him in this way without
having previously formed a deliberate purpose to
drive him out of the Ministry Such incident is
probably without precedent in English Parlia-
mentary history. Yet the resignation of Lord Sails
bury has not yet been announced. 1t is suggested
that he will remain in office till the struggle against
the Famine has been finished, not thinking himself
justified in abandoning important q task for
merely personal reasons and then shake off the dust
from his shoes against Downng-st.; quitting the
Government, never to reSnter it while Mr.. Dsraeli
lives or till he him elf becomes its chief All
that he has thus far done is to explain in
the House of Lords that he never used the
phrase clustering majority" attributed to him
by Sir VIM. Harcourt, and that whoever in
vented it was guilty of fabrcation-though
he does not know who. To Mr.. Disrael he
made no reply whatever, nor any allusion unless
it be in the sentence in which he remarks that the
most extraordinary language had been imputed TO