A S A DIARY OF The Salisbury Parliament, -1802. Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2008 witii funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation littp://www.arcliive.org/details/diaryofsalisburyOOIucyrich MR. BALFOUll. A DIARY Salisbury Parliament, 1886-1892. BY HENRY W. LUCY, Author of '■'■The Disraeli Parliament (1874-80);" " Tlic Gladstone Parliament (1880-85)." ILLUSTRATED BY HARRY FURNISS CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited LONDON, PARIS or MELBOURNE. 1892. [all rights reserved.] t-7y To the Riglit Hon. A. J. Balfour, the jjrincipal fvoduct of the Salisbury Parliaineid., tliese sitnjyle annals of some jxissacjes in its life are inscribed. Loudon, October, 1892. 708131 CONTENTS. I. — How Loud Salishuuy came in II. — COEKCIOX AXI) THE LaXD BiLL III. — Changes and Familiar Thincs . IV. — Mr. Balfour in Harness V. — Under the New Eules ... Vr. — The English Local Government Bill VII. — Mr. Gladstone ... VIII. — Ministerial Difficulties IX. — Mr. Parnell pleads "Not Guilty X. — The Parnell Commission XL — The Autumn Session XII. — Orators and Debaters ... XIII. — Calm before the Storm... XIV. — ]Mr. Parnell's Day of Triumph XV. — L'ni;est in the Com.mons . . . XVI.— Death of Mr. Bright ... XVIL— Lord Randolph Churchill X VIII. — Parliamentary Custom XIX.— Some Xoble Lords XX. — Small Beer XXI. — Leaders of Parties XXII. — Death of Mr. Biggar XXIII. — The Commons and the Special Commission XXIV. — A M.\iden Speech in the Lords . 14 2G 36 48 61 74 87 97 108 132 148 157 163 176 179 188 200 208 218 237 249 255 X A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. CHAPTKR XXY. — Budget Night XXVI. — The Irish Party — Old Style and Neav XXVII. — A Vanishing Majority XXVIII. — Randolph Redivivus ... XXIX. — An All-Night Sitting XXX. — Committee Room No. 1.") XXXI. — Paralysis of the Opposition ... XXXII. — Death of Mr. Bradlaugh XXXIII.— Pastoral Times XXXIV. — Why Dissolve? XXXV. — Death of Lord Granville XXXVI. — Depression ... XXXVII. — In Committee of Supply XXX VIII. —The Absent Leader ... XXXIX. — Ministers lv Esse and i.v Posse XL. — Men of the S,\lisbury Parliament XLI. — The Recreation of State.smen XLIL— Two Dead Men XLIII. — Mr. Arthur B.\lfour's Start in the Leadership XLIV. — Hard Ti.mes for Irish Members XLV. — At the Bar of the House XLVI.-The Derby Day XLVII. — Dissolution Imminent XLVIIL— The End LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Mr. Balfour . . . . Fr otitis. The New Chief Inspector xii The Speaker 4 Peter Kylands . . . . 15 Stafford Northcote . . . . 17 The Fourth Party . . . . in "One of the Heroes of the Civi: War in Ireland " . . . 20 Colonel Hughes-Hallett 21 The Favoiu-ite Minister . 2G W. H. Cromwell Smith . 32 Sir Henry James . 38 "Charley" .... 41 Sir Charles Russell 48 Mr. Eitchie .... 49 Sir William on the Offensive . .51 Lord Folkestone 54 Sir William Hart Dyke . 56 The Flag of Truce . 5!) "Mr. G." .... 65 The Lord Advocate 68 " A Bad Quarter of an Hour " 73 Sir Charles Forster 77 Mr. Balfour .... 7!) Frank Hugh O'Donnell . 84 O'Connor Power 85 Joseph Gillis 86 The O'Kelly, V.C. it6 Mr. Balfour's Below-the-gangwa^ Attitude .... . 104 Sir John Swinburne Asleep . . 107 Sydney Buxton . Hi) Mr. Jacoby .... . 120 " AVhat I say is this " . . 124 Mr. Joseph Cowen . . . 133 Mr. Bradlaugh . 137 Mr. Sexton .... . 141 Mr. G. and Tim Mr. Chaml)ei-laiu . The Attorney-General . " Not quite Bismarck " . " The Utility Man " Mr. Gladstone addressei Cliamberlain . The Doctor . James Francis-Xavier . " In Dressing-gown and Nightcap ' John Bright . Atticus, M.P. St. George or the Dragon? " A Suitable Accessory " Lord Carmarthen . Lord Rosebery's Guest . Mr. Sykes David Plunket Sir George Campbell Mr. Gladstone "Ponderosity of Invective "The House's Ancient Enemy Sir Richard Webster The Budget . Lord Elcho II. " Only Forty Seconds " . Like, yet Unlike "With Amaryllis in the Shade The Irish Leader . Mr. Picfcon brooding over Miglity Thoughts . ;\Ir. Goschen . Dick Power . Justin McCarthy . Mr. Bradlaugh The Bearded Pard . Dan'l, M.P. . 144 146 150 152 1.53 1.59 164 170 172 175 185 193 194 204 206 209 213 214 230 232 246 253 263 281 284 290 294 299 300 302 332 335 338 342 348 xii A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. "Jemmy" Lowther 350 " Old Morality " . 441 An Hon. Buffer . 360 Charles Stewart Parnell 442 The Bore 371 Nearing 83 . . . 4G0 Lord Denman 383 Cuninghame Grahame . 469 Alpheus Cleophas . 38!)' The Letter to the Queen 483 "Tim" .... 400 Mr. Maclure and the Bishop 4!)1 " His Influence accumulates though Julius 'Annibal Picton . 497 his Party decays " . 402 Sir William and Aljiheus Cleophas .505 Henry John Atkinson . 404 Lord Salisbury listening to Lore "I don't care which it is, you Denman . .509 know" 423 Mr. Gladstone walks in . .530 THE NEW CHIEF INSrECTOU. A DIARY OF The Salisbury Parliament, 1886-1802. CHAPTER I. HOW LORD SALISBl'RY CAME IN. The Short Parliament— Home Kiile — A (leneral Election — The Tory ^linistry. The Parliament which supported Lord Sahsbuiy in power through six eventful years was opened by Royal Commission on August 5th, 1886. With the object of preserving the con- tinuity of this record with the two volunies that have gone before chronicling events in the Disraeli Parliament and the Gladstone Parliament, it will be convenient to glance at the events of the short-lived Parhament elected in December, 1885. The Short The poll placed Mr. (Gladstone in a magnificent position. His followers numbered .S34, whilst of Conservatives there were 250, and Parnellites 86. The Liberals were thus within two of equal number with the com- bined forces of the Conservatives and Parnellites. The new Parhament, the eleventh of the (vHieen's reign, met on the 12th of January, 1886. The Bradlaugh difficulty threatened to revive, and did actually present itself in the person of the junior member for Northampton, who came up with the rest to take the oath in the ordinary fashion. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach was prepared to reopen the old controversy — had, indeed, written a letter to the Speaker submitting that Mr. Bradlausli should not be allowed to take the oath. When 2 ,1 DIARY OF THE SALISBVBY FABLIAMENT. iisso. the meniber for Northampton camq to the table, book in handy ^r Michael interposed, and proposed to discuss the DiattGi-.;' but, the Speaker ruled him out of order. The new member thereupon took the oath in ordinary form, seated himself quietly below the gangway, and thus, in commonplace manner, closed a memorable episode in Parliamentary life. Although the Conservatives were in a hopeless minority, the Government of Lord Salisbury, in office at the time of the General Election, still held the Treasury bench, at the mercy of any combined move that might be made by the Liberals and the serried phalanx under the leadership of Mr. Parnell. AMicnever these two powers closed their ranks the Govern- ment must inevitably be swept awa}^ The crisis was not long delayed. Amongst the amendments to the Address was one moved by Mr. Jesse Ceilings, in favour of the form of assist- ance to the agricultural labourer that came to be known as the allotment of three acres and a cow. On a division, which took place on the 26th Januar}-, the Parnellites voting with the Liberals, the amendment was carried by 329 votes to 250. The Government being thus defeated by a majority of 79, forthwith resigned. There was no alternative from Mr. Glad- stone as successor, and he innnediately formed a Government. Home Rule. It was evident from the first that the question of Home Ptule in Ireland nuist be dealt with, and the air Avas full of rumours of a new and momentous departure contemplated by Mr. Gladstone. At the outset it appeared, whatever might be the - course adopted, it would, with two conspicuous exceptions, be supported by the undivided force of the Liberal leaders. Lord Hartington, who had shown some restlessness at Mr. Gladstone's closer alliance with the Parnellites, did not accept office. But Mr. Chamberlain was President of the Local Government Board in the new jMinistry, and the gentleman who was then still Mr. George Trevelyan Avas Secretary for Scotland. Mr. John Morley was Secretary for Ireland; Sir AN'illiam Harcourt, Chancellor of the Exchequer ; Lord Bosebery, Foreign Secre- tar}' ; Lord (Jranville at the Colonies; Earl Spencer, Lord President of tlie Council; whilst Sir Farrer Herschell was raised to the peerage and uiade Lord Chancellor. This isso.] HOW LORD SALISBURY CAME IN, 3 post, it is understood, was in the first case offered to Sir Henry James ; but that gentleman, also shying at the Irish question, joined Lord Hartington in withdrawal from Minis- terial life. On the 8th of April, 1886, Mr. Gladstone, in a marvellous speech that took three hours and a half in the delivery, un- folded his scheme of Home Rule for Ireland. A week earlier the adoption of the scheme by a majority of the Cabinet had been ominously marked by the resignation of Mr. Chamber- lain and Mr. Trevelyan. The second reading of the Bill was moved on the 10th of May, and by this time a Dissentient Liberal party had been regularly organised, with Lord Hart- ington as its head and Mr. Chamberlain as its arm. On the 7 th of June the House divided on the second reading of the Home Rule Bill, and amid a scene of wild excitement it was rejected by a majority of 30: 311 voting for the second reading and 341 against. Mr. Forster died just three days before the introduction of a measure which changed the whole face of parties, breaking up the Liberal ranks and relegating Mr. Gladstone to opposition for a period of six years, during which Lord Hartington and Mr. Chamberlain actively co-operated with Lord Salisbury in maintaining the Conservatives in power. A General Defeated in the Commons, Mr. Gladstone de- Election. . T f 1 termmed to appeal to the country, hopeful that he would have placed at his disposal forces equal to the task of overriding the new and unprecedented coalition of Liberals and Conservatives. But the event disappointed his expectations. When the poll was finally made up, the new House of Commons was found to consist of 317 Conserva- tives, 74 Dissentient Liberals, 191 Liberals, and 84 Parnellites. The Unionists, as the allied forces of Lord Hartington and Lord Salisbury styled themselves, thus numbered 391 ; whilst Liberals and Irish National members combined could muster only 275, leaving Mr. Gladstone in a minority considerably over 100. He at once resigned, and Lord Salisbury undertook to form a new Government. Before doing so he entered into conmumication with Lord Hartington, proposing that he should assume the Premiership. This offer Lord Hartington .1 LIAIIY OF THE SALTS BUB Y BABLIAMENT. [isso. declined, though, as Lord SaUsbiiry was able to assure the Conservative party meet- ing at the Carlton Club, he gave distinct assurance of his desire to provide an inde- pendent support to the new Governnient : a pledge which, as will be seen in the course of events, was faithfuUv ful- filled. Tory istiy. When the new Cabinet was formed, Lord Salisbur}^ was, of course, Prime Minister, but not Foreign Secretary, as had been expected. Sir Stafford Northcote, quitting the Com- mons, was made First Lord of the Treasury, holding the post with the title Earl of Iddesleigh. Lord Halsbury was Lord Chancellor; Vis- count Cranbrook, Lord Presi- dent of the Council : Mr. Henry Matthews, on the nomination of Lord Randolph Churchill, was Home Secre- tary ; Lord Randolph himself was C'hancellor of the Ex- chequer and Leader of the House : ^Ir. Stanhope an- swered for the Colonies ; Mr. W. H. Smith was Secretary of State for War ; Lord Cross looked after Lidia : ^\y. Arthur Lai four, as little as the House knowing what lay before him in tlic near distance, was Secretary for Scotland ; Lord (leorge llamihou ])resided ISSli.] HOW LOED SALISBURY GAME IX at the Admiralty ; an old friend, Mr. Gibson, now Lord Ashbourne, was Lord Chancellor of Ireland ; Sir M. Hicks- Beach was Chief Secretary for Ireland ; Lord Stanley presided at the Board of Trade, and Lord John Manners was com- fortably provided for in the Chancellor}^ of the Duchy of Lancaster. Parliament met, as has been stated, on the 5th of August, Mr. Arthur Peel being elected Speaker, the second time within seven months — " thrice Avithin thirty months," as he re- minded hon. members, standing on the steps of the Chair and humbly placing himself at the disposal of the House. The Session did not last long, the new Parliament being prorogued on the 25th of September. Only formal or absolutely neces- sary business was despatched. But Lord Randolph Churchill found opportunity to display himself in a new light, bringing to the discharge of the duties of Leader of the House a courteousness of manner and a display of tact Avhich agree- ably surprised onlookers. SESSION OF 1886. Tues. — Mr. Arthur Peel elected Speaker. Wed. — Mr. Speaker, Royal approval of. His Statement (Parliamentary Oath). Members took the Oath. T/un-s.— Members took the Oath. Fri.— Ditto. IFc((.— H. M. Speech. Address. First Debate thereon. Thurs.—'H.. M. Speech. Address. Second Debate. MoH.—n. M. Speecli. Address. Third Debate. Amendment (Revenue of India), ' Mr. Huntirr. Withdrawn. Amendment (State of Agriculture), Mr. J. W. Barcli'ij. Division— For. 1S3. Against, 211. 26. Tties.—B^. M. Speech. Fourth Debate. Amendment (Agricultural Labourers' Allotments), Mr. Jesse CoUings. Divi- sion — For, 329. Against, 250. 28. r/MM-s.— Resignation of Ministry. FEBRUARY. 1. Mon. — Resignation of Ministry. 18. T/tJirs.— Ministerial Statement. Mr. Glad- stone. H. M. Speech. Fifth Debate. Amend- ment (Crofters), Mr. Macfarlaiic. Division— For, 104. Against, 234. Report of Addii'ss a-rccd to. 19. Fci.— Supply, ^\r. Cniiiiii^v took the Chair. Sapiilrm.nt.iry Estimates. 22. Mon. — Parliamentuy Prnrcilure Select Conmiittee appointed, Mr. Gladstone. East Bunnah (Expenses). Resolution, Sir U. K. Shnttlewoiih. 23. Tues. — Imperial Revenue. Resolutiim, Sir J. McKenna. Em]ilovers Liability Bill. Mr. A. O'Connor. Read 2'. 24. V/ed. — Tenure of Town Houses (Ireland) Bill. Mr. Crilly. Withdrawn. 25. Thurs. — Supply: Supplementary Esti- mates. Crofters (Scotland) No. 2 Bill. Mr. Trevelyan. Leave given. 2G. F/7'.— Metropolitan Police. :Motion, Mr. James Stuart. * By permission of Messrs. Vaclier, I supplement the record of each Session with admirable calendar of events given in their well-known " Parliamentary Guide." A DIABT OF TEE SALISBURY PABLIAMENT. [is 1. Moii. — Supply: Supplementary Estimates. 2. Twes. —Belfast Drainage Bill. Instruc- tions to Committee, Mr. Sexton. Previous Question, Mr. Courtney. Division— For, 84. Against, 200. Labour Statistics. Resolution, Mr. Bradlaugh. 3. IFefZ.— Labciurt'is (Ireland) Acts Amend- 111(11! l;.i:. .1/ Uiti/iie. 2nd Reading. Coal ^l l; imn, &c., Bill. Mr. A. " ' I'l Reading. 4. TImrs. -'iiijlx. Maintenance of Social Order (Ireland), ilotion, Mr. Holmes. Civil Service Estimates. o. Fri. — House of Lords, Motion, Mr. Lahouchere. Division — -For, 106. Against, 202. 8. .1/0)1. - Crofters (Scotland) Bill. Mr. Secre- tary for Scotland. 2nd Reading. '.'. Tues. — Church of England in Wales. Mo- tion, Mr. Dillioyn, and Amendment, Mr. A. Grey. Division on Main Ques- tion as amended — For, 49. Against, 346. 10. IFerf.— Public Health, &c.. Expenses Bill. Mr. Dodds. 2nd Reading. Sale of Intoxicating Liquors (Sunday) Bill. Sir J. Pease. Motion for 2nd Reading. 11. r7i?(rs.— Supply : Civil Service Estimates. Royal Parks, &c.. Vote. Division on Amendment, Mr. Lahouchere — For, 131. Against, 114. 12. i^ci.— Harbours of Refuge. Motion, Mr. Dawson. 15. Man. — Supply. Navy (Efficiency). JIo- tion, Lord. C. Beresford. Navy Esti- mates. 16. Txies. — Contagious Diseases Acts. Motion, Mr. Slcvnsfeld. Ground Rents. Motion, Mr. Saunders. 17. TTed.— Church of Scotland Bill. Mr. Fin- lay. Division on 2nd Reading — For, 177. Against, 202. 18. Tlmrs. — Supply : Navy Estimates. 19. Fri. — National Engagements. Motion, Mr. Richard. Division— For, IDS. Against, 112. 22. Mon. — Supply : Army (Volunteer Capita- tion Grant). Motion, Mr. Howard Vincent. Army Estimates. 23. Tues. Local Taxation. Motion, Mr. T. Rogers. Amendment, Sir R. Paget. Division — For, 186. Against, 205. Division on Main Question— For, 216. Against, 176. 24. IFed.— Tithe (Extraordinary) Bill. Mr. Norton. Committed. Sale of Intoxicating Liquors (Durham) Bill. Mr. T. Fry. Committed. 25. Thurs. Supply : Army Estimates. 26. Fri. — Public Business (Select Committee on the Estimates). Motion, Mr. J. Wilson. Negatived. 29. Jl/oji. — Crofters (Scotland) Bill. Com- mittee. First Sitting. 30. Tues. — International Penny Postage. Mo- tion, Mr. H. Ileaton. Division — For, 127. Against, 258. Church of Scotland (Disestablishment). Motion, Dr. Cameron. Division — For, 125. Against, 237. 31. y/ed. — Police Force Enfranchisement Bill. Sir H. S. Ibbetson. Committed. Allotments, &e., Bill. Mr. Jes^^e Collings. Debate on 2nd Reading adjourned. 1. r/turs.— Crofters (Scotland) Bill. Com- mittee. Second Sitting. 2. Fri.— British Commerce (Extension). Mo- tion, Mr. McLaren. Intoxicating Liquors, Sale to Chil- dren, Bill. Mr. Conybeare. Com- mitted. 5. A/on.— Crofters Bill. Committee. Tliird Sitting. 6. T-ites.— Ditto. Ditto. Fourth Sitting. 7. ired.— Church Patronage Bill. Mr. Leathani. Committed. 8. Thurs. — Government of Ireland Bill. Mr. Gladstone. Motion for leave. First Debate. 9. F/-!.— Ditto. Ditto. Second Debate. 12. .1/oH.— Ditto. Ditto, Third Debate. PRIL. ■ 3. 1 14. 15. rwei-.-Goverumentof Ireland Bill. Fourth Debate. Bill ordered. IFcd.- Land Cultivation Bill. Mr. Brad- laugh. Withdrawn. Tlmrs.— The Clerk of the House. His Resignation of Office announced by Mr. Speaker. Financial Statement. Sir W. Harcovrt. Fri.— Right Hon. Sir. T. Erksine May, K.c.B. Vote of Tlianks. Sale of Land (Ireland) Bill. Mr. Glad- stnio: Bill ordered. Jl/oi(. I i'ltri, i;iii. CoiMinittee. Sixth Pi.li,. I : :, . . 1, 1,1,1 liill. Division nil ■Iri.uiu., Ci.iiiiuiUee till 20th 3. Jl/o;i.— Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 4. Tues. — Opium. Motion, Sir J. Pease. Counted out. 5. JKed— Municipal Franchise (Ireland) Bill. Mr. J. O'Briini. Committed. Sale of Intoxicatinp: Li(iuors on Sunday Bill. Committee. 6. rAiirs.— Railway, &c.. Traffic Bill. Mr. Muiulella. Committed. 7. Fri.— Postal Service. Motion, jl/r. ;/»«o)i. Negatived. 10. j1/o)i.— Government of Ireland Bill. 2nd Reading. First Debate. 11. Ti(c«.— Death Penalty. Motion, Sir J. Pease. Division— For, 63. Against 117. ' 12. IFcd. —Paidiamentary Returning Officers (Ireland) Bill. Mr. Tiiite. Committed. 13. r/Mu-A-. — Government of Ireland Bill. 2nd Readiii-. S.T,,i„lDe1iate. 14. FW.-hni.oit iMilhs. Muti.Mi, Mr. Jen- 17. .Vo«.-el 19. Wed.- I'novl.iMvCiiaivlhiii .1/,-. /;. //-,,■;».;/..„ ( 20. yVlin-.s. Ihlhi|:,lk(.;l-- l;ill. nd Bill. 2nd lid Bill. 2nd te. IllrlllHl) Hill. .liiniitl.M.' ;aiii-l. JIU. 1SS6.] SESSIOXS OF 1885—1886. MAY (, •21. Fri.— Government of Ireland Bill. -Jnd ReadinLT. Fifth Debate. 24. J/OH.— Supply: Civil Service Estiniati-s. Vote on Account, etc. 25. Tues.—l)er\iy Day. Adjom-nment, Mr. Lahouchere. Division — For, 251. Against, 101. Governmentof Ireland Bill. 2ud Readina". Sixth Debate. itiaued). 27. T/wj-s.—Ai-ms (Ireland) Bill. Committee. Bill reported. Adjournment of House. Ventilation, Lord Ji. Churchill. 2S. ^'ri.— Government of Ireland Bill. 2nd Reading. Seventh Debate. 31. .Vo/i.— Ditto. Ditto. Eighth Debate. .TUNE. 1. Twes.— Government of Ireland Bill. 2nd Reading. Ninth Debate. 2. IKerf.— Registration of Voters (Ireland) Bill. Mr. Dillon. Debate adjourned. 3. rfetrs.— Government of Ireland Bill. 2nd Reading. Tenth Debate. 4. Fi-i.— Ditto. Ditto. Eleventh Debate. 7. Jl/071.— Ditto. Ditto. Twelfth Debate. Division — For, 311. Against, 341. 10. Thurs. — Ministerial Statement. Mr. Glad- stone. Supply : Navy Estimates. 11. Fri. — Adjournment of House. Crofters Commissioners. Dr. R. Macdaiudd. Supply: Civil Service Estimates. Vote on Account. Army Estimates. Vote on Account. ir«Z.— Supply : Report. Returning Officers Expenses (Scotland) Bill. Con.sidered. r/iurs.— Appropriation Bill. 2nd Reading. Fri. — Ditto. Committee. ilfoil.— Ditto. 3rd Reading. }l'ed. — East India. Revenue Accounts. Resolution. Municipal Franchise (Ireland) Act. Com- mittee. Bill reported. Motion for 3rd Reading objected to by Mr. Speaker. Tramways, Orders in Council (Ireland) Bill. Passed. Parliamentary Returning Officers Ex- penses Bill. Lords Amendment agreed to. r/txrs.— Prorogation. SESSION IL, 1886. AUGUST. .5. TMirs.— Mr. Arthur Peel elected Speaker. 6. fri.— Mr. Speaker, Royal approval of. Membei-s took the Oath. H. M. Communication. Vacancies in House of Commons. New Writs issued. 9. Jl/oji.— Members took the Oath. 10. r«es.— Ditto. 19. r;i«)-s.— H. M. Speech. New Members took the Oath. Sessional Orders. Division on Order, Interference of Peers, &c.— For, 294. Against, 126. H. M. Speech. Address. First Debate thereon. 20. Fri.— H. M. Speech. Address. Second Debate. 23. MoH-.-H. M. Speech. Address. Third Debate. 24. T/fes.—H. M. Speech. Address. Fourth De- bate. Amendment (Payment of Rent by Irish Tenant Farmers) , Mr. Parnell. 25. Wed.—U. M. Speech. Address. Fiftli Debate. 20. rA«?-s.— Adjournment. Sir R. Buller's appointment. Mr. E. It. Rnssell. H. M. Speech. Address. Sixth Debate. 27. Fri.—B.. M. Speech. Address. Seventh Debate. Division on Mr. Parnell's Amendment— For, 181. Aeainst, 304. 30. .1/oii.— H. M. Speech. Address. Eighth Debate. Amendment (Burmah), Mr. S. Smith. Division— For, 125. Against, 199. 31. rues.— H. M. Speech. Address. Ninth Debate. Amendment, Crofters (Scot- land), Jfr. Esslemoiit. Division — For, 121. Again.st, 203. SEPTEMBER. 1 U'ed.-H. M. Speech. Address. Tenth Debate. Amendment (Belfast Riots). Mr. Sexton. 1>' l-nti- "'limn-ned. 2. T/iMT-s.-H. M. S] ■ i: . titliDebate. Division nil \i : , - i ~ Amendment —For, 127. -\^ . h-i. J, .. Address agreed to. Debate on Report adjourned. 3. Fri.- H. M. Speech. Address. Rejiort. Amendment (Speeches of Chancellor of Exchequer, &c., Belfast), Mr. Lahouchere. Division — For, 119. Against, 202. Report agreed to. Secret Service, &c.. Bill passed. C. Jl/o7i.— Supply. Mr. Courtney took the Chair. Army Estimates. FirstSitting. 7. Tues. — Supply : Army Estimates. Second Sitting. Belfast Inquiry Bill. Mr. Attorney-Gene- ral /or Ireland. Read 2°. S. n'ed.— Supply : Navy Estimates. Tlnnl [Fourth Sitting. Civil Service Estimates. Ditto. Fifth Sitting. Sixth Sitting. Seventh Sitting. Eighth Sitting. Ninth Sitting. Tenth Sitting. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Sitting, r7i?irs.— Ditto. fri.— Ditto. Mon. — Ditto. 7'«es.— Ditto. If'ed.— Ditto. r/Hics. —Ditto. Ditto. fri.— Ditto. Ditto. &(«.— Ditto. Report. Appropriation Bill ordered. il/o?i.— Tenants Relief (Ireland) Bill. Mr. Parnell. 2ud Reading Debate ad- journed. Appropriation Bill. Committed. Tues. — Appropriation Bill. Committee. Tenants Relief (Ireland) Bill. Division on 2nd Reading — For, 202. Against, 297. IFeri.- Appropriation Bill. Read 3°. ,S'fe#.— Prorogation. CHAPTER II. COERCIOX AND THE LAXD BILL, A Xew Leader in tlie Commous — The Closure — The Parnell Commission. 1887. The Session of 1887 opened on the27th of January, and, with tlie exception of brief recesses at Easter and Whitsuntide, sat into the middle of September. Its progress was marked by a succession of turbulent scenes, through which an Irish Laiid Bill and a Crimes Bill were forced. In addition, there Avere added to the Statute Book, at the instance of the Government, the Allotments Act, the Mines Regulations Act, the Truck Act, and the Merchandise Marks Act. Personal changes that had taken place during the recess were marked in both Houses. In the Lords, the Earl of Iddesleigh's place was vacant, his placid life having closed Avith a touch of tragedy. The Connnons^ who had separated in the autumn with Lord Randolph Churchill Leader of the House and Chancellor of the Exchequer, found the noble lord on their return a private member, seated at the corner of the bench behind his former colleagues. Tribute was paid in both Houses to the memory of Lord Iddesleigh, and Lord Randolph Churchill seized the earliest opportunity of explaining how it came to pass that he no longer served Her Majest}^ at the Treasury. That the Opposition were in lighting mood was proved on the motion for the Address. A series of amendments were moved, one b}^ Mr. Parnell challenging the policy of the Government in Ireland. This received the full support of the Opposition, and after six days' debate was negatived by 352 votes to 246, a division interesting as fixing the Govern- ment majority at this date at 106. Lord Randolph Churchill contributed to the debate the remark that the Dissentient Liberals were a kind of crutch, to be thrown aside when the ({overnment should be strong enough to walk alone. A new leader in Mr. "W. H. Smith, wlio had succecdcd Lord Randolph in the Leadership of the House, found it necessary to invoke the Closure in -i -, ■ -, lor the commencement of the movement which led to the appointment of the Parnell Commission. On the 2nd of j\lay the Times published an article accusing Mr. Parnell of wilful and deliberate falsehood in respect of a state- ment he had made touching his connection with P. J. Sheridan. Sir Charles Lewis, avowedly anxious that Mr. Parnell should have opportunity of clearing his character, denounced this as a breach of privilege, and moved that the j)rinters of the Times be summoned to attend at the Bar. This was opposed by the Government, who suggested that the Irish members should bring an action against the Times for libel arising out of publication of what were subsequently proved to be forged letters, and proffering the assistance of the Attorney-General to conduct the prosecution. This offer was declined, and a motion made by Mr. Gladstone for a Select Committee to inquire into the charges of the Times was rejected by 317 votes against 233. Here for the time the subject dropped. Parliament was prorogued on the IGth of September. SESSION OF 1887 27. TAurs. — Personal Explanation. Randolph Churchill. H. M. Speech. Address thereon. Debate. JANUARY Lord 28. Fri.—H.. M. Speech. Address thereon. Second Debate. 31. ..1/oft.— Ditto. Ditto. Third Debate. 1. Tiies.— H. JI. Speech. Address. Fourth Debate. 2. IKetZ.— Ditto. Ditto. Fifth Debate. 3. r/n(r«.— Ditto. Ditto. Sixth Debate. 4. iiVi. — Ditto. Ditto. Aniendiueiit (Egj-pt), Mr. Cremer. Division— For, 9". Against, 2(i3. Seventli Debate. T. MoH.—H. M. Speech. Address. Amend- ment (Reform of Law, &e., Ireland), Mr. Parnell. Eighth Debate. 5. Tuea.— Ditto. Ditto. Ninth Debate. 9. Il'ed.— Ditto. Ditto. Tenth Debate. 10. 'iViMcs.— Ditto. Ditto. Eleventh Debate. Fri. — Ditto. Parnell's Ditto. Division on Mr. Amendnient — For, 240. Against, 352. Twelfth Debate. 14. .Vo>i.- H. M. Speech. Address. Amend- nient(Agricultural Holders, Scotland) Mr. Esslemont. Division— For, SHi. Against, lliS. Amendment, Great Britain (Local Home Rule), Hir a. Campbell. Withdrawn. Tliirteenth Debate. 15. Tues.—H. M. Speech. Address. Amend- ment, Crofters (Scotland), Dr. Came- ron. Fourteenth Debate. 16. Wed.— a. M. Speech. Address. Division on Dr. Cameron's Amendment. For, 136. Against, 253. Fifteenth Debate. 17. r/iH?-«.— Motion for .Vd.journment (.Jury Packing), Mr. Dillvyn. Ruled out of Order. SESSIO:^ OF 1887. 11 Bu^iiiiess of House (Priority to Rules of Piorfdure). Resolution, Mr. W. H. Suiith. H. M. Speeeli. A.MvPss. Ameinlnient, Workiiiu- Cla^s^. (h;-;1rrs^l, Mr. Cox. On Mr. Spckn-, dii .Ti.. iMtiuii, Ques- tion jiur t"V ClM.^iir,' lit lii'liate on Ameniiuients. Uivisimi— For, 291. Against, SI. Division on Amendment —For, Si. Against, 283. On Mr. Speaker's interposition, Question put for Closure of Debate on Main Question — For, 289. Against, 74. FEBRUARY (continued). Division Against, , ... Fri.—H. M. Speech. Report of Address. Amendments, Bulgaria, Mr. Labou- chei-e; Barbavilla Trial, Mr. TuiU. Negatived. Address agreed to. .Vo)i.— Procedure. Rule I. Closure. First Debate. '/■»,..i._Ditto. Ditto. !r«/.— Ditto. Ditto. JV( /(/■;;.— Ditto. Ditto. fr(.— Ditto. Ditto. Main Question — For, 283. Second Debate. Third Debate. Fourth Debate. Fifth Debate. S. .Voji.— Supply ; Supplementary Estimates. Tues. — London Corporation (Charges). Motion for Adjournment, Mr. Howell. Procedure. Rule I. Closure. Sixth Debate. Wed. — Procedure. Rule I. Closure. Seventh Debate. Tlmrs. — Supply: Supplementary Esti- mates. Fn'.- Procedure. Rule I. Closure. Eighth Debate. Mon. — Supply : Supplementary Esti- mates. Thcs. — Procedure. Rule I. Closure. Xinth Debate. JFcrf.— Ditto. Ditto. Tenth Debate. Thurs. — Supply: Supplementary Esti- mates. Fri. — Procedure. Rule I. Closure. Eleventh Debate. Mon. — Supply: Army Estimates. Amend- ment (Coast Defences), Col. Duncan. Negatived. Observations, Sir E. Ilamlci). Tues. — Procedure. Rule I. Clo.sure. twelfth Debate. lO?.— Ditto. Ditto. Thirteenth Debate. Thurs. — Supply: Navy Estimates. Amend- ment (Ships of War), Mr, Gourley. Ne.gatived. i'rt.— Arrest of Father Keller. Motion ioY Adjournment, Mr. Dillon. Pro- cedure. Rule I. Closure. Four- teenth Debate. Resolution agreed to. To be a Standing Order. il/o?i.— Supply : Navy Estimates. Vote (Victii:ils ami T'lothing). Question put fur , - ■ : T7«(?'s.— Supply. Ob.serv;ui' 1: , . heare. Tidal Watti Amendment, Mr. Aiuhrsou, Fri. — Criminal Law Amendment (Ireland) Bill. Committee. Seventli Sitting. Mon. — Supply: Army Services. Civil Services. Vote on Account. 2'iics.— Criminal Law Amendment (Ireland) Bill. Committee. Eis;hth Sitting. Il>?.— Ditto. Ditto. Xintli Sitting. 77m()-.i.ai .-fitting. 77(1' AS.— Evictions (Irtlaiid). Motion for A.lj.nn-niiient, Mr. I)Uh,n. 7-V('.— Criminal Law Aim-udment (Ireland) Bill. Connnittee. Closure Questions put (10 o'clock). Bill reported. Nine- teenth Sitting. .17oH.— Supply ; Civil Services. Coal Mines Bill. Motion for Committee. Debate adjotirned. Adjounnnent till Wednesday. H. M. Jubilee. 22. ir'ec?.— Coal Mines Bill. Debate on Motion for Committee. Bill committed. First Sitting. 23. 77«(r.';.— Coal Mines Bill. Committee. Second Sitting. 24. J-Vi.— Ditto. Ditto. Third Sitting. 27. Mon. — Criminal Law Amendment(Ireland) Bill. Eeport. First Debate. 28. 7«c,\— Ditto. Ditto. Second Debate. 2'.i. IfVfL— Ditto. Ditto. Third Debate. 30. Tlmrs. — Egypt. Motion for Adjournment, Sir W. Lauson. Business of the House. Criminal Law Amendment (Ireland) Bill. Eeport. Motion, il7r. W. H. Smith. Criminal Law Amendment (Ireland) Bill. Report. Bill reported. Foiu-th Debate. Allotments Bill. Committee. Bill re- ported. y-ri.— Supply. Mr. Bradlaugh. dment (Waste Lands), 4. Mon. — Business of the House. Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Motion, Mr. )"('. H. Smith. Supply : Civil Services. .'.. Tcfs.- -Law, &c., Metropolis. AiTest of Miss Cass. Motiim fur Adjournment, Mr. A. Jones. Division — For, 103. Against, 14S. ri. Wed. — Supply : Civil Services. 7. r/twrs.— Criminal Law Amendment (Ire- land) liill. :^rd Reading. Amcnd- 111. ;,: I 11;). . Months), jV/r. Gladstone. Bu1i''ki:'. l: ,, ,.',..-rled. 8. P'ri.' Cnii. .;, a; I.... V Amendment (Ireland) Bill. 3rd iieading. Division on Amendment— For, 2(i2. Against, 349. Bill jias.sed. n. jVoji.— Irish Land Law Bill. 2nd Reading. Amendment, Mr. C. Bamierman. First Del)ate. 12. Ttie.«.— Ditto. Ditto. Second Debate, i:i. llVrf. — Supply : Civil Services. 14. r/mr.i.—Iri.sh Land Law I?ill. Committed. ,— Supply, Vote on Account: Civil Services. Closure Questions put. Civil Service Estimates. I. — Complaint, Dr. Tanner. Motion, Mr. W. H. Smith. Debate adjourned. Supply • N.nv V Ser ■ices. Tin,.-'] !i,'',M (Wa t, .1/, cs). Motion T. K. Ellis. for Ad- Sup'i'ly ; ( 'i\ IS.-i vices. IIVJ.-S ']■]>■> : (.'i\ il Services. riiiirs.^ laiut Dr. Tanner, Motion Irisli l.aii.l Law Bill. Committee. Fn'.— Su]iply : Civil Services, jl/oii. — Irish Land Law Bill. Committee. First Sitting. 7Ves.— Ditto. Ditto. Second Sitting. Wed. -Ditto. Ditto. Third Sitting, r/wn-s.— Dublin, Wicklow, &c., Railway Bill. Consideration. Closure Question put on Amendment. Main QucstiDU i)ut forthwith. Irish Land Law liill. Coniniittee. Su.s- jiensionofMr. Healy. Fourth Sitting. Fri. — Irish Land Law Bill. Committee. Fifth Sitting. SESSIOX OF 1887. 13 1. Moil. — Irish Land Law Bill. Committee. Sixth Sittin.tr. 2. Tifes.- -Personal Explanation, Mr. Dillon. Irish Land Law Bill. Committee. Seventh Sitting. 3. IFerf.— Ditto. Ditto. Eighth Sitting. Bill reported. 4. Thurg. — Supply : Army Services. 5. Fri. — Irish Land Law Bill. Considered. 6. Saf.— Ditto. Ditto. 8. 3/oft.— Supply : Civil Services. 9. rees.— Ditto. Ditto. Technical Education Bill. Sir »'. //. Di/Z.-p. 2ud Reading. 10. irc'?.— Lunacy (Scotland) Districts Bill. 2nd Reading. Sheriff of Lanarkshire Bill. 2nd Reading. 11. Thurs. — Egypt. Motion for Adjournment of House, Mr. Lahoucliere. Supply : Civil Services. Labourers' Allotments Bill. 2nd Reading. 12. Fri. — Irisli Land Law Bill. Consideration of Lords Amendments. 13. Sat. — Supply : Ci^^l Services. Education. 15. Mon. — Coal Mines Bill. Committee. Ki. Tz/cs.— Ditto. Ditto. 17. Il-o/._Coal Mines Bill. Committee. 18. 77ui)-.s-.— Irish Land Law Bill. Considera- tion of Lords Amendments. 19. Fri. — Labourers' Allotments Bill. Com- mittee. 20. .•>"f.— Supply : Civil Services. 22. .Uoi!.— Ditto. Ditto. 23. 7'((es.— Ditto. Ditto. 24. IIY'J.— Ditto. Ditto. 2o. r/rit)'5.— Irish National League (Proclama- tion). Address thereon, Mr. \V. E. inaihtone. Debate adjourned. 2G. i-"/-(.— Laiiourers' Allotments Bill. Com- mittee. Irish National League (Proclamation). A the stranger an order for the gallery. He 888.] EXIT LORD JOHN 2IANNEBS. 39 convoyed him to the door, and on parting the man gently pressed a sixpence into the palm of his hand. Sir John used to say that he never earned a sixpence more honestly. Mr. A. M. Sullivan was more highly favoured, a shilling being his guerdon in similar circumstances. It seems quite right that when the Serjeant-at-Arms himself is enlisted in the service of the stranger the fee should run up to half-a-cro-wn. March 6. — Exit When Lord John ]\Ianners walked home Lord John m i i t i i Manners. ou iuGsday he dici not know it was the last occasion on which he would be privileged to sit in the House of Commons. The state of his brother was serious but not critical, and the end came with some suddenness. ]\[any eyes were turned towards the Treasury bench when the House met this afternoon, resting ujDon the vacant seat where Lord John has, with intervals, sat since Young England days. He was a great favourite in the House on both sides, and his kindly presence will be much missed. Of late years, more particularly since the removal from the House of his old friend and early chum, Mr. Disraeli, he has retired from active part in Parliamentary affairs. But, when occasion has called for it, he has gallantly come to the front and delivered a speech, always remarkable for its vigour, and, sometimes, for the neatness of the points made. No one ever seemed to take into account the possibility that Lord John might some day be Duke of Rutland. Although only seventy years of age, quite a chicken compared with Mr. Gladstone, his white hair and gaunt form lent him a venerable appearance, which did not seem easy to associate with the idea of his succeeding to the peerage. But we have seen the last of him in the Commons, and shall miss the final representative of the " Young England " school, of which Lord John was an ardent disciple, and Disraeli the founder and leader. ' March 12. — A There was a considerable show of mourning in mourning. both Houscs of Parliament to-day. It was expected in some quarters that formal note of the death of the Emperor of Germany would be taken in the shape of a vote of condolence. But there is no precedent for 40 .1 DIAB,Y OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. such procedure. Mr. W. H. Smith was amongst the most conspicuous of those in sable garb, Mr. Ritchie being also in uncompromising black. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Lord George Hamilton were not in 'mourning, a circumstance remarkable in the latter case, as it was Lord George's field night, and he was the most prominent of Ministers. The Speaker being usually arrayed in black, found it difficult to fall in with the fashion set in high quarters. All he could do was to wear what are called " weepers " over the cuffs of his gown, and to substitute black rosettes for the gleaming buckles on his shoes. The Serjeant-at-Arms had more scope. The Speaker never wears his sword except at a State dinner in his own house, and on State visits to Buckingham Palace. The Serjeant-at-Arms alwa3's girds on his sword when on duty, and to-night he carried it in a black scabbard. He also wore black gloves, which, by the way, were quite the fashion in the House of Lords, adding more than usual to its funereal aspect. Among private members mourning was not so prevalent. One marked exception was the case of Colonel Hughes-Hallett, who sat in the deepest mourning, a bouquet of white violets worn in his button-hole showing conspicuously out of the array of black. The member for Rochester has of late vacated the seat immediately behind the leader of his party, which he assumed on the first night of the Session. He now sits shoulder to shoulder with Lord Randolph Churchill, who, however, does not avail himself of the ojiiDortunity to enter into conversation with an old acquaintance. March 13.— Lord Xlic Housc was occupied for the greater part of C. Beresford . . J^. J^ } and the Civil the Sitting by discussioii ol the Navy Estimates. Lord Charles Beresford moved his amendment, which had the great merit of terseness. It declared, in the briefest possible words, that " the allocation of authority in the Admiralty requires entire reform." The most attractive part of the speech was devoted to stories and little asides. His anecdote about the Lord of the Admiralty who received a report, couched in technical phrases, of disaster to a ship, and resented it as simply bad language, was much ajiplandcd. Another success was his story of the civilian lord, who CHABLEY:' 41 looking- over a chart, and finding that a ship's return course passed, within only two inches' space on the chart, an island where castaway sailors were supposed to be sheltered, wanted to know why it could ^frf?- not call and relieve them. The two inches on the chart, as Lord Charles Beresford ex- plained ainid prolonged laughter, meant a dis- tance at sea of four thousand miles. March 14.— Xhc Ontheijoiince. House of Connnons is plodding along in ex- cellent fashion under the new rules. It meets at half-past three, breaks up at midnight, and, what is more, does some- thing in the interval. The great salvation ol the dignity of the House and the prosperity of public business is the Closure — that expedient against which, less than six years ago, all the "charley." Conservative forces were desperately arrayed, and which within the past month they have urged a not unwilling Opposition to adopt. It has of late been discovered that Mr. Smith has no monopoly of " the pounce." Twice this week the privilege has been exercised by private members with excellent effect. On Tuesday night, when a division on Mr. Slagg's motion touching the frontier policy in India was imperilled, Mr. Caine moved the Closure, and a division was taken. On Wednesday the angry and bafEed residuum of Tories in the House of Commons tried, as a last resort, to defeat Mr. Bradlaugh 42 .1 VIABY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. by talking out his Oaths Bill. The member for North- ampton, in humble imitation of the illustrious example of the Leader of the House, moved the Closure, and the House had an opportunity of declaring its opinion upon the issue. It becomes daily more and more clear that the Closure is an indispensable agent in Parliamentary proce- dure. Its effects are much wider than is apparent from the line in the Parliamentary reports, which states that the Closure has been moved. The knowledge that this rod is in pickle deters obstruction, for obstructionists know that they are ineffectively wasting their own time by prolonging debate. At the proper moment the Closure will be moved, and the division will be taken. It might, therefore, as well be taken early in the evening as late. March 15.— The Mr. Bradlaugh had a great triumph this after- OathsBill. .^ , . .^ *-, T.-Ti 1 • • r- noon, carrymg his Oaths Bill by a majority oi 100. That would be a great feat in whatever circumstances it was accomplished. But in the present condition of parties in the House of Commons, the mere statement of the arith- metical fact im]3lies the wholesale conversion of the Con- servative Party. When five years ago Mr. Gladstone, then at the head of an overwhelming majority available for general purposes, attempted to pass a Bill having the same object, he was defeated by a small majority. What Mr. Gladstone, Prime Minister and Leader of a great party, could not do in 1883, Mr. Bradlaugh did to-day with a majority of 100. Mr. Bradlaugh indeed accomplished more than Mr. Gladstone vainly essayed. The Atfirmation Bill of 1883 merely proposed that members returned to the House of Commons might, if they pleased, make affirmation instead of taking the oath. The Bill passed to-day extends deliverance from the oath to all the ordinary relations of public life. It provides that any person on objecting to being sworn shall be permitted to make affirmation in all places and for all purposes Avhere and when an oath is at present required by the law. It will be strange news for Sir Henry Wolff", on his way to Teheran, to hear how matters fared in the House of Commons. It was this question of Mr. Bradlaugh being permitted to take the oath that directly led to the creation of isss.] "BAKEB pasha:' 43 the Fourth Party. Now, whilst the Mr. Gorst of those days is Sir John, whilst Mr. Arthur Balfour is Chief Secretary for Ireland, Lord Randolph Churchill votes with Mr. Bradlaugh practically to abolish the oath, and the Bill is carried, under a Conservative Government, by a majority of 100 ! March 20. ^Mieu the House met at two o'clock to-day, for "Baker Pasha." . . . . , -,.111 a mornmg sittmg, it was much gratified by the appearance of an Irish alderman with sword and gown lodging a petition. These occasional appearances of the Lord Mayor of Dublin in State used to be great opportunities for Mr. Dawson, that typical Lord Mayor, who, when Mr. Forster, then Chief Secretary, was moving a clause of the Coercion Act endowing the police authorities with the right of search in the night-time, told him that, if he approached the bedside of Mrs. Dawson, it would only be over the dead body of her husband. Mr. Dawson, in, his business relations a baker, was known among his colleagues sometimes as the " Master of the Rolls," but most often as " Baker Pasha." He belonged to a type that is dying out from among the more serious business- like men whom Ireland now sends to the House of Commons. He was brought back to recollection to-day, as he used to sit in his Lord Mayor's scarlet gown, with the cham of office glittering round his neck, and his quite inadequate legs crossed in lordly attitude of composure. March22.— "Saiis-Xhe Dukc of Rutland to-night made his first bury's Manners. " . . " . i i ,. • Visit to the House of Commons since he left it as Lord John Manners, The occasion of this revived interest was the appearance at the table of his son, the Marcjuis of Granby, who came up to-day to take the oath and his seat for East Leicester. Amurath to Amurath succeeds, and the head of the Manners family having gone up to the House of Lords, the heir-apparent takes his place in the Commons. The new member is much better known as Henry Manners, or, as he is sometimes called, " Salisbury's Manners," having for many years occupied the position of private secretary to the noble Lord. The Marquis of Granby has all the atfability and the geniality of his father, and his popularity is co-extensive with the Jist of people who know him, and that is very long. 44 A DIABY OF THE SALISBURY FABLIAMENT. [isss. The new Duke of Eiitlancl looked in good health, and every- body hopes he will live many years to enjoy his long-delayed honours. He watched with pathetic interest the instalment of his son and heir. ^'^^^} ^\ ~?'^}^- Mr. Chamberlain is havintj a case made worthy Chamberlain c ^ ^ i tt tit • i and the Queen, ot the photograph Her JMajesty recently sent him in recognition of his services on the Fishery Commission. It is quite true Royal munificence did not on this occasion run to the extent of adding a case to the photograph, but the spiteful little story current that the photo was of the ordinary carte-de-visite size is an invention of the enemy. This special mark of personal esteem on the part of the Sovereign was no surprise to Mr. Chamberlain's old colleagues in former Cabinets. From the moment his Ministerial position brought him in personal communica- tion, he established himself in Her Majest3^'s most favourable regards. No one familiar with the charm of Mr. Chamberlain's social gifts can wonder at this. In America, as in Canada, he was a favourite even among those politically opposed to him. It is said the only adverse criticism passed in social circles upon the British emissary during his stay in America was by a Washington belle whom the right hon. gentleman had been privileged to lead through the mazy dance. " He's nice," she said, " but he doesn't know how to dance. He takes such a short step you think he must have practised on a postage stamp." April 6. — The Jf i\^q Housc of Commous were in other than Demosthenes . . , , • •. ofPeckham. the curious mood which now depresses it, it would have wakened up with some flicker of interest when to-night ^Ir. Baumann delivered his great speech. Mr. Baumann is a young gentleman with whom Peckham dowered the House of Commons at the otherwise memorable election of 1885. It would be difficult to explain why there appears a singular appropriateness in Peckham being the precise locality represented by Mr. Baumann. If the subtlety of the sensation evades description, it neverthe- less makes itself felt. The speech deserved fuller recognition than it received, not because its style was new, for in truth usss.] THE DEMOSTHENES OF PECKHAM. 45 it is at least as old as tlie most pretentious form of oratory in the Oxford Union. Its merit lay in the unblushing, unhesitating boldness of the flights into poesy, in the air of pleased surprise with which the orator wandered through ftimiliar places, and made for the first time astounding dis- coveries. The reference to the " iron tears " wrung from the eye of humanity at the spectacle of the struggling landowner was really new, and the description of " the gorgeous robe of civilisation " was novel in its adaptation. But what made the older generation rub their eyes and live their youth again was to find Mrs. Jellaby trotted forth to illustrate a bitterly sarcastic passage aimed at the statesmanship of to-day which, with telescopic view, interests itself with aftairs in Egypt and the Canadian Fisheries, looking far over the heads of "our o^\Tl artisans." It was evident the member for Peckham had only just made Mrs. Jellaby 's acquaintance, and older men well understood how that broadly painted picture would attract the ingenuous mind upon which it had suddenly burst. After Mrs. Jellaby had been introduced and dismissed, Mr. Baumann, so to speak, handed round Mr. Carlyle, " the rugged sage of Chelsea," of whose " acrid satire " he was able to say an encouraging word. " Kingsley " was also passingly alluded to, with a friendly familiarity that would have soothed some of his darker moments had he been able to foresee this night. That Mr. Baumann did not mention the author of MagnalVs Questions was probably due to the suspicion that the attention of the select audience was beginning to stagger under the accumulated load of literary reference and the whirling rush of philosophic thought. It was all so pretty — so Peckhamish — that the House visibly resented the matter-of-fact, business-hke tone in which Mr. Stanhope addressed himself to a very brief reply. To observe the rapt expression on the orator's face when he spoke of " the skilled labourer of the country now largely living out of unemployed benefit funds ; " to watch the smile of withering sarcasm with which the still fresh form of Mrs. Jellaby was taken out of the long-neglected trunk ; and to quaver under the impassioned tone with which Mr. Baumann, turning aside for a moment from the company of the Ptugged 46 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. Sage and Kingsley, looked down upon " my right hon. friend on the Treasury bench," and expressed the hope that he should receive a sympathetic answer— induced the belief that the member for Peckham had put his finger on an exceedingly sore place, and that it was no use for a convicted Secretary of State for War to attempt to disguise his discomfiture. It turned out that Mr. Baumann's information on political affairs was as far out of date as his studies in light literature. His amendment solemnly called upon the Government to discontinue the practice of working overtime in Government yards and factories. It turned out that what the Demosthenes of Peckham, with folded arms, corrugated brow, and broken voice, demanded at the hands of a trembling Ministry, had been accomplished long ago. The practice could not be discontinued, Mr. Stanhope drily said, because it did not exist. Peckham was behind the age, and the birth of its member, though long deferred, had come too late. There was an awkward pause and the faint echo of a titter when j\Ir. Stanhope somewhat abruptly resumed his seat, having really nothing more to say. The Speaker glanced anxiously round in search of competitors for precedence in the debate thus started. It was difficult to believe that a dis- cussion opened in so portentous a style should be suddenly and swdftly extinguished. Surely someone might say some thing, if it were only with the object of introducing the names of Mrs. Nickleby and Mrs. Gamp. But the House of Commons is not what it used to be, even in the not far-off days when the member for Peckham, in jacket and trousers, still pondered over the pages of the interrogative Mucjnall. Within the past two months there has dawned upon it the long- delayed con- viction that it is really a business assembly. It had sat down in an attitude of grave attention to hear discussed a question which seemed to have an important bearing upon the condition of the labour market. But there had been a mistake some- where. It had been, quite unintentionally and in good faith, deceived. It was evidently in no mood for further trifling, and before the considerable number of members who now had the ground cleared for them to bring on amendments had realised their position the Speaker had left the Chair, the mace was off the table, and the Hpuse in ( oiiiiiiittee of Supply. 188S.] UNDER NEW RULES. 47 Under new rules. This happy conclusioii of a ludicrous episode which might have wasted much vahiable time illustrates the totally altered condition of affairs established in the House of Commons under the new Rules of Procedure. These operate not only by the restraint of their actual applica- tion, but by their influence, which dominates the whole spirit of the proceedings. AVhat happened to-night in respect of the early lapse into Committee was a repetition of the agreeable surprise which awaited Ministers at Thursday's sitting, when the House got into Committee of Supply ten minutes after public business had been opened. Even with the CUosure at hand there was plenty of scope for talk on miscellaneous subjects which would have prevented any material progress being made with the votes at either sitting. If King Ja Ja, in his enforced retirement, has opportunity to read the Parliamentary debates, he will find food for reflection upon the degeneracy of the House of Commons. Information about his Majesty and his wrongs is a little vague, and no one quite knows why Mr. W. Redmond should have adopted his cause. As Mr. Baumann would probably have observed if he had had opportunity of taking part in debate on the topic, the connection between the two personages is as vague as that between Hecuba and the player whom Hamlet watched. But that is quite im- material. Mr. Redmond had an opportunity to-night of flinging the body of King Ja Ja across the floor of the House of Commons and obstructing the progress of business. He refrained, and an opportunity that four years ago Avould have been made to serve the purposes of a Avhole night of obstruction was wantonly cast aside. ■ 48 CHAPTER YI. THE ENGLISH LOCAL GOVERXMENT BILL. The Front Opposition Bench — How the Local Government Bill was Debated — Mr. Jesse Ceilings — Sir William Harcourt and ]Mr. Chambeiiain — Lord Randolph Churchill wakes up — Mr. Chamberlain and Irish Local Govern- ment — Amateur Artists — Mr. Lockwood— Ex-Whips — Lord St. Oswald — Sir WiUiam Dyke— A Flag of Truce— The Strangers' Gallery— "Black Eod : " April 0. — The front Opposi- tion bench. It is evident a dead-lock will shortl}' be reached in respect of tlie arrangements on the front Op- position bench. To-night there was a great crowd to hear Mr. Gladstone's speech. Amongst the earliest arrivals was Sir H. James, who was followed by Mr. Heneage and Lord Hartington. They somehow managed to squeeze themselves in- to a limited space at the end of the bench near the gangway. Presently Sir Charles Russell arrived in search of the seat he usually occupies, to- night appropriated by Mr. Heneage. Find- ing no room the ex- Attorney - General seated himself on the gangway steps. Pre- sently, when the House divided, on the motion for the adjournment of the debate on the King-Harm an Bill, Sir race from the division SIR CHAHI.KS 1U>SELL. Charles, getting back first in the 1SS8.] THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL. 49 lobby, recovered his seat on the front Opposition bench. In due course Sir Henry James and Mr. Heneage dropped in. Then came Lord Hartington, last as usual. But there was no place for him. A position of profound embarrassment was relieved by Sir Charles Russell rising, who found a back seat, Lord Hartington falling into the space vacated. April 20.— How Tliis is the sixth night of debate on the second the Local Go- /. ? veniment Bill reading ot oiie of the most important measures was debated. .„.„ submitted to Parliament— the EnQ-hsh (Tovernment at the outset ever Local Government Bill. The s howed a disposition to curtail the conversation. This met with such a storm of angry indignation, more especially from below the gangway on the Liberal side, that Mr. Smith stepped back appalled, and the de- bate, which according to the original scheme should have concluded within two nights, dragged on through six. Every evening, questions over, the lumbering figure of the Bill has been drasfgred on to the stage, and what is ironically called "the business of the evening" commenced. On every evening the private business of members has been to gird up their loins and flee. They had done their duty to their constituencies, ^^^^ mtchie. their country, and their con- science in insisting that not less than six days should be given to debate on the second reading. What they liked to be assured of was that the debate was actually going on. If it had been absolutely necessary to maintain its continuance there is not a man in the House who Avould not have faced 50 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. the sacrifice of remaining in liis place for an hour or two. But there was always someone there, enough to keep tlie thing going, and to maintain that general sense of virtuous satisfaction induced by the reflection that this important Bill was being thoroughly discussed, and that Mr. Ritchie, who really was in attendance throughout, was getting a hint or two by which he might profit in Committee. Mr. Jesse Col- When Mr. Jesse Collings rose to continue the interesting stream of reflections dammed by the stroke of midnight on Thursday it was curious to watch the attitude of parties. Mr. Collings's old friends and companions dear on the Liberal benches were free from all embarrassment. They rose in a body and left the House, with even ostentatious signs of indifterence. But it was different with the hon. gentlemen opposite. There was a time in the days of old, when Mr. Collings was a particular object of derision in the Conservative camp. He girded at them with all his strength, and they were wont to be contemptuously oftensive in retort. But times have changed. If the Radical member for the Bordesley division of Birmingham is to be cheered at all, the shout must needs come from the Conservative side, and when Mr. Collings rose to resume the debate cheers were freely given. There was also borne in upon the gentlemen to the right of the Speaker a sense of duty to remain and keep an audience for their new ally. The Liberals would not stop to hear him ; the Conservatives should, and so said all of them. So strong and unanimous was this unspoken sentiment that individuals felt no hesitation in withdrawing. One would not be missed where so many would stay. Thus one by one they slipped away, and the Avilderness to the left of the Speaker, out of which the voice of Mr. Collings was heard crying, presently found a parallel in the waste places where every Conservative had honestly meant that his neigh- bour should remain in close attention. Sir "William Hai- When Sir W. Harcourt rose at a quarter-past court and Mr. i • /. i i ciiami)eriiiin. tcu there werc thu'ty-iive members on the benches, all told. In the very first sentences he turned to attack Mi*. Chamberlain, and the cftect upon the SIB WILLIAM IIARGOUET. 51 aspect of the House was electrical. The few still present who had lived throiigh the debate brightened up and began to laugh. The long uuAvonted sound was heard by groups in the lobby. The news spread in ever- widening circles through the pre- cincts of the House that Harcourt was "giving it to Chamberlain," and before many of Sir William's treasured impromptus had been wasted on the empty benches the House Avas full, and the glad sounds of cheers and laughter filled the Chamber, inciting the orator to bolder flights. It was a great opportunit}^ for Sir William Harcourt, and he made the very most of it. As a personal attack nothing so happily con- ceived, so brilliant in point, and so light in touch has for years been heard in the House of Commons. The circumstances were peculiarly favouraljle. Islv. Chamberlain had laid himself open to attack by the tone of his speech on Monday, in which he dealt man}' hard back- handed blows at former friends sitting near. Sir William Harcourt did not lie under the charge of going out of the w\ay to attack a former colleague. Mr. Chamber- lain had deliberately trailed his coat, and Sir William gleefully trod upon it. It is well enough, when opportunity offers, to beat about the head one of the prominent officers of the enemy, but there is a sweeter and subtler joy in turning upon an old friend and former colleague when circumstances invite the en- counter. The only thing lacking in the completeness of Sir William Harcourt's enjoyment of the opportunity was SIR AVILLIAM OX THE OFFENSIV] 52 A DIAllY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. the accident which prevented Mr. Chanibeiiain being present to hear. Mr. Gladstone came in hurriedl}', having missed but a few of the opening sentences ; Lord Hartington sat and hstened, the only man in the House who did not pay the tribute of hearty laughter to the mirth-provoking gambols. The speech bristled with carefully elaborated points, admirably put, and thoroughly enjoyed by the audience. Nothing could be better than the description of Mr. Chamberlain's relations Avith the Government as being of a conjugal character. " A man very often felt himself at liberty to find fault Avith his oAvn Avife Avho Avould not alloAV anyone else to do so." Mr. Chamberlain's diplomatic tact displayed in his mission to Washington, con- trasted with his remissness in that respect at home, reminded Sir William of the witches and warlocks of old. " As soon as they crossed the Avater their poAver of enchantment ceased." The description of the head and front of Mr. Gladstone's offending, inasmuch as he had overlain that promising infant Mr. Chamberlain's draft Bill for the reform of local govern- ment, swiftly told. Perhaps most effective of all Avas the bitter reminiscence of the time Avhen a Radical tail below the gangAvay Avagged the dog Avho sat on the front Op- position bench — the day Avhen Mr. Chambei-lain, standing in the place Mr. Parncll noAV habitually occupies Avhen he addresses the House, formally renounced the authority of Lord Hartington, and, amid ringing cheers from the Radicals, hailed him as " late the Leader of the Liberal Party." It was magnificent, but it Avas not the Local Government Bill, Avhich presentl}' the House, accidentally remembering, agreed to read a second time. April 25.— Lord Lord Randol]:)h Churchill has for some Aveeks K u n (I o 1 p h . , . ^ (jhurciiiii rcmamod m an ommousl}- quiescent state. He wakes up. |j,^^ \)Qvn regular in his attendance, and has stuck to his corner seat behmd the Ministers, in spite of the fact that Colonel Hughes-Hallett, who insists upon having a leader somewhere, has permanently secured the adjoining seat. Lord Randolph has Avatchcd the increasing infiuence of Mr. Balfour in the House of Commons, and has heard night after night the enthusiastic cheers his gibes at the Irish people or isss.] LOBD RANDOLPH WAKES UP. 53 his polislicd sniibliing of the Irish members have eHcited. It seems that after all Lord Randolph has only been biding his time, and this afternoon it came. The House had been for some time discussing a Bill brought in by the Irish members, designed to introduce an enlarged system of local government in Ireland. At the outset the attendance Avas small. But towards four o'clock the benches began to till, and when Mr. Gladstone rose there was already a good audience. The Leader of the Opposition heartily supported the measure, and, by an odd coincidence, took exactly that line of attack upon the Government which Lord Randolph Churchill followed up with crushing effect. Mr. Gladstone insisted that in 1886 the present Government had pledged themselves to deal with the Local Government question in Ireland simul- taneoush' with its reform in England, and he openly accused them of breaking their pledge. Mr. Balfour, who followed, was as gay and as confident as ever, little dream- ing of the Nemesis sitting behind, twirling his moustache and • preparing a few things pleasant for his old colleagues to hear. Lord Randolph rose just before five o'clock, not leaving himself nuich time for an elaborate speech. He spoke with quite unusual earnestness and decision, categorically and emphatically declaring that in 1886 he, as spokesman of the Government, and with the full approval of his colleagues, announced that the reform of local government in Ireland should be treated, as respects the English question, with " similarity, equality, and simultaneity." This speech fell like a bombshell on the Treasury bench, lately so elate. The ingenuous countenance of Mr. Smith betrayed his perturbed feelings. Even the graceful head of Mr. Balfour drooped. The Conservatives sat silent, not know- ing what to do ; and again and again triumphant cheers from the Opposition benches punctuated Lord Randolph's telling sentences. There was nothing new in what he said. The facts had been declared over and over again from the Liberal side. Less than two hours earlier Mr. Gladstone had made the same statement ; but everyone knew the significance of the stand Lord Randolph w\as taking, and felt that the Irish policy of the Government had received a serious blow. 5-i A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [is.-,^. Mr. Chamberlain Lord Riincloli^h's attack on tlie Government Avas and Irish Local '- . • i -i r m i i • Government. taken, 11 not m concert with Mr. Lnaniberlain, at least with his full knowledge. For upwards of half an hour, in a quiet corner of the library, the two had been in consultation. Mr. Chamberlain, Avith an easier con- science than Lord Eandolph has suddenly become possessed of, was able to vote against the Bill. But the terms on which he did so were not less significant than Lord Randolph's freer exjDression of dissent. Mr. Chamberlain voted against the Bill only on the assurance, which he was able to extract from Mr. Balfour's speech, that the Government had not indefinitely postponed the question of local government in Ireland. Lord Hartington, who was present during the remarkable scene, also voted against the Bill. The event has created a surj)rising sensation in political cir- cles. It is felt that Lord Randolph Churchill, whether seriousty mean- ing it or not, has made it impossible for the Government to continue their Balfourian policy in Ireland in the un- ^"^ ^^^^iJI^B^tJ^^^'flli&t. mitigated form in which it has lately raged. April 2C..--Ania- If is a llOtO- teur artists. worthy and happy incident that Lord Folkestone should sit on one side of the House of Commons and Mr. Lockwood on the other. These two gen- tlemen have great gifts LOKD loLKESTONE. ^ 111 thc Way of huiuorous portraiture, and during an important debate may be seen, one immediately behind tliu front Opposition bench, the other at the lower end of the Treasury be;ich, diligently sketching ihvh- fellow- 1S8S.] AMATEUR GARICATUEISTS. 55 membei's. Lord Folkestone's artistic industry has been somewhat interfered with by the acceptance of office as Treasurer of the Household. Still, when the cares of that important institution press heavily upon him, he tinds recreation in secretly drawing Mr. W. H. Smith with monu- mental mutton-chop whiskers, or Lord Randolph (Jhurchill twirling an exaggerated moustache. Mr. Lockwooti. Mr. Lockwood has more time, and one or other of his sketches is constantly bemg passed up and down the benches. One made from his place in the House of Commons was circulated the night when news came that the Baroness Burdett-Coutts was on board the Channel steamer Invicta, reported a wreck. It was a fancy portrait of Mr. Burdett-Coutts, leaving the House of Commons in evening dress to rescue the Baroness. It was a capital likeness, and there was a dishevelled appearance about the member for Westminster that testified to his marital concern. Since then the opening of the Grosvenor GaUery has led to a development of this idea. A notable picture in the collection is a large one in the west gallery representing a noble family of Huguenot refugees shipwrecked on the Suffolk coast. Among the somewhat comical figures is an excited gentleman, bearing from the relentless waves a lightlj^-clad lad}^ seated on his shoulder. It is now said that this is Mr. Burdett-Coutts in the act of rescuing the Baroness — a little bit of hmnour that goes a long way when circulated in dull times over the benches of the House of Commons. April 27. -- Ex- j^ ^yj^.t; .^ curious Coincidence that on the self- same night, whilst Lord Stalbridge, in the Upper House, made an eloquent speech. Sir Wilham Dyke should have found himself in the other House Minister in charge of an important debate. Rarely the voice of one who has held the post of Whip is heard in either House, and here to-night were two retired Whips occupying between them the joint attention of Imperial Parliament. Good Whips before they die go to the House of Lords. But the longer their service in the outer lobby, the more rooted is their objection to speech-making. They never, or hardly ever. 56 A DIARY OF THE SALISIirRY PARLIAMENT, [isss. knew a speech to influence a vote ; and, after all, tlie vote is tlie thing. Speech-making must go forward, as otherwise the interval between the Speaker taking the Chair, or the Lord Chancellor seating himself on the Woolsack, and the rising of the House would be difficult to till up. Still, a Whip, whether in harness or out, is inclined to leave talking to others. Lord Hampden, though he passed the Chair on the way to the House of Lords, has j-et to make his maiden speech. He sat in the Chair of the House of Commons at the birth of the Home Rule Part}^ saw the growth of Obstruction, sat up till dawn through many nights, and may be forgiven if he thinks he has had his fair share of speech - making without con- tributing ]3ersonal eftbrt to its extension. Lord Wolverton, whose cheery j^resence is still missed frcjm the precincts of both. Houses, was not known m the House of Lords as an orator. That he could make a speech was proved by some tempestuous bursts of oratory delivered in the country. Lord Stalbridge will remember one memorable occasion in a home county when Whip met AVhip, and the tug of war was unusually strained. Lord Kensington pre- serves in the Upper House that habitude of silence charac- teristic of him in the House of Commons. SIR WILLIAM HART-DYKE, Lord St. Oswai.i. As for Lord St. Oswald, there is no man in either House who may with fuller sense of performing senatorial duty sit silent. So grave is the old Whip's bearing, so churchlikc the solenmity of his listening attitude, tliat it would lie an unpardonable waste of natural gifts if he 1S88.] SIR WILLIAM HART-DYKE. hl broke silence by ordered speecli. Yet, when he was still Mr. Rowland Winn, he made one brief and memorable speech the House of Commons is not likely to forget. It was earl}' in the morning of the 9th of June, 1885. Through the long night the House had been debating Sir M. H. Beach's amendment on Mr. Childers' Budget. The debate was over ; the tumultuous division had drawn to a close, and Mr. Rowland Winn literally took the floor. He stood at the table with the notes of his speech in his hand, the House, stilled to a moment of intensest silence, waiting for him to begin. " Ayes, to the right," said Mr. Winn, " Avere 252. Noes, to the left, 264." So, as the Speaker said, the "noes " had it. The Budget Bill, together with the Gladstone Ministry, was thrown out, and Lord Randolph Churchill, leaping on the bench below the gangway, hailed the sudden and unexpected birth of a Con- servative Ministry. This was the Conservative Whip's last speech in the House of Commons, and the momentous consequences by which it was followed surely justify the silence of an after lifetime. It transformed ]\fr. Rowland Winn into Lord St. OsAvald ; it sent Sir Staftbrd Northcote to the House of Peers ; it made Lord Randolph Churchill Secretary of State for India; and it plunged Mr. Gladstone into a morass from which he has not yet emerged. Sir Wm. Dyke. Years before this historic night Sir William Dyke had parted company with Mr. Rowland Winn in the office of Whip. He had faithfully served his party through the heyday of the Disraelian Parliament ; and when the end came, and Grand Crosses were falling in showers, it seemed something of a slight that Sir William should be tossed a Privy Councillorship. The neglect of an esteemed and usually grateful chief had the effect of turning his attention to the broader stream of politics outside the Whip's room and the lobb}'. He went in for statesmanship, took occasional part in debates on Imperial topics, and when the Conservative Ministry was formed, in the sunnner of 1885, he was made Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant. It was a post that had sorely tried some great reputations. Xext to the Premiership 58 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLLUIENT. [isss. it was the most difficult in the Administration. Sir William Dj'ke probably shared the surprise of the House when it "was offered to him ; but the habitual reticence of the Whip pre- vented his making any remark. He took it, and Avas under- stood to govern Ireland for a few months. Xext to the Chief Secretaryship, perhaps the most surprising office in which to find Sir William would be that which practically belongs to the Minister of Education, Accordingly, when the Conserva- tive Government returned to office, Sir William Dyke was made Vice-President of the Council. The exigencies of this position brought him to the front to-night. Mr. Arthur Acland had once more submitted a motion for the appointment of a regular Minister of Edu- cation, and had taken the opportunity to review the wide field of educational systems. Mr. John Morley had seconded the resolution in a luminous speech, which lifted the debate to the highest standard ; Mr. Kenyon had delivered an opinion apparently confused by reminiscences of the Welsh language : Mr. Bruce had spoken for Scotland, and then the Avay was opened for the Minister. The great majority of members present were in evening dress. The Alce-President of the Council, having in his charge the interests of the children in a hundred schools and the cattle on a thousand hills, had no time to dress for dinner. Another personal touch which had its effect on the watchful House was the production towards the middle of the speech of something that looked remarkably like a pair of horn spectacles. Peering through these at the accumulated notes, where some of Mr. Kenyon's remarks appeared to have been jotted down to the credit of Mr. Morley, Sir William Dyke looked every inch a Minister of Education. A Flag of Truce. The crowuiug Strategy, the little device which marked the old Parliamentary hand, was the disposition of his pocket-handkerchief This he had deftly fixed in his coat-tail pocket, so as to dis^jlay a liberal expanse of crumpled cambric. Whenever he came to a controversial point likely to rouse the ire of the magnates on the front bench opposite. Sir William turned round, presenting a back view to the Liberal Party. What this meant quickly pene- THE FLAG OF TRUCE. 59 trated the trained intelligence to which the hint was addressed. Sir William Dyke, member of a Conservative Administration, could not be expected to go so far in educational matters as the Radicals opposite. He had the country party to think of and conciliate. But when he was declaring that " the day had gone by for a Minister of Education," when he launched that THE FLAG OF TKUCE. striking illustration pointing to " the danger that the cry, so easily raised, of robbery of the poor would seriously impair the attempt to range educational machinery on Avhat he might call the ladder system," his back was turned to right honour- able gentlemen opposite, and they recognised the flag of truce displayed as the obtrusive handkerchief fluttered with every gesture by Avhich the Minister graced and enforced his orator- ical flights. He must needs satisfy extreme men on his own side ; but Mr. John Morley, Sir Lyon Playfair, Mr. Mundella, and Professor Brvce knew what the Avhite flag portended, 60 A DIAEY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIA2IENT. [isss. and the debate closed in a general spirit of amity, which Mr. W. H. Smith appropriately rose to express. April 30. — The Xlie Committee for some time sittinsr to con- Gallery." sider the question of the admission of strangers to the House of Commons concluded their labours to-day. With that enlightened sj)irit which has re- cently come over the House in dealing with its oAvn arrange- ments, the Committee have decided to recommend a revo- lutionary measure. There are two divisions of the gallery facing the Speaker's chair. One is the Strangers' Gallery proper, the other the Speaker's. The Committee this after- noon resolved to recommend the House to abolish this distinction. Henceforth there will be no Speaker's Galler}*. One result of the change will be a much-needed addition to the accommodation. Between them the Speaker's and the Strangers' Galleries find sitting room for 130 persons. The removal of the dividing line Avill give another bench contain- ing thirty seats. The Peers' Gallery, and what is known as the Special Gallery, being the front bench of the Speaker's Gallery to the right of the clock, and the few seats under the gallery on the floor of the House, will remain as heretofore, specially reserved. As to admission to the Strangers' Galler}', there will be a partial return to the old principle under which every member was supposed to have the right of giving a ticket for the Strangers' Galler}^ Hereafter each member will have two tickets every day when^the House sits. But as there are only 160 seats available, it is evident this will be a Barmecide feast for many an eager constituent. After obtaining an order, the stranger Avill have to ballot foi- a seat, and it is in this connec- tion that the principal r;?feguarcl against the visitation of jDossible dynamitards comes in. It is intended to have a ticket office in the outer lobby, in charge of the police. All strangers will gain admission to the gallery from the outer lobby, thus increasing the pri-\'aey of the inner lobl>y. "Black Rod!" B ''- :i ]>ity whilst this reforming zeal is on, it cunld not be extended to the useless, hidi- fi-ous, and, upon occasion, vexations nonsense of the visit of isss.] 2IE. GLADSTONE. 61 Black Rod to tlie House of Commons. This afternoon, whilst Mr. Balfour was on his feet answering an important question with respect to the conduct of business in Ireland, the door was flung wide open, a messenger abruptly entered, and with stentorian voice announced " Black Rod ! " Even Mr. Balfour was not able to stare this intruder down, or to snub him. Without completing the sentence upon which he had em- barked, the Chief Secretary resumed his seat, and amid a titter of laughter Black Rod entered, and, bowing thrice, summoned the Speaker and the House of Commons to attend at the Bar of the other House to hear the Royal assent given by Commission to certain Bills. The Serjeant-at-Arms advanced, and shouldered the ^lace ; the Speaker left the chair ; the Home Secretary and Mr. Stanhope fell in by way of procession ; amid further tittering the Speaker and mace disappeared, leaving the House with nothing to do. In little more than ten minutes the Speaker was back again, the mace was returned to the table, Mr. Balfour rose, and continued the answer thus grotesquely interrupted. But ten minutes had literally been wasted by this piece of antique tomfoolery. CHAPTER VII. MR. GLADSTONE. j\Ir. Gladstone — An Accidental Speech— Tireless— Jlr. Disraeli at Seventy— "Bobbj-" Boycotted— Lord R. Churchill and Mr. Balfour— The Lord Advocate (Mr. Macdonald, since Lord Kingsburgh)— Scottish Humour — Father of the House— The Reformed House— An Old Story Re-told— One Interested Listener. May4.— :Mr. PERSONS wlio for political reasous are interested in the actual health and possible longevity of Mr. Gladstone ought to have seen him to- night, discoursing on the abstract proposal that the State should buy up the raihvays. The House was, naturally enough, pretty empty. Mr. AVatt had read an interesting paper in support of his motion ; Sir Julian Goldsmid had 02 A DIABY OF THE SALISBUIiY PAELIAMEXT. [isss. chanted certain ol:ijections ; Sir Bernard Samiielson, for whom so dry a subject had an irresistible attraction, dehvered a weighty essay on the general subject ; Mr. Bolton, who really knew something about the matter, had talked of it from the railway chairman j^oint of view ; and then Sir M. H. Beach, wearied of much speaking, had come down with the acrid protest, that never had he heard a more important proposal supported by weaker arguments. The whole proceedings were curiousl}- illustrative of one aspect of the House of Commons. It was by chance at the ballot box that Mr. Watt had obtained the first place on the agenda of the sitting. Being in this position, he thought he might as well raise a discussion on the question of the State Purchase of Railways. Possibly, in the privacy of his chamber, he had debated whether he should not ask tlie House to consider a cognate scheme, for the building of a railway to the moon. The two projects had precisely equal bear- ing upon the practical business of the House of Commons. On the whole, perhaps, the discussion on the lunar railroad project would have possessed the greater measure of attractive- ness. But Mr. Watt finally decided to confine his attention to terrestrial affairs, and therefore the House of Commons, oppressed with the weight of urgent public business, with the Budget Bill standing for third reading, was asked, t) 2)7'oj3o.s' des bottes, to consider the question of buying up the railwa3"s, and running them for the public weal. It Avas just one of those matters an over-burdened statesman might welcome as an opportunity for taking his rest. It was all very well for the President of the Board of Trade to chafe. The question affected his department, and since it was seriousl}^ raised he must needs, with gravity, take note of it. For Mr. Gladstone there was no such necessity. He was in his place at question time, vigorous and alert, pricking up his ears at mention of King Ja Ja of ( )pobo, and fixing poor Mr. Smith with searching eye when he endeavoured to make the terms of the reference to the Pioyal Commission on the National Defences look as like as possible to those originally cited and subsequently abandoned. C^'icstions over, he left the Houst', as everyone thought for the sufficient reason that there was nothing 1SS8.] MB. GLADSTONE. 63 going- forward worth}'- attention or necessitating his pre- sence. Within the space of half an hour he was back again, looking younger and fresher than ever, arrayed in dinner dress. He was evidently going out to enjoy himself, Youth at the prow and Pleasure at the helm. Somewhere, peradventure, covers were laid for forty faithful friends, with a screen behind which a reporter sat and sharpened his pencil. Visions of an important speech suddenly sprung upon the public from some private dining-room floated before Sir M. H. Beach's troubled gaze, adding to the anger that possessed him at the lengthening of the debate. Still, since Mr. Gladstone was dining out, possibly with a speech to follow, his visit to the House was not likely to be either prolonged or provocative. An accidental Jt is probable when Mr. Gladstone re-entered Sl">66cll. the House he had not the slightest intention of speaking on the question of the State Purchase of Railways. It was presently recollected that the Budget Bill was down for third reading, and that, having delivered a series of im- portant speeches on Mr. Goschen's plan, he had on Thursday night protested against this stage being taken Avitliout further debate. It was clear he had come clown to lire a last shot at the Budget, and would wait with whatever measure of patience was possible, till the railway question was shunted and his op- portunity came. Even up to the moment the President of the Board of Trade rose Mr. Gladstone may have intended to reserve himself for his Budget speech. Sir Michael Beach, all unconsciously, struck a chord, response to which was irresistible. The subject naturally led him to refer to the epoch of 1844, and the great parent Rail- Avay Act then added to the Statute Book. Mr. Gladstone, sitting on the deserted front Opposition bench waiting to discuss the Budget of a man who was a puling infant when he took his seat for Newark, pricked up his ears at mention of this date. Looking across the half-empty House he may have seen, with the eyes of memory, sitting low down on the Opposition benches, " a fine-looking young man of about the usual height, of good figure, with a countenance mild and pleasant, hialily intellectual expression, eyes clear and quick. 64 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMEXT. [isss. eyebrows dark and rather prominent, with jet-black hair care- fully parted from the crown downwards to the brow, where it is tastefully shaded," a line-looking young man, just growing into regard as the rising hope of stern, unbending Toryism. Mr. Gladstone knew all about the Railway Act of 1844, as he presently informed the House, chatting with it in that charming jaanner he, on occasional otf-nights, talks of half a century past. He told how, in 1841 — or was it 1842? — when he was at the Board of Trade, the question arose whether there should be a railway all the way to Scotland. At that time Hudson w^as King, " a bold and not unwise rail- way projector," Mr. Gladstone explained, for the benefit of young fellows like Sir AV. Harcourt and Mr. W. H. Smith, who sat enthralled listening to his story. The boldness of Hudson prevailed over the inertia of the Board of Trade. It was decided there should be a railway, at least within touch of the Lowlands of Scotland, and it Avas determined the line should be built substantially, so as to last through the ages, and successfully bear the concentrated burden of Xortheni traffic. These memories passed through Mr, Gladstone's mind as he sat and listened to Sir Michael Beach prosing. When the President of the Board of Trade sat down, and a discussion, much fitter for a debating society than the House of Commons, seemed to have drooped to its fitting conclusion, Mr. Gladstone appeared at the table, as fresh and vigorous as if it were still '42, and all his responsibilities limited by the range of the yet infant Board of Trade. As it turned out, the menu of the dinner whither he was bound did not include that new last course of the Reporter, which has of late added a fresh terror to dining out. Still he had his postscript to many Budget speeches to deliver, to tread once more the intricate mazes of Mr. Goschen's manifold Budget scheme. Being here, and finding the House talking about raihvays, why should he not contribute a speech ? Apart from older reminiscences, the very mention of a railway train suggested rapid movement, expectant crowds at barricaded stations, speeches with head out of window, enthusiastic cheers, and ultimate downfall of a Avicked Conservative Government. So Mr. Gladstone made his speech as an ordinary man might offer a casual remark. ISSS.] ME. GLADSTONE. 65 with no greater effort and no fuller evidence of fatigue when it was over. Tireless. He was talking the day before and the day before that. Last week he delivered four great speeches, any one of Avhich would have established a Parliamentary fame. 'H "i-iiii!;! ;.' m^ But it seemed that since athe House last saw him he had renewed his youth, like the eagle. Even his voice, which sometimes failed him, had regained its mellowness. He spoke, as he often does in chance debates on a Friday or Tuesday night, in a conversational tone, free from all political acerbity 66 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLTAMENT. [I888. — a speech luminous witli knowledge, profound in Avisdom, touched here and there with flash of kindly humour. It was like Priam sitting at the Gate talking in the mellow evening sunlight to the young men around him. Only Priam was old and out of harness, a chief " who no more in bloody fights engaged;" and Mr. Gladstone was to-night as young and full of life as if it were but yesterday he talked with George Hudson about the new and starthng project of building a railway all the way to Scotland. Mr. Disraeli at Jn later years, when Mr. Disraeli was yet in the se\enj. Jjouse of Commous, and faced Mr. Gladstone, the Tory chief was much older in manner and appearance than a comparison of almanac dates would seem to justify. Mr. Gladstone is to-day eight years older than Mr. Disraeli was on the August evening in 1876 when he walked out of the House of Commons for the last time, with the word " Empire " on his lips, the final word in the last speech he delivered in the House of Commons. But long before that, save in an occasional spasmodic playfulness, Mr. Disraeli assumed the manner of an old man. He would sit for hours on the Treasury bench with folded arms and impassive face, taking as little part as possible in debate. Mr. Gladstone's share is written large in the reports of the last fortnight. To-night his little aside on the stupendous question of the State purchase of railways was followed by an ordered speech, in which he once more subjected the Budget scheme to searching analysis, after which he lightly stepped out to his deferred dinner. There have been old men in harness before Agamennion Gladstone — Mr. Disraeli, Lord John Russell, and Lord Palmerston. But for sustained energy, for undiininislrcd power of mind and body, the House of Commons has never seen such a phenomenon as now nightly faces it from the front Opposition bench. ^^ May 10.— Much talk to-day about the Duke of AVest- cott^d. °^ minster. It seems that, having engaged Mr. Robert Spencer, half-brother to Lord Spencer, to dine with him, and Mr. Spencer having in the meantime accepted an invitation to dine with Mr. Parnell at the Eighty Club, the Duke sent him a curt note revoking the invitation. 1SS8.] LOUD E. CHUBCHILL AND MB. BALFOUR. 67 There is some talk of asking Mr. Balfour whether his atten- tion has been called to this flagrant instance of boycotting, and whether it receives the sanction of Her Majesty's Government. ^''?.?- ^''l'^''^''^^ It is pretty to see Lord Randolph Churchill, and Mr. Balfour. / -^ i , i • , nr- • seated on the corner bench behmd Mmisters, playing with his moustache, while Mr. Balfour stands at the table exponent of the views of the Cabinet Lord Randolph left in a moment of anger. It is one of Lord Ran- dolph's peculiarities that he cannot stand any competition for the first place. He must be everything or he will be nothing. At one time he seemed to have completed his dominion over Lord Salisbury, and it was the discovery that the Prime Minister would not back him up in his peremptory efforts at snubbing Lord George Hamilton and Mr. Stanhope that caused him to quit the Ministry. Still, that Lord Salisbury should assume a position of personal supremacy is a matter for which some excuse may be made. He is well up in years, he is the head of a patrician house, he has earned the con- fidence of the party. What vexes Lord Randolph is that Mr. Balfour, who, a few years ago, was quite a junior member of the Fourth Party, should now, without assistance from him, and even in opposition to his wishes, have reached a foremost place in the estimation of the Conservative Party and of the House of Commons. Lord Randolph remembers the time when Mr. Balfour used to fetch and carry for him, and feel distinguished by a nod of approval. Now he lords it on the Treasury bench, confident in the assurance that with the Conservative Party, alike in the House and the countr}-, he is absolutely the most popular Minister. Lord Randolph, it is ndted, never tries a fall with Mr. Balfour. Other members of the Ministry whom he holds indebted to him for their personal advancement suffer occa- sionally from his resentful lash. He has openly expressed his contempt for Mr. Henry Matthews, whom he made Home Secretary, and never misses an opportunity of giving him a little prod in debate. To Sir John Gorst, who was the most active half of the party of which Mr. Balfour was really only an outsider, he does not even speak. That he should be Under-Secretary for Lidia, with a comfortable 68 A DIARY OF TEE SALISBURY FARLIAMENT. [isss. salary, whilst Lord Piandolph haunts the cold shades of the Opposition, is more than an amiable spirit can bear. Accord- ingly, Lord Randolph cuts Sir John Gorst in private, and in public, as happened the other day Avhen a question was put on the Hyderabad Deccan business, he gives him a back- handed slap. He would take even more delight in striking at Mr. Balfour if that were possible. His abstention from active hostility is one of the highest tributes to the position Mr. Balfour has o-ained. THE LORD ADVOCATE. June 1. — The The Lord Advocate has not sat opposite Mr. ciite(]vir.i\iac- Mundclla for three Sessions for nothing. He Lorf^KinS" lias taken note of the remarkable effect the burgh). member for Sheffield is able to produce at critical occasions by a liberal display' of blood- red stocking, and is not above taking a hint from the adver- sary. To-night, sitting in his accustomed corner seat on the Treasury bench, waiting till Mr. Anderson ventured to appear among the mussel-beds of the tidal waters of Scotland, the 1S88.] TBE LOUD ADVOCATE. 69 Lord Advocate, Avith a pretty air of nnconseioiisness, threw one leg over the other, and flashed to and fro a considerable space of sock of sanguinary hue. This was a danger signal which any body of men less ^^eckless than the Scots would quail before. They know the Lord Advocate by this time. To outward aj^pearance he is a gentleman of almost monu- mental amiability. But behind his smiling countenance there lurk dark clouds of wrath, which are accustomed to whelm Scotch members at question time. If there is one thing the ■arge mind and broad sympathies of the Lord Advocate can- not away with, it is a Scotch private member. Mr. Mark Stewart he can just tolerate, though he would be better pleased if he reduced by two his average of three speeches in a Session. But for hon. gentlemen opposite who are always getting up wanting to know, and even sometimes, as to-night, presume to place on the Order Book an amend- ment challenging the conduct of the Government or pre- suming to advise thereupon, the Lord Advocate, contemplating them, can only mourn the departure of the good old times when Earl William Douglas lived at Thrieve Castle, and " when the gallows knob rarely lacked its tassel." Scottish humour. It is just six wccks siuco the ill-omened activity of the Scotch members as nearly as possible placed the Lord Advocate under the appearance of having made a mistake. It was on a Tuesday night, after a morning sitting, and there was quite a cluster of Scotch Bills on the Orders. The Lord Advocate had arranged in his own mind that there should be a count out. There was Professor Bryce, with his Access to Mountains Bill, and somebody else with a Scotch Liquor Traffic Bill. Of course, if the Orders were reached, it would be easy enough for the Lord Advocate to demolish the arguments of the supporters of the Bills, and disastrously rout them. But why take the trouble ? Let the House be counted out, and Lowland pride receive a con- temptuous rebutf. So the Lord Advocate arranged matters, and, being in genial mood, planted himself at the glass door to watch the discomfiture of the busybodies opposite. He saw Mr. Bryce rise and almost immediately sit down. Somebody else was 70 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. up — of course, moving the count. Then the member in charge of the Liquor Traffic Local Veto (Scotland) Bill presented himself, and as promptl}'- sat doAvn. The Speaker had doubt- less called his attention to the fact that a count had been moved. But why did not the bell ring ? The Lord Advocate would go in and see. So he strolled doAvn the floor of the House, amazed to find himself loudly cheered by "the Glasgae bodies " opposite — amazement which culminated in the discovery that the two Scotch Bills he was specially deputed to oppose had joassed their second reading • The canny members in charge, noting his absence, had dispensed with their speeches. Others in the plot held their peace, and there being no opposition, the Bills passed as rapidly as the question could be put from the Chair, the Lord Advocate, all unknowingly, watching the process through the glass door. June 10. -Father During the last two or three days new members of the House. f . "^ , . , . . have been much exercised as to the identity of a tall, elderly gentleman who has been seen within the House of Commons or moving about its precincts. He is distin- guished, amongst other things, by wearing a woollen com- forter, which hangs straight down by his side to embarrassing lengths, after the fashion long ago made familiar by Trotty Veck. The stranger, as he personally is to nine-tenths of the present House of Commons, is Mr. Talbot, member for Glamorganshire and "father of the House of Commons." He is not often in his place, but came up specially on Tuesday to take part in the expected division on the operation of the Contagious Diseases Acts in India. Being here, he has every^ day put in an appearance for an hour or two. Mr. Talbot is the only member left who sat in the unreformed Parliament. Born in the third year of the century, he was returned for Glamorganshire in 1830, and has since, without interruption, sat for the County, a matter not only without precedent, but without approach. Mr. Gladstone, who is six years 3'ounger, entered the house of Commons two years later, taking his seat for Newark in 1832. Mr. Talbot is the only man now having a seat in the House of Commons who was present when Mr. Gladstone took the oath as member for Newark. He has no contemporaries of his first year in the House. 1SS8.] THE REFORMED HOUSE. 71 June 16. — The There is no doubt, as earlier pointed out, tlie House. new Rules have improved the possibilities of the House as a business assembly. It is equally un- controvertible that they have made the assembly exceedingly dull. Frolic, once free of the place, has fled elsewhere, or only now and then ambles across the floor hopelessly handicapped. The element of surprise, indispensable to procuring the eftects which once made the House of Commons famous as a place of entertainment, has disappeared. The Speaker takes the Chair at three o'clock. At half-past three questions begiiL At the outside they do not occupy more than an hour. The Orders of the Day are reached, at midnight debate closes, and members sadly go home. Occasionally one moves the adjournment in order to discuss what he calls a matter of urgent pubhc importance. But the prevalent matter-of-fact mood is not to be disturbed. The House sets itself, without emotion, to consider the question brought forward, and either divides on the adjournment or apathetically sees it withdrawn. Old things have passed away. Mr. Biggar has become a responsible, respectable personage, who, when Blue Books and four-hours' readings are mentioned, turns the subject of con- versation into the channel of the relationships between Germany and Austria. During the Session he wears black broadcloth and a gold chain, and in the recess retires to his castle in Ireland, alternating the pursuits of a country gentle- man with the pleasures of a cultured statesman. Mr. Heal}^ is a learned counsel, Mr. O'Brien is in prison or on his way thither, Major O'Gorman is a myth, Mr. Disraeli is dead, and Mr. W. H. Smith leads the House of Connnons. An old story re- It is a Strangely transformed scene, uj)on which old members coming back after an interval of compulsory retirement gaze with marvel. And yet, as was shown by the sudden outburst of hilarity at the incursion of Mr. Cavendish-Bentinck, the House is nnich the same as of old, only lacking opportunity. To-night its spirit had been wounded afresh by a three-hours' debate, which touched a sympathetic chord in the breasts of old members. Sir Roper Lethbridge, with his three years' experience of the House, came up quite brisk with his story, sparing no detail in his 72 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PAHLTAMEXT. [isss. anxiety to instruct the House in a case Avith wliicli it was sadly familiar twenty years ago, when the member for North Kensington was professing political economy in the State colleges of Calcutta University. Sir Roper might as reason- ably have treated, the House to a succinct account of the discovery of America by Columbus, or have announced with an air of novelty the death of Queen Anne. The wrongs of Mr. Tayler, of Patna, used to be a standing dish, comparable in the frequency of its presentation with that other famous case of Mr. John Clare, with which in unregenerate days Mr. Biggar, now of Butlerstown Castle, used to fret the soul of a helpless House. One interested It is truc there was one member, not the least inconsiderable, who managed to throw into the attitude of listener an appearance of intense, ungovernable interest sufficient of itself to keep the debate going. Every- one was surprised to see Mr. Gladstone coming in shortly after the House was made for the evening sitting. As already noted, he has abandoned his old habit of sitting out debates of whatever lack of interest. Even the Committee on the Local Government Bill cannot chain him to his place. Mid- way in the morning sitting he had casually looked in, evidently without intention of taking part in the debate. Lord Lyraing- ton by chance rose immediately afterAvards, and referring to Unionist principles as bearing upon the particular point under discussion, succeeded in drawing up Mr. Gladstone in one of those playfully sarcastic moods in which he is seen at his best. Li a moment he had transformed the business-like gathering into a laughing, cheering assembly of partisans. It was, how- ever, but a flash m the pan. Having demolished the un- suspecting and finally alarmed Lord Lymington, he left the House, probably Avending his Ava}^ to the British Museum to ])ursue the inquiry upon Avhich on Wednesday afternoon he had engaged the assistance of Lord Acton and Mr. John Morley. To-night he Avas doAvn again, liurr\ing in from a hasty dinner, fearful to lose a Avord of the exciting debate. Looking at him as he tossed about the front bench, leaning forAvard with elboAv on knee, hand to ear, drinking in Avith <>Tcat 2rB. TAYLEB, OF FATXA. 73 intensity the prosy narrative of Sir Roper Lethbridge, the impassioned and not quite consequential harangue of Sir Henry Havelock-Alhm, the pitiless criticism of Sir John (xorst, who has a quite surgical manner of dissecting a weak case, it seemed as if the one thing in the Avorld's history that at the moment engrossed his mind was the story of Mr. ^/^.. "a J!AD quaktek uf an hovk." Tayler, of Patna. Home Rule for Ireland had drifted hope- lessly astern ; the shortcomings of Lord Hartington and the far-goings of Mr. Chamberlain were forgotten. Ayr election, by this time settled, was a matter of no consequence. Not only the whole forces of his mind and the full emotions of his soul were given up to the question at the moment debated, but every muscle of his body throbbed imder the influence of the rights or the wrongs of Mr. Tayler, who thirty-one years ago did something right or something wrong in far-off Patna. Mr. Campbell-Bannerman, who happened to drop in and 74 J DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMEXT. [isss. seat himself near his leader, had an uncommonly bad quarter of an hour. As the case was carried forward, Mr. Gladstone, with nervously extended forefinger, punctuated every point by a thrust at the ribs of his suffering colleague. Ever and anon he suddenly Avheeled round from his listening attitude, and, turning upon his neighbour, literally pointed the applica- tion of something that had' been said. Fortunately Mr. CamjDbell-Bannerman had not spent some years at the War Office without learning the strategy of retreat. Once, when his renowned chief was absorbed for a longer length of time attentive to the speech in which Mr. Maclean disclosed to an unsuspecting House the addition of a first-class Parliamentary debater, Mr. Campbell-Bannerman, with a pretty air of unconcern, rose, and with light footstep swiftly withdrew. Presently Mr. Gladstone, turning round and finding the place next to him empty, peremptorily called up Mr. Henry Fowler, who thereafter sat privileged by a process of physical concus- sion to learn how right or how wrong was Mr. Tayler, of Patna. "What Mr. Gladstone's views on the subject were remains unknown to the House as a bod}^ for, contrary to the expectation roused by his animated appearance, he refrained from taking part in the debate. CHAPTER VIII. MINISTERIAL DIFFICULTIES. Colonel King-IIarman— Ministerial ]\Iisfortunc— Sir Cliarles Forster's Dilemnui — -Mr. Arthur Balfonr — Lord K. Churchill and jMr. (Uadstone — Mr. Stanley licighton — Welsh Members — The Decadence of the Irish ]\Iembers — Mr. Biggar. June 16. —Colonel Xhe death of Coloncl King-IIarman relieves the Government from a difficulty, for the grave closes over all the personal feeling created in the House of Commons against the gallant coloncl in his ill-fitting political garb. Only for its politics Coloncl King-Harman Avould have found life more than endurable. The big, burly cx-licutcnant isss.] COLONEL KING-HABMAX. 75 of a marching regiment was rather distinguished for muscle than brains. He was more Hke a character that had stepped from the pages of one of Charles Lever's novels than flesh and blood of the nineteenth century. Like Colonel Tottenham, whom he resembled in height and bulk, King-Harman when he came into his inheritance found himself possessor of a rent roll of nearly £40,000 a year. He went the pace in the jolly, reckless Avay familiar to the friends of " Tom Burke of Ours." He died with his private fortunes in as troubled a state as were his political. Kt one time he was the object of wild enthusiasm throughout Ireland. " The King," as he was aftectionately called, could not walk through the streets of Dublin without drawing in his train an enthusiastic mob. The right-hand man of Isaac Butt, the idol of the Irish people, he became in his premature old age the ineffectual tool of Mr. Balfour, a target for abuse in the House of Commons, and an object of scorn in his own country. June 22. — Minis- Matters are moving fast with Lord Salisbury's terial misfortune. - -^ ^ c • -, (Tovernment. Only a fortnight ago they seemed to be plodding steadily forward, not brilliantly, but safely. The Local Government Bill had been entered upon, the Southampton election was beginning to be forgotten, the Opposition maintained a moderate attitude, the Dissentient Liberals backed up the Tories through thick and thin, and the prospects of winning in " the race with an old man " seemed assured. To-day the situation is suddenly changed. Within the space of nine days the Government have withdrawn, under damaging circumstances, a vital section of the Local Government Bill, and have suffered two defeats in the House of Commons. They have lost Ayr, and their coercion policy has met with a serious rebuff in the highest court of law in Ireland. Rarely in politics has a transformation scene been so complete. Not the least curious feature in the situation is the marked manner in which Lord Randolph Churchill eftaces himself. It is nearly a fortnight since his keen face was seen in the House of Commons watching Ministers from his corner seat behind the Treasury bench. He does not, as has been his Avont, account for his absence by turning ujj in some remote 76 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY FARLIAMENT. [isss. part of the country, whence he says nasty things about his former colleagues. He does not even write letters to the newspapers. He is content with assiduous attention upon the heavy and unattractive duties of Chairman of the Select Com- Tiiittee inquiring into the Army Estimates. This is a course of daily life so unusual and so unattractive that people are driven to all kinds of conjecture to account for it. Two theories pretty equally divide opinion. On one side it is said he is waiting till the (jrovernment are even more hopelessly entangled by circumstances, and that, seizing a favourable opportimity, he will swoop down and destroy them. The other hints that Lord Salisbury and Lord Randolph have come to terms, that the noble lord will presently return to office, and that in the meantime he is imdergoing a temporary period of seclusion by way of purging himself of recent offences. June 23. — Sir ^[y Cliarlcs Forstcr had a very anxious five Charles Forsters . . . . "^ dilemma. iiimutes at this morning s sitting. He appeared on the scene just when the long list of questions on the paper had been brought to a close. It seemed that the search to which has been devoted a long and honourable life had been crowned with success. For a moment he stood at the bar with his long-lost hat in one hand and a folded sheet of paper in the other. Suddenly he advanced at the double up the floor of the House, making straight for the Speaker, presumably with the intention of communicating the joyful intelligence to a sympathetic ear. But just at this time a crisis had come. The long series of sham fights, dress parades, and interchange of compliments between hostile camps were at an end. The Opposition had resolved to give formal battle, and as Sir Charles Forster presented himself, ignorant of what had ])asscd, his whole being suffused with joy at the happy termina- tion of his prolonged endeavour, Mr. John Morley was waiting to catch the Speaker's eye and the invitation to rise in order to cast the gauntlet at the feet of the haughty First Lord of the Treasur}^ seated with folded arms on the bench opposite. When Sir Charles Forster left his anchorage at the bar, and, with eye steadily fixed on the Speaker, made his way to- wards the Chair, a preliminary skirmish was going forward. The paper bristled witli (piesticjns addressed to the Chief SIR CHARLES FOBSTER. 77 Secretary by Irish members. One after the other had been timiiiltuously put and icily answered. Mr. Balfour, with his back against the wall, stood at bay, parrying with light rapier the bludgeon blows rained upon him, now and then stepping forward and pinking an adversary with sharp, clear thrust. But Sir Charles Forster was not thinking of any of these things as he made his way towards the table. Perhaps, after all, it was not the hat he was going to deposit, but a report of that interesting and import- ant department of the State, the Committee on Petitions, over which he presides. Ho had just landed safely at the foot of the Chair, passing be- tween Ministers and the table, and had turned to retrace his steps, when Mr. Balfour, called up for the twentieth time to answer a question, barred the passage. It was a parlous position for a nervous man. The House Avas alive with ex- citement. Cheers and counter cheers rang through the chamber. The Chief Secretary, with pale, stern face, but with passionless intonation, Avas delivering one of his pointed, polished retorts, and there stood Sir Charles Forster, hemmed in between Ministers and the table, committing a grievous breach of decorum, inasmuch as he Avas standing up Avhen another member Avas addressing the Chair. There Avas the piteous look of the hunted hare in his eyes as he glanced about for means of escape. Mr. Balfour is, happily, brief in his replies, and when he sat doAAm Sir Charles, getting u]3 steam again, started at a terrific pace to gain his seat above the gangAvay on the benches opposite. He had just skirted the mace and headed for the SIK CHAULES rOKSTEU. 78 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY FARLIAMEXT. [isss. gangway when Mr. Heaty jumped up. To pass between him and the Chair was another offence against Parhamentary etiquette which the Chairman of the Committee on Petitions would have died rather than commit. So Sir Charles, doubling back, dropped into a vacant seat on the Treasury bench, sur- veying the House with undiminished alarm from this coign of vantage. Mr. Healy was down, and now was the time to get his place. Starting, again at the double, he had not crossed ^ the lioor before Mr. Conybeare, temporarily overcoming his con- stitutional bashfulness, rose to continue the cross-examination of the Chief Secretary. This was too much for Sir Charles Forster. He was caught, Jiagrante delicto, interposing between an hon. member and the Chair. To go back to the Treasury bench would only aggravate his offence. So, putting on a desperate spurt, he dashed forward and sank down with a grateful groan on the lower step of the gangway. Here he remained in safety till the scene was over, till Mr. Morley had, with rare dramatic energy, declaimed the terms of the challenge to the Government, till Mr. Smith, amid a ringing cheer from the Ministerialists, had accepted the gage of battle for the very earliest day. JYne25.-Mr. It is a pity Mr. Beresford-Hope did not live to Arthiir Balfour. in i i • ■, see the marvellous development of the genms and capacity in which he was a fervid and, as to its full extent, a solitary believer. When Mr. Balfour was a some- what imconsiderod follower of Lord Randolph Churchill — the odd man of the Fourth Party — there was a certain pathos in the adnnration with which his veteran uncle listened to his rare interposition in debate. In the slim, tall youth, with his pleasant voice, his polished manner, and his picturesque appearance, the member for Cambridge University seemed to see the inchoate form of that Batavian grace of wliich he was himself in his prime accepted as the embodi- ment. The uncle lived his youth over again in watching the nephew. It is doubtful Avhether even the prophetic soul of Mr. I)alfour's uncle ventured to forecast the brilliant Parlia- mentary success to be achieved in an incredibly brief space of 1S8S.] MR. BALFOUR. 79 time. Whilst yet iinattaclied Mr. Balfour was always a pretty speaker, with a neat turn for saying nasty things. But as he sprawled on the bench below the gangway he was taken at MU. lULFOUK. best for a Parliamentary flaneur, a trifler with debate, anxious chiefly, in some leisure moments^ to practise the paces learned in the hall of the Union at Cambridge. He was not sufficiently in earnest or adequately industrious to take his full share in the labours of the Foiu'th Party It was all very well for Mr. Gorst 80 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. and Sir Henry AVolfF to scorn delights and spend laborious hours over Bhie Books in order to confound Mr. Gladstone, and to show either that the Khedive was a rogue and the Emperor of Russia an injured person, or vice versa, according as the exigencies of the moment required. The freshness, versatility, audacity, of the new j)arty had attractions occasionally irre- sistible for Mr. Balfour. On a field-night he might be counted upon to lend his aid, and Mr. Beresford-Hope, exiled to the front Opposition bench, chortled in his joy as he Avatched and listened to his nephew standing in his own familiar place in the corner seat below the gangway sneering at Sir Stafford Northcote and speaking disrespectfull}^ of Mr. Gladstone. The fair-faced, languid youth, too indolent to stand bolt upright, was the very last person likely to develop into a civil Cromwell, the most unbending, thorough adminis- trator of iron rule Ireland has known since '98. There was no trace of the mailed hand under the silkeii glove that occasion- ally dallied with questions coming before the Parliament of 1880. To-day there was notable in Mr. Balfour's manner a further development of a change that has been obtaining the mastery within the last two or three weeks. He is less light-hearted than at the opening of the Session, when Southampton was still a Tory stronghold and Ayr an apparently impregnable position held for the Unionist cause. When disaster begins to dog the steps of a particular line of policy, one of the earliest and surest signs of coming catastrophe is found in the mur- murings of the host behind directed against the leader in the van. Mr. Balfour was an eye-witness of the closing days of Mr. Forster's Chief Secretaryship. He will remember how the cheers which regularly encouraged that statesman when he first developed his policy gradually died away, till it came to pass that, night after night, he stood alone, an object of angry contumely from the Irish nicnd)ers, with not a voice raised on his own side to support him. It has not come to that yet with Mr. ]3alfour. But, as nothing succeeds like success, so there is notliing so depressing as indications of failure. Day by day the spirits of the Irish members, never lacking in boistcrousness, .are rising, and, whether through weariness or apprehension, the spirit of members opposite is 18S8.] LORD BANDOLPn AND ME. GLADSTONE. 81 failing. Things are going wrong. Someone is to blame. Mr. Balfour has been the most prominent exponent of the Govern- ment policy, and if it does not immediately succeed question begins to arise whether, after all, he is a heaven-born Minister. There is nothing so cowardly as a crowd, and the House of Commons is (as Sir William Harcourt is said to regard him- self) to a certain extent human. There is no sign of waning resolution in Mr. Balfour. He may be counted upon to die with harness on his back. But he is graver in his manner, less cynical in his replies, more inclined to admit that the representations of Irish members must receive, if they do not deserve, some consideration. June 26.— Lord Sccoud rcadmg of Channel Tunnel Bill moved R. Churchill ^ . • , t n • -t. i ^ and Mr. Glad- ouce more by the indomitable Sir iLdward *'*°"'^' Watlvin. Mr. Gladstone, speaking on behalf of the Bill, delivered one of those charming addresses in which on off-days he deals with non-political questions. Lord Kandolph Churchill was in his best form. His graphic picture, dramatically illustrative, of the present Cabinet meeting at the War Office, and deciding who was to touch the button, through the agency of which, according to Sir E. M^atkin, the Channel Tunnel might upon occasion be blown up, greatly pleased the House. Even more charming was his attitude towards Mr. Gladstone. It was the height of comedy to see the young lordling gravely lecturing the veteran statesman on the question of economy, gently chiding him for his alleged ignorance on matters relating to naval and military affairs, but still graciously holding him up as a bright example which on the whole he hoped might find followers. It was note- worthy that, even whilst feeling it his duty to call Mr. Glad- stone to task. Lord Randolph was unusually deferential in his personal bearing towards the Leader of the Opposition, who sat immediately opposite him with hand to ear eagerly listening, as has always been his wont Avhen Lord Randolph speaks. juneso.— ]\[r. Jt is a pity Wclsli members cannot claim Mr. Stanley Leighton. _, . ^ -^ "^ . , ,. i i tt Stanley Leighton as one ot themselves. He is not the rose, though he lives near it. As representative of 82 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. the Oswestry division of Shropshire, he as nearly occupies the position of a Welsh member as is consistent with .being returned for an English constituency. This geographical posi- tion happily endows him with all the gravity of the Englishman underlying the vivacity of the Cambrian. Of late the former quality has assumed the supremac}'. He has been so long quiescent that his quaint incursion into to-night's debate had the additional charm of surprise. There was a time when he was always popping up, catching the Speaker's eye and (in a Parliamentary sense, of course) tearing his own and Mr. Gladstone's hair. At that epoch he represented North Shropshire, an incident which gave Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice an opportunity, happily used. " The Man from Shropshire " he called the lion, member, who, certainly, both in appearance and manner, recalled the Chancery suitor described in " Bleak House," who periodically appeared in Court, and at the close of nearly every day's business broke forth in rabid effort to address the presiding judge. Like Mr. Ashmead Bartlett, whose earliest Parliamentary prominence was gained in a somewhat similar fashion, Mr. Stanley Leighton now leaves Mr. Gladstone severely alone, and, no other topic occurring to him, he has rather fallen out of recollection. But he reasserted himself to-night in a manner not likely to be forgotten by the few privileged to be present. As far as could be gathered with any certainty, Mr. Leighton was opposed to the motion under discussion, which was designed to place Wales on a footing of equality with Ireland in the matter of its claim to sympathy on the Land Question. But Mr. Leighton was in such a condition of brim- ming good humour, both with himself and members opposite, that it was with the greatest pain ho dissented from anybody. In this frame of mind it Avas the more regrettable that he was constantly bringing up members with flat contradiction of opinions attributed to them. Over and over again Mr. Leighton, daintily toying with his pince-nez, " w'drew any- thing he might have said." When he attributed something to the hon. member for IVIerionethshire he had really had in his mind the hon. member for Montgomery, and Avhen Montgomery rose and hotly denied that he " had said anything of the kind," Mr. Stanley Leighton, still sweetly isss.] WELSH ME2fBEES. 83 smiling and to3'ing with his eye-ghxsses, apologised and " w'drew." It was just the same when he alluded to the hon. member for Monmouth. He had really meant the hon. member for Macedon, and as Macedon is not now represented in the House of Commons, Mr. Stanley Leighton was able, with a little bow to the Speaker and a simper towards the Serjeant- at-Arms, to proceed with his remarks, which culminated in the declaration that " farmers distrusted politicians who would not assist them to bring in new breeds." July i.—Weish There are various phases of dull nights in the members. . "^ '^ House of Commons. There are, for example, the colonels' nights, the admirals' nights, the East Indian nights, Scotch nights, and nights of the gentlemen concerned in the maintenance of roads. Each is delightful in its way. But there is something about a Welsh night, as illustrated to-day, that leaves them in the shade. The Welsh are an ancient nation, distinguished in war, in literature, and in music. To this day they hold their national Eisteddfodd. Yet it is a fact which has not received the measure of atten- tion its importance and interest warrant that in the House of Commons the Welsh members have never made a mark. Numerically, as compared Avith other divisions of the United Kingdom, they are in a minority. With England sending 465 members to the House of Commons, Scotland 72, and Ireland 103, gallant little Wales has to struggle with the disadvantage of having only 30 representatives. Still, it has had that number for at least fifty years, and memory does not recall any Welshman who has succeeded in making a first-class Parliamentary position. It has never given any leading Minister, and though it is true in Mr. Gladstone's last Admin- istration Mr. Osborne Morgan worthily filled the important ofhce of Judge-Advocate-General, yet the fact remains that immediately afterwards this ancient post was dug up. There is a considerable portion of legal gentlemen among the Welsh members, and they are nearly all Q.C.'s. The limit of their attainable ambition for official life seems reached when they are appointed County Court Judges. Why this should be, who shall say ? 84 A DIARY OF THE SAUSBFRY PARLIAMENT, [isss. "^^o^f thr^L^sh "^^^ ^^'^^ °^' I'i^i'li'^ii^entaiy "go" about the members. Welsh members is to be tlie more deplored in view of the contimied decadence of the Irish member. The part ho but a few years ago filled in Parlia- mentary proceedings is now abandoned, and the gaiety of the House of Commons is eclipsed. There is still a little badger- ing at question time, and, as happened on the two first days of the past w^eek, there is occasionally a set debate on Irish affairs. But with new times we have other men and different manners. Time and cir- cumstances have wrought grievous gaps in the repre- sentation of Ireland. Not to go so far back as the time when Baron Dowse sat on the Treasury bench, and illumined debate with the rich humour which seems to have exhausted the mine as far as his successors are concerned, Mr. Macnaghten with his shrewd speech is silent in another place. Mr. Dawson, who used from time to time to thrill the House of C'Ommons by dealing with imperial questions, " speaking as Lord Mayor of Dublin," is no moi'c. Captain O'Slica has carried out of the House the secret of the Kilmainham Treaty. Mr. William Shaw, whom to look at was an education in sagacity, has disappeared. Dr. I^yous no longer fights for the corner seat which Lord liandolph Churchill has now appropriated. Mr. O'Donnell has dropped his eye- glass for the last time in the presence of a howling majority. Where is "the gay and dashing Lysaght Finnigan;" the meritorious Mitchell Henry; the mellifluous Pat O'Brien; 1SS8.] THE IRISH MEMBERS. 85 Whisky O'Sullivan, with his rich brogue and his contempt of silent spirit ; George Errington, who cast an air of cultured clothing over the somewhat ragged ranks of his compatriots ; O'Connor Power, able and eloquent ; the Rev. Mr. Nelson, Avho, temporarily freed from the limits of his pulpit, made the delivery of a speech in the House of Commons the opportunity for a peram- bulation ; the mute Metge ; P. J. Smyth, with his plain manner and his gorgeous oratory; the O'Donoghue, ever halting between two parties; A. M. Sullivan, " the eloquent member for Louth," as Mr. Gladstone once called him ; Isaac Butt, bland and astute ; his forlorn lieutenant, M'Carthy Downing; John A. Blake, with his confi- dential correspondence Avith his toddy-drinking uncle ? All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. In their place resentful Ireland gives the House of Com- mons the Harringtons, the Redmonds, Dr. Com- mins, Mr. Tuite, and Dr. Tanner. o'conxok powek. Mr. Biggar. Of the old band one still lingers with us, but he is sadly changed. In the responsible middle- aged gentleman, carefully dressed in black, with prosperous gold chain and still budding moustache, no one would recog- nise the Joseph Gillis Biggar of ten years ago, the patriot who used to read to a writhing House of Commons Blue Books for the space of four hours, who once lightly alluded to Mr. Gladstone as " a vain old gentleman," who was never so happy as through an all-night sitting, who snatched the fearful joy 86 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss of sleep stretched on two chairs in the Hbrar}^, and who came back with the rising sun to assure hon. members (who rather hoped he had gone under) that he had " returned hke a giant refreshed." There has during the last two days been a dread Avhisper that the member for Cavan is going into society. He has been seen in the gilded salon of one of the stately man- sions which lift their heads to the east of Temple Bar. Mr. Biggar's carriage has stopped the way in Stonecutter Street. When it comes to this it seems time to abandon all hope, as far as Irish members are concerned, of the revival of the old order of things. Society's gain is the House of Commons' loss. CHAPTER IX. MR. PARNELL PLEADS " NOT GUILTY." Mr. Gladstone — At Seventy-nine — Mr. Parnell pleads "Not Guilty" — Mr. Courtney as Chairman of Committees — ]\Ir. Ashmead Bartlett — The Parnell Commission Bil! — Mr. Parnell and the I'iiiics—A Moneyed Man — An Irish Member. Juiy^~^^''- In one respect Mr. Gladstone is, in fullest Gladstone. ^ • t-, t measure, the representative rarliament man. Several members can be as serious as he when weighty ques- tions are to the fore, but none can equal him in the intensity of unfeigned interest in the purest trifling with forms of debate. Watching him to-night, literally bounding about on the front Opposition bench whilst the question of payment of members was under discussion, a deaf unite in the Strangers' Gallery might have been forgiven if he concluded that news had just come (as it did on a memorable night in Mr. Forster's time) that the Russians were at the gates of Constantinople. At least it might reasonably ' be supposed that the short, sharp fight, with its varying phases, was over, and that Home Rule, which once seemed to have finally wrecked his position, was actually within reach of his nervously extended right hand. There are some people accustomed to find deep design in Mr. Gladstone's most ordinary action, and certainly his pre- sence through the long hours of the debate on Mr. Fenwick's motion seems to suggest necessity for research. To ordinary men, as yet far oft" their seventy-ninth year, the opportunity seemed specially made for quietly going home to bed. It is true the business for which the House was summoned to meet at nine o'clock was Committee of Supply, in which a few hours might well be spent to the advantage of the public service. But there was no chance of getting into Committee. Mr. Fenwick had had the personal good fortune to bar the Avay with a motion, cautiously suggesting the expediency of " reverting to the ancient custom of paying members for their services in Parliament." The topic was not without interest, and was 88 A DIARY OF THE S A] /IS BURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. precisely suited to that aduiiraLle institution the Kensington Parhament. But for the House of Commons, with the Speaker in the Chair, the mace on the table, Supply in arrear, and the Local Government Bill advanced only as far as its 21st Clause, it would seem criminal, if it were not ridiculous, to dcA'ote a night to the subject. Yet here was Mr. Gladstone, not a passive listener, looking in late on his way home from dinner, content to take a preliminary doze in the House of Commons, but in a positively electric condition from head to heel. Whoever the speaker might be, whether it was Admiral Field below the gangway, forging ahead under heavy press of canvas, or Sir John Gorst immediately facing him, humorously posing as " an old Tor}^" Mr. Gladstone turned in the direction of the voices, with hand to ear, sitting on the very verge of the bench, so as not to lose a word of the precious utterance. It was all, at best, the merest academical trifling, the veriest indulgence in debating society dialectics ; and here was the veteran statesman of world- wide fame, with the weight of fifty years' public service on his shoulders, drinking it all in with contagious avidity. The fact that the discussion was raised on an abstract motion did not check his enthusiasm. The House has often, when convenience has called for protest, heard him declaim in ardent speech against the practice of putting forth abstract resolutions, and the unfairness of asking the House to vote upon them. He might have found in that fact alone adequate reason for stopping away, or, being present, of showing some signs of impatience. Or, taking up other and quite familiar grounds, he might have resented the whole business as un- dignified trifling with precious time. The aspect of the House could scarcely have been congenial to a work-worn statesman. Nearly everyone was in dinner dress. Laughter, hilarious cheering, and more or less humorous interjections prevailed. If one of the gods in the gallery had put' a bent finger in his mouth and shrilly Avhistled, it would have seemed all in keeping. Absence of sound of the popping of the corks of gingcr-bcer bottles and of smell of orange-peel struck the senses. The broad expanse of white shirt-front on the Conservative benches recalled the " chappies " in another place. It was like a i)ig night at Evans's in old times, with 18SS.] MR. GLADSTONE AT SEVENTY-NINE. 89 Admiral Field as Paddy Green to say " Dear boy ! " and affectionately smite new comers on tbe slionldcr. At seventy- Jt all provcd irresistible for Mr. (Gladstone. Wben be bad, Avith boyish deligbt, watcbed Admiral Field stumbling tbrongb bis speecb, rolling bead over beels tbrougb mingled metapbors, like an elderly porpoise tumbling in the sea, be showed a disposition to jump in himself. But Sir John Gorst was before him, and with un- diminished interest Mr. Gladstone followed tbe Under-Secre- tary's ordered speech. Then he could wait no longer, and, springing up, plunged into the controversy. As he stood at the table, his tall, lithe figure drawn to its fullest height, turning right and left as the ripple of laughter and the roar of cheers followed his sentences, he conveyed to the House a sense of absolute youth alike of mind and bod}^ of un- diminished strength and unsapped vitality, that could not fail to make an impression even on those most familiar with his recent public appearances. Peradventure, since the reason is hard to tind in ordinary grooves, this was the explanation of bis unexpected inter- position. There has been talk about pitting tbe maxinunn life of a Parliament in its third Session against the accumu- lating years of " an old man." If any were reckoning on Parliament winning, let them look at the Old Man, springing up at midnight on the last day of a laborious week's sitting, delivering an oration of consummate skill, practically about nothing, talking for the simple pleasure of making a speech and working off some surplus energy. As Mr. Matthews pointed out in a speech which came nearer to House of Commons style than any he has delivered since a freak of fortune made him Home Secretary, Mr. Gladstone " delivered himself of a charming speech, which contained an abundance of statements, but was absolutely colourless and meaningless so far as regarded expression of opinion." That was exactly it. Mr. Gladstone is too old a Parlia- mentary hand to conmiit himself, even in the maddest exuberance of verbosity, on a matter of comparative unim- portance. He made his speech (possibly with the underlying- purpose suggested) on the principle avowed by ^Ir. Wemuiick 90 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. when he led Miss Skiffins to the altar. " Hallo ! " said Mr. Wemmick, passing down a street with his affianced on his arm, " here's a church ; let's go in and get married." " Hallo ! " said Mr. Gladstone, looking in at the House of Commons at half-past nine last night, " here's a debate ; let's go in and make a speech." July 6.— Mr. Par- Mr. Pamell, having been solemnly and de- nell pleads not ,. , i • i i • guilty." iiberatcly charged with bemg an accessory to murder, stood up in the House of Commons just now and pleaded "Not Guilty." Although a morning sitting, every place was crowded from the floor to the galleries. A strictly judicial air prevailed. Each man looked as if he were summoned upon his oath well and tridy to try the issue between our Sovereign Lady the Queen and the prisoner at the Bar. When Mr. Parnell rose a cheer greeted him from the compact body of Irish members mustered around. Mr. Biggar, with thumb reflectively inserted in the arndiole of his waistcoat, stood in the centre of the throng at the Bar, with glasses astride his nose, and an air of gentle and remote interest in the proceedings charming to look upon. No one finding him there could have imagined that he Avas bracketed in the indictment against Mr. Parnell which the Attorney- General had on the previous day thundered forth in the Court of Queen's Bench. For Mr. Biggar a tender interest mingled with the more tragic aspects of the stor}'. Mr. Joseph Cowen, in the Avitness- box, had been led to touch upon the memorable flight to Paris in which Mr. Biggar had joined, and which had inci- dentally drawn him into alleged matrimonial relations sub- sequently investigated in a court of law. Exiles from their country, from the time of the "^'oung Pretender down to the year 1882, have ever been inclined to seek female sym- pathy, and Mr. Biggar, in his brief sojourn at Paris, proved no exception to the rule. Possibly he thought of this as he stood listening to his chief, who, with icy manner and level tones, put from him the charge of murder as if it had merely been one of using a false quantity in quoting from tlu^ Latin grammar. Throughout the brief speech the, crowded lb)iisc sat silent, save for an 18S8.] THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES. 91 occasional mechanical cheer from the Irish camp. When IMr. Parnell had made an end of speaking, and Mr. Justin M'C'arthy had added a few words, the House passed to the Orders of the Day. Nobody said anything ; but perhaps everyone thought the more. July 14. — Mr. ^i^^ Courtuoy has achieved the rare reputation Chairman of of successfully filling a post which experience Committees. ^j^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^.^.^ ^^^^^ ^^.^j^ piickly diffi- culties. Justice has never been done to Sir Lyon Playfair during the period he filled the same office. He may be said to have assisted at the birth of Obstruction, and he certainly passed some very bad nights with the lusty infant. Between 1880 and 1883 the Irish members deliberately, and without taking the trouble to assume any cloak of decency, "went for" the Chairman of Committees. He had a terrible, turbulent time, compared with which a bout with the beasts at Ephesus was child's play. If he sometimes failed in preserving the dignity and authority of the Chair, those who think they could have done better are to be congratulated upon not having had the opportunity of trying. Mr. Courtney answers for order under quite other con- ditions. He is armed with disciplinary rules which did not exist in Sir Lyon Playfair's time. The whole conditions of life and business in the House of Commons are changed. Obstruc- tion as it was organised in 1880 and ruled the roost up to ]S85 no longer exists. It is not only that the lions of the Parnellite Party lie down with the lambs of Liberalism, but time has wrought soothing changes with obstructionists in other quarters of the House whose fame once filled the land and worried the Chairman of Committees. Mr. Cavendish Bentinck long ago passed out of the ranks he once adonied and sometimes led. To Dr. Tanner or ]\Ir. Conybeare of to- day the right hon. gentleman stands much in the same relation as a cloaked and grizzled Chelsea pensioner bears towards a recruit in scarlet who has just mastered the intricacies of the goose step. Even the return of Mr. James Lowther to familiar haunts has not succeeded in bringing back the light that once beamed in Mr. Cavendish Bentinck's eye when Mr. Gladstone's name was mentioned. Just as on sunny Sabbaths the woni 92 ,4 DIAEY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. veteran from Chelsea shows himself in the streets, and may with due persuasion be brought to talk of war and days that are no . more, so at rare intervals, lured b}' some congenial topic, Mr. Cavendish Bentmck, rising in the mellow midnight hour, will prattle about pictures and mumble over misplaced monuments. Mr. Ashmead Other cliano'es Mr. Courtney sees in persons Bartlett. , •, i i i .1 who when he yet sat below the gangway were accustomed to wrestle with the authority in the Chair. Coming later into the field, and further removed from the state of Parliamentary dotage, these gentlemen have developed into responsible Ministers of the Crown, or sober statesmen ready by their weight and personal influence to support the authority of the Chair Avhenever and by whomsoever attacked. There is Mr. Ashmead Bartlett, for example. Never since the time when that doughty champion of dockyard reform, the late Sir James Elphinstone, was transformed by a similar process of mutation, has such a notable change been witnessed by con- temporaries in the House of Commons. When Sir Lyon Playfair was in the Chair, Mr. Ashmead Bartlett was one of the most constant and successful competitors for an eye difficult to be caught behind imposing spectacles. Omniscience was the forte of the then member for Eye, and Foreign Affairs his foible. Alas ! poor Civil Lord of the Admiralty. The House of 1880 knew him well. A^^lere be now his questions, his motions, and his interjections that used to keep the Commons in a roar of contumely ? The strain upon the Chairman of Conuiiittees to-day is of a totally dirt'erent character from what it was in the period between 1880 and 1885. Still, it is of enormous weight and constant tension. Take, for instance, the Local (rovernment Bill, for the smooth and business-like passage of w-hich through Committee the House of Commons and the country are largely indebted to Mr. Courtney. When one of the greater Irish Land Bills was passing through the Commons Mr. Gladstone said he believed there were only three men in the House who were thoroughly acquainted with its details. One was Mr. Law, the then Attorney-General for Ireland, another was Mr. Hcaly, and , the third himself Taking the Local 1888.] THE PARNELL COMMISSION HLLL. 93 Government Bill, with its 162 clauses, its five schedules, and its escort of amendments, at one time exceeding eighty pages, it is probable that, with the exception of Mr. Ritchie, Mr. Courtney is the only man who is able to take a clear view of the illimitable landscape. The great body of members whose simple duty it is to vote m divisions may occasion- ally dutifully sacrifice half an hour, an hour, or — before dinner — two consecutive hours to the debate, free to go and come as they list. A member in charge of an amendment must needs sit it through, and then his interest lapses. But the Chairman of Committees sits hour after hour with mind intensely fixed not only on the immediate course of the debate, but on the long line it has passed and the direction whither it is tending. He must be courteous but firm, watchful and ready ; out of the Chair no more than an ordinary member, liable to be suspended by the Speaker, in the Chair the auto- crat of the hour empowered to suspend others. Above all, he must rise beyond the faintest suspicion of political or personal leaning, and even when the question of Proportional Repre- sentation crops up nmst look as if he had never heard the phrase before, and had never. taken tea with Sir John Lubbock. All these conditions Mr. Courtney meets, and though he rules with an iron hand, never once since he took the Chair has a breath of suspicion of his impartiality and honesty of purpose floated through the heated chamber. '^"i^ ^*',-,T,''^^''' Ii^ asking the First Lord of the Treasury Farnell Com- ^ ^ f r-^ i i i n n mission Bill. whether the Covernment had held any connnu- nication with the leading counsel for the Times in the case of O'Donnell v. Walter and another, with respect to the charges brought against members of the House, Mr. Summers touched an explosive subject. Mr. Smith sharply answered that there was not the slightest foundation for the statement implied in the question. The Attorney-General, interposing, emphasised this denial by stating that he had received no communication from the Government on the subject, either direct or indirect. Mr. Sexton, varying the aspect of the topic, asked whether the Attorney- General had given his assistance in drawing up the Bill for the appointment of a Commission of Judges. Mr. 94 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PAELIAMENT. [isss. Siuitli, hastily rising to answer before the question was concluded, faced Mr." Sexton for two or three moments amid cheers, counter cheers, and cries of " Order." The Leader of the House finally resuming his seat, Mr. Sexton concluded his (question. Observing that the Bill was already drawn up, Mr. Smith went on to say he declined to answer any question as to communications that had passed between any members of the Government in discharge of their duty, an announcement broken in upon by cheers and counter cheers. The questions on the paper disposed of, Mr. Parnell, who had made several ineftectual attempts to catch the Speaker's eye, rose and asked Mr. Smith whether the fixing of the notice for leave to introduce the Members of Parliament (Charges and Allegations) Bill at the end of thirty-one Orders of the Day and five notices of motion was an indication of the importance assigned to the measure by the (jovernment. He further asked whether the Bill would be circulated to-morrow, and whether the second reading would be put down for an early day as the first order. Amid a scene of growing excitement, Mr. Smith went back to the formula, already familiar to the House, that it was for Mr. Parnell to say whether he would accept the Bill or decline it. If it were accepted, it would be forthwith read a first time and printed. But the First Lord did not intend to make provisions for debating the measure. He was neither able nor desirous to occupy the time of the House of Commons with discussion at any length. Mr. Parnell, who Avas in a state of unusual excitement, moved the adjournment of the House in order to discuss the question as one of urgent public importance. The Speaker pointed out that there being on the paper a notice of motion with respect to the Bill, it would be out of order to move the adjournment. Mr. Parnell explained that he had no intention of discussing the Bill, only the procedure of the Government with reference to it. The Speaker again ruled him out of order, and remained standing whilst Mr. Parnell, amid angry shouts from the Conservatives and cheers from the Irish members, endeavoured to make himself heard. Finally, Mr. Parnell resumed his seat, but it was only to await o]tportunity. This came when the business on the Orders was disposed 1888.] MR. PABXELL AND THE " TIMES." 95 of. It was ten minutes after midnight, and the House was densely crowded. Speaking in a manner far removed from his usual passionless tone, he denounced it as " a monstrous proposition " that he should be asked to accept or decline a Bill before it was printed and before it was explained. The acceptance of the Bill was not a question for him or for Mr, Smith. If the allegations made against him were true, he whom they called " an honourable member " was dishonour- able and dishonoured. Mr. Smith and the Attorney-General, who sat by his elbow, knew whether the statements were true. If they were, instead of coming down and attempting to make bargains with him, they ought to have indicted him. He would give Mr. Smith no chance of creeping out of his imdertaking. He Avould offer no opposition to the introduc- tion of the Bill, but in Committee he would claim his right to take the judgment of the House upon any of its details. July 27. —Mr. Lord Herschell and Sir Charles Russell have Parnell ami • /^ i i • the Times. been consuitccl on the question oi the desira- bility of Mr. Parnell bringing an action for libel against the Times. Unfortunately these eminent authorities disagree, and it is probable the matter will be dropped. Mr. Parnell Avill not go into a court of law unless he can be assured that the inquiry will be limited to the truth or falsehood of the allegations personal to him made by the Times, more particularly in respect of the letters he alleges to be forged. One counsel believes that can be done ; the other doubts it. A third authority from another branch of the profession has stated his opinion that it would be quite possible so to conduct the case that Mr. Parnell's object of avoiding a fishing inquiry into the proceedings of the Land League would be gained. This is Mr. George Lewis, of Ely Place. Still another point raised in the consultation not yet finally closed is whether it would not be too late now to refer the matter to a court of law, and whether on the whole it will not be better to take the Commission offered by the Govern- ment and make the best of it. July 30. -A Lord Leveson still sticks to the half-crown he moneye man. g^^j^^iowed amoug other delicacics at Christmas time, whilst engaged upon an amateur conjuring performance. 96 A DIARY OF TEE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. Evsiyone will be glad to know that the popular son of the genial Leader of the Opposition jn the House of Lords is not a penny, much less a half-crown, the worse for the adventure. He indeed seems to thrive upon the current coin of the realm, and was never in better health. "He has gained 11 lbs.," said Lord Granville to a youthful colleague on the front bench, who was inquiring after Lord Leveson's health. "Ah," said the witty Peer, "that makes £11 2s. 6d." An Irish member. Mr. O'Kelly, the latest fish that has fallen into Mr. Balfour's sAveeping net, has not been much heard of in the present Parliament. The garment of common- Tllli () KELLY, V.f. place decorum which Irish meml)ers, including Mr. Biggar, now wear does not suit the warlike member for Roscommon. He is the kind of man Avho Avould have made an historic name had he lived in the tune of Drake and Raleigh. As it is, ho isss.] THE PAENELL COMMISSION: 97 has made the most of whatever opportunities have ottered. Wlieii war broke out between France and Germany he oti'ered his sword to the Repubhc, and saw some fighting on the Loire. Next he joined the service of the Neiv York Herald, on whose behalf he proceeded to Cuba, then in a state of revolt. Mr. O'Kelly was seized by the insurgents or the Government (I forget which), but certainly was sentenced to be shot, and narrowly escaped the doom. Later still he fought for the United States against that eminent convert to Christianity, Sitting Bull, who at the time was living in sin with all the dignity of a Sioux chief. Coming to this country, Mr. O'Kelly was in 18S0 elected as member for Roscommon, and joyfully entered into the nightly fray that used at that epoch to go on in the House of Commons. He joined the Land League, made seditious speeches, and was clapped into Kilmainham by Mr. Forster. When he got out, the only part of the world where war was going on was the Soudan. Thither Mr. O'Kelly glee- fully went, carrying the flag of the Daily Neivs, and pledged to discover the Mahdi. But he did not get further than Dongola. Since his return he has lived a quiet life, the world forgetting by the world forgot, till now Mr. Balfour winds up a cycle in his career by clapping him into prison. CHAPTER X. THE PARNELL COMMISSION. " Judas : "—The Duel between Mr. Parnell and IMr. Chamberlain— Mr. W. H. Smith's " Old Friend " — The Lord Advocate at his Post — Mr. Goschen on his Legs — Mr. Disraeli's Hat — Mr. Balfour's Attitude — Lord G. Hamilton's Scrap of Paper — Final Division on the Cominission Bill — A Sleeping- Member. July 30.— \\r Committee on Parnell Commission Bill; much irritation in all parts of House. Rising at live minutes to twelve, Mr. Parnell introduced a new turn in the debate by a bitter attack upon Mr. Chamberlain, whom he accused, when a private member, of usiug Irish members to 58 A DIARY OF THE ^SALISBURY PARLIAMEXT. [isss. do work he was not inclined to assume tlie resjjonsibility for, and when a Minister of betraying the counsel of his colleagues in order to maintain his secret connection with Irish mem- bers. At midnight, Avhilst Mr. Parnell was still speaking, the debate was adjourned by the Standing Order, and the ringing cheers with which the Irish members greeted their Leader's foray on the Dissentient Liberal camp were maintained for several minutes. Amid the roar rose a cry of " Judas Chamberlain 1 " Mr. Chamberlain, Avho was sitting on the front bench, sharply turned round and asked — " What is that ? What did he say ? " Mr. Biggar obligingly informed the right hon. gentleman what had been said. As soon as the Speaker returned to the Chair, Mr. Chamberlain, amid cheers from the Conservative side, called attention to the episode, naming Mr. T. P. O'Connor as having started the cry, and Mr. Biggar as having repeated it. Mr. Parnell showed some disposition to argue the matter on a point of order. But the Speaker called upon Mr. O'Connor to say whether he had made use of the language. Mr. O'Connor admitted the impeachment, Mr. Biggar being, upon the evidence of Lord Hartington, acquitted from the charge brought against him by Mr. Chamberlain. Mr. O'Connor asked leave to Avithdraw the words, which he admitted were out of order, and the incident, Avhich had been eagerly followed by a crowded House, closed. ■^"1^ 31 —The There was a consensus of opinion, wherever the duel between ■, , ■, i • i i i • ^i Mr. Parnell remarkable scene Avhich took place m the Chamberkin.' House of Coiiimons at midnight Avas talked about, that Mr. Chamberlain Avould be bound to take notice of the terrible indictment Mr. Parnell publicly brought against him. It amounted to the charge that Mr. (v'hamberlain had, for his own pur])ose, at one ]H'i-iod of his career used the Irish members as instruments for attacking the Conservative Government, and that later, Avhen betAveen 1880 and 1885 he occupied Cabinet office, he had betrayed the secrets of the Cabinet in order to maintain his relations Avith the Irish members. That Avas not the kind of charge from Avhich any public man could run aAvay, and even ISS8.] MR. PAR NELL AND MR. GIIAMBERLATN. 99 Mr. Chamberlain's bitterest enemies, whose name just now is legion, Avould not accuse him of a disposition to turn his back on an assailant. Accordingly, no one was to-day surprised to lind Mr. Chamberlain early in attendance. He took his seat at the end of the front Opposition bench shortly after a quarter past three, and was later joined by Lord Hartington and Sir Henry James. If Mr. Chamberlain was ready to meet Mr. rarnell, it soon became evident that Mr. Parncll Avas not disinclined for the encounter. Without preface he, when the Order of the Day was reached, took up the thread of his discourse where it had been dropped on the previous sitting at the stroke of midnight. In the same passionless way in which he had in the ear of the startled House opened his accusation against Mr. Chamberlain he now continued it. He had not gone far before the Chair- man interposed on a point of order, wdiereupon Mr. Parnell promised to reserve further statement until he came before the Commission, when he undertook to prove every one of his allegations by letters written by Mr. Chamberlain. This was a new and quite unexpected turn of affairs, watched by the crowded House with acutest interest. Mr. Gladstone, turning round, sat forward with hand to ear, thus coming uncomfortably close to Mr. Chamberlain, who, with arms folded, sat a little loAver down on the bench. Cheers and counter cheers broke in upon the statements, Mr. Parnell always waiting till the noise had subsided, and then going forward in the same quiet, business-like way, taking u]) the sentence and sometimes the syllable where it had been broken in Upon. Mr. Smith fumbled with his portfolio, and looked anxiously toAvards Mr. Courtney, evidently wondering hoAv far this "vvas to go. It Avas certainly a curious turn of events. Here was Mr. Parnell in the dock, as it Avere, upon a charge of com- plicity Avith murder. Instead of pleading not guilty and endeavouring to prove his innocence, he suddenly turned upon one of the principal supporters of the indictment and forced him into the position of the accused. It Avas not business as business Avas set doAvn upon the Orders. But it was a development of bold and unexpected tactics, Avhich left the House in a state of profound excitement. 100 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. Mr. Chamberlain next addressed the Honse in a manner the studious calm of which excelled even Mr. Parnell's. He was evidently deeply wounded, but had completely recovered the habitual self-possession momentarily lost at midnight, when the tumultuous cry of " Judas •! " went up from the Irish camp. At first he showed a disposition to deny everything. He had not, he said, the remotest idea of the special circum- stances Mr. Parnell had alluded to, but as he went along Mr. Parnell, by various interjections, helped his memory, and in the end ]\Ir. Chamberlain admitted that he had from time to time between 1880 and 1885 held communication direct and indirect with Mr. Parnell. But — and here was the gist of his defence — he declared that every one of those communications he had made known to Mr. Gladstone, Lord Hartington, Mr. Forster, and other colleagues in the Cabinet directly con- cerned. In brief, Avhat Mr. Parnell described as " the midnight conferences of a conspirator playing for his own hand behind the backs of his colleagues" Mr. Chamberlain held forth as the ordinary actions of an able and active Minister, anxious to serve Ireland, and carefully keeping his colleagues acquainted with all that had taken place in his semi-private character. Mr. Gladstone followed with a few words, in the course of which he cautiously guarded himself against the admission that Mr. Chamberlain had told him all that had passed in connection with the Kilmainham confabulations. But as far as another branch of the interconununications were concerned, viz., that of dealing with the proposal of national councils as the basis of a Home Rule scheme, Mr. Gladstone made haste to say that his memory confirmed Mr. Chamberlain's narrative. Here the incident closed, having lasted not quite an hour. On the whole, compared with the short, sharp attack by Mr. Parnell on the previous night, followed up by the scene in which Mr. Chamberlain was assailed by the Irish members, it came in the form of an anti-climax. To those having any knowledge of the undercurrent of affairs between 1880 and 1885 (and there was no particular secret in the matter) there was nothing new in Mv. Chamberlain's admissions to-night, or in the colour .Mi', rarnell attempted to place upon the proceedings. A }iart of the story that was new, and made considerable impression upon the House, was the account of isss.] J/7.', ir. H. SMITH'S '' OlI) fEIEND." 101 the visit of Mr. Parnell and Mr. Justin M'Carthy to jMr. Chamberlain's private residence on the terrible Sunday when London was throbbing with news of the assassination of Lord Frederick Cavendish. There was something grimly comical in Mr. Parnell's outline sketch of Captain O'Shea knocking at Mr. Chamberlain's door a little later, and his chagrin on discovering that Mr. Chamberlain was not alone. Mr. w. H. Smith's After the Parnell-Chamberlain incident the ' old friend. ' , , ^, House 01 Commons got to work on the Com- mission of Judges Bill, and made very slow progress. The electrical atmosphere of the chamber was not lowered even by the incursion of the dinner hour. On an innocent- looking amendment by Mr. Molloy, not an exciting speaker, there arose a boisterous scene, which presented the House in its very worst aspect. Sir W. Harcourt, who has thrown himself into the discussion with great vigour, brought to the front all the gossip about the interview of Mr. Walter, the pro- prietor of the Time. and down with open hand, and convulsively works his way back to the bench. Jir. Disraeli's In his earlier Ministerial experiences Mr. Balfour liat used to find ofticial life not worth living unless he could put his f6et on the table. Li his salad days, when he sat below the gangway, an ornamental appendage of the Fourth Party, he had all the floor before him where to choose to spread his legs. He made the most of the opportunity, and 104 A niAUY OF THE SALISBURY I'ARLIAMENT. iisss. his figure sprawling half-way across the House, like a languid lily pulled yesterday, was one of the most familiar features in a debate. When he reached the Treasury bench he was hampered by a difficulty in some degree akin to that which fettered ^Ir. Disraeli's freedom when he went to the House of Lords. AVhilst he was yet in the Commons, Mr. Disraeli, contrar}^ to the custom of leaders of parties, always brought his hat with him, and as he took his seat carefully deposited it under the bench. The Ministerial bench in the House of Lords differs from that in the Commons inasmuch as it is planked up below the seat. For several nights. after Lord Bea- constield took his seat in the House of Lords he might have been observed making futile efforts to press his hat through the board that fringed the lower part of the bench. It was some time before he grew accustomed to the altered situation, and learned to dispose of his hat among Bills on the VU S ]tELO-\V-TUE-GANGWAY .VTTITIDE. table awaiting second reading or conunittee stage. So Mr. Balfour, accustomed to the freedom of space beloAv the gang- way, when he reached the Treasury bench thrust out his legs, and finding no other deliverance planted his feet on the table, which otherwise barred the way. isss.i LOUD G. HAMILTON'S SCRAP OF PAVER. 105 Mv. Balfour's Eveiits havG worked together to assist Mr. Balfour in overcoming his tendency to bridge tlie space between the Treasury bench and the table. He has no time to lounge now. If, having answered a question, he were to resume his seat in the elaborately languid attitude learned below the gangway he would, before an hour passed, be physically worn out. It is all very well once or twice in a sit- ting to rise from a posture in which the head is carefully fixed on a level with the top of the back of the seat, an arrangement which allows an undue proportion of the weight of the body to be rested on the elbow, leaving the legs free to describe graceful curvatures. But for the Chief Secretary a question read out from the paper is the certain prelude to three or four more " arising out of the answer just given." It would person- ally be more convenient, as tending to save trouble, if Mr. Balfour were permitted to stand at the table all through the question hour. But since the rules of order in debate permit only one member at a time to be on his feet, Mr. Balfour must needs pop up and down whilst questions are going forward. Thus he has gradually abandoned his former attitude, and now sits on the bench with only something less of the rigid dignity with which the First Lord of the Treasury surveys the House. Lord G. Hainii- Bcforc a youug, and formerly little considered, paper. ' ' interloper in the person of Mr. Baltour invaded the Treasury bench, and straightway took a leading part in its deliberations. Lord George Hamilton was wont to contemptuously view right hon. gentlemen imme- diately opposite through the tips of his boots set out on the edge of the table. But as it was certain that Mr. Balfour would at least begin with that habitude. Lord George, who would never have consented to smell at the same nosegay with the other King of Brentford, abruptly cut himself otf from a cherished and comforting habit. He has found ne]ienthe in one much more original. When he takes his seat on the Treasury bench he possesses himself of a sheet of paper. Holding this between his tAvo forefingers and thumbs, he turns and twirls and tears it till it is reduced to a slip of the length and breadth of a finger. This he folds deftly over and over till the harried paper falls to pieces. Hour after hour, with head bent down 106 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. and tinkers deftly working-, the noble lord may be seen engaged in this exhilarating exercise. It is a little worrying for colleagues of highly-strung nerves sitting next to him ; but on the Treasury bench patriotic considerations ever stand before personal prejudices. Whilst Lord (ireorge's nimble lingers are folding and refolding the pieces of paper, his mighty mind is conning problems of shipbuilding, gunnery, and dock administration, which, fully worked out, may stop the downward course of the country, and reinstate Old ICngland in her proud position of Empress of the Seas. Au-. 6. — Final When the House adjourned a little after half- division on . ■ 11 1 1 the Commis- past two tliis mornuig all the proposed new sionBiii. clauses to the Parnell Commission Bill were disposed of There remained a considerable number of new amendments. To-day had been appropriated for Scotch business, but IMr. Smith had no alternative from taking the Commission Bill and putting it through. This was achieved shortly before live this afternoon. Sir Wilfrid Lawson did not move his amendment to the third reading, it being, upon consideration by the tacticians below the gangway, decided it would be better not to limit the issue, but to divide on the main question whether the Bill should be read a third time or not. The total number in the division, 244 excluding tellers, shows that even up to the last, on a Wednesday afternoon just before the adjournment, a very respectable House was kept for this measure. But these figures do not represent the full number present during the discussion. When the division was called, the Irish members, led by Mr. Sexton — Mr. Parnell not putting in an appearance — walked out without voting. Two or three right hon. gentlemen sitting on the front Oppo- sition bench also declined to vote. Thus it came to pass that Lord Hartington was left in sole possession of the front bench, and in due time voted with the Government. The Attorney-Ceneral was not present during the discussion, but came in to take part in the division ; wherein he differs from his colleague in the counsellorship for the Times, Sir Henry James having scrupulously refrained from taking part in any of the innumerable divisions that have marked the progress ofthe]^.ill. ISSS.] A SLEEPING MEMBER lo; A sleeping A cuiious incident marked the closing- scene in member. i ^ • i- i ■ ,^ n-n ,c t i -, ■ the history ot this tamous Bill. Sir John Swin- burne, probably owing to the extreme heat, combined with the eloquence of Mr. Sexton, fell asleep, and slept so soundly that members passing him on their way to the lobby, and all the bustle that marks the preparation for a division, failed to awaken him. One by one members sauntered forth, and still Sir John slept on. The othcers began to lock up the doors. The Serjeant-at-Arms was marching in to take his last look round and ascertain that the House was empty, when the discovery was made of the member for Lichfield still slumber- ing. A friend, running back from the division lobb}^ Avoke him up before the services of the Serjeant-at-Arms could be invoked, and he went out to vote. Aug. 11. Sittings adjourned. 108 CHAPTER XI. THE AUTUMX SESSION. A Quiet Opening—" Hansard "—Major O'Gorman— ]\[r. Biggar on the AVatch —Passing a Bill through Committee— Fatal Clause 10— Lord R. ChurchiU in Possession — Lord Halsbury's Patronage — Mr. Gladstone's Position — 3Ir. Smith makes a Joke— An Irish Bull— Mr. O'lieilly Dease's WiU— A Thrilling Ten Minutes— How Bills are "brought in"— Mr. Buxton outrages Order— Again and Again !— Sir George Elliot takes the Floor— The Lord Chancellor— Mr. Bradlaugh in a New Light— Lord ]\Ionk Brctton— A Long Link with the Past. Nov. 6.— A(niiet The Commons on reassemblinsf this afternoon opening. r- t • • presented the appearance oi an ordinary sitting when Supply is the principal business of the day. There was a considerable muster of Ministers, but the front Opposition bench was deserted save by Sir William Harcourt, Mr. Stans- feld, and the two Whips. Lord Randolph Churchill sat watchful in the corner seat behind his revered leaders, and Mr. Jesse Collings had spared himself from Birmingham, albeit the town is to-night throbbing with a Hood of Liberalism. Mr. Chamberlain was not in his place, neither was Lord Hart- ington, nor Sir Henry James. The latter may well be excused from attendance, seeing he spent the day in the Probate Court, but Sir Charles Russell, who was also there and very busy, came straight over to the House of (Commons, and remained up to the dinner hour. Mr. Parnell passed through the lobby, but did not enter the House, having much business with his correspondence and constant callers. As Irish votes are not to be dealt Avith this week, Lisli iiicmbcrs generally have extended their holidays. The Speaker is back in his ])lace, looking uiuch better in health. He may have watched with interest the early arrival of Dr. Tanner, and certainly was not long left in doubt as to whether Mr. Conybeare, whose term of expulsion closed Avith the first period of the Sessi(m, had yet returned. Three times Mr. Conybeare \vas up within the brief space of time de- voted to questions. At the outset he brought upon himself isss.] ''HANSAIiDr 109 a snub from tlio Speaker, none the less eft'ectivc because it was quietly administered. It appears that after his suspension in July, the attendants refused him admission to the library and other precincts of the House. Now, after this long interval, in the first quarter of an hour of the Autumn vSession, Mr. Con3^beare, in his studiously offensive manner, asked the Speaker whether such exclusion was in order. The Speaker quietly remarked that it was very unusual to put such a question in that manner, and invited the hon. member to com- municate with him privately, promising- him in such case all the information in his possession. The House laughed, pleased at this neat " letting down ; " but Mr. Conybeare was up again in a moment, giving notice of a motion denouncing, as a gross abuse of the rules of the House, the Speaker's action in applying the Closure to the debate on the second reading of the Bann Drainage Bills. Nov. 12.— Visitors to the lobby of the House of Com- " Hansard. ' . " -n i /• -i- • i i mons m recent years wul be tamiliar with the figure of a little elderly gentleman with white hair, who wears a long coat of old-fashioned cut and generally carries an umbrella. This is Mr. Hansard, the present representative of the firm whose name has been intimately connected Avith Parliamentary business for more than three-quarters of a century. It was in 1803 that Mr. Hansard, father of the present bearer of the name, began those Parliamentary reports the title of which is as familiar in connection with Parliament as the Mace, or the Serjeant-at-Arms. For more than half a century the present Mr. Hansard has had charge of the business, and, as Mr. Jackson bore testimony to-night, has fairly discharged his duties. But his day is over, and hereafter " Hansard " will disappear into the limbo of Parlia- mentary history, where Old Sarum and other more respectable relics of former times lie huddled. The result of the labours of the Select Committee which sat in the Summer Session is that the Financial Secretary to the Treasury has decided to throw open to competition the business of reporting the Parliamentary debates. A maxhnum sum of £5,000 appears in the votes to meet the expenses, and tenders have been invited. This modern business way of dealing with the 110 A DIAllY OF THE SALTS BUBY FAULIAMENT. [isss. matter will probably be all the better for the iDublic service. But it is a little hard on Mr. Hansard, who had come to think that the British Constitution was not more firmly based than was the permanency of " Hansard's Debates." AVhat makes the blow the heavier for him is the fact that the sacred principle of compensation is not to be invoked on his behalf. Nov. 1.5.— Major ]\[aior O'drormau, the announcement of whose O C4ornian. , , . . death appears m an obscure paragraph m the morning newspapers, once tilled a large space in the House of Commons. He was by far the biggest man in it, and was prhnest favourite. The humorist who protested that if he asked his neighbour to pass the salt everyone laughed, had not nearly such ground for complaint as Major O'Gorman. \ATien he stood up the House began to laugh. If he coughed it hilariously cheered. When he cried " Hear, hear," everybody roared. He was indescribably funny, the real Irishman in flesh and blood (and a good deal of both) whom Charles Lever used to dravv, brought into close connection with the new field of Parliamentary affairs. He was a source of unfailing amuse- ment to Mr. Disraeli, who in the heyday of the Major's Parliamentary fame yet led the House of Commons. It was a study to watch the Premier with his ej'e-glass screwed in his eye, and his face taking on new wrinkles with unwonted laughter, as he Avatched the Major in the paroxysm of his oratorical passion. "The Major," as he was called in the Parliament of 1874 (there being none other like him), was a man of stupendous girth and volcanic voice. He really took seriousl}^ to politics, and all his little speeches in the House were delivered with an air of deep conviction that added the last touch to their grotesqueness. The first, and perhaps the most famous, was delivered in debate on Newdcgate's annual motion with respect to coiiveurs. The Major as a good Catholic opposed it, and in the course of his oration introduced some allegory the mystery of Avhich has never been fathomed to this day, the last man capable of explaining it being the Major. It was something about a nun who was supposed to be questioned by one of the inspectors to be appointed under Newdcgate's proposed Bill. Major O'Gorman undertook to 1888.] MAJOR O'GOliMAN'S DEATH. Ill recite what this nun Avould say to the inspector, and began in a tearful voice proper to a nun in distressed circumstances. But he never got beyond tlie opening sentence, " I had a sister. Her name was Sophia — " inextinguishable laughter from the crowded House breaking in upon his oration. Once the Major took part in a thrilling scene in which the other chief actor was Mr. Disraeli. It was thirteen years ago, the House of Connnons being then, as ncnv, engaged in discussing Irish affairs. A Coercion Bill was under debate, and after long talk Mr. Disraeli rose to wind it up. The Major had been dining, and had, after his manner, sat a long time after dinner. He v/as in more than usually patriotic mood, and on returning to the House, finding the Premier on his feet, he marked the conclusion of one of his sentences by a resonant " No ! " Cries of " Order ! " set the Major off' with increased ferocity. He bellowed " No, no, no 1 '' like a bull of Bashan. Mr. Disraeli, always happy in retort, good-humour- edly observed that if that ejaculation Avas to be taken as a reply, the hon. member was precluded from taking further part in the proceedings. Then the Major jumped up, and bellowed out — " 1 have not spoken one word ! " There was a fearful uproar, over which the Major rose superior, till he was literally pulled down by the coat-tails. A few minutes later he was discovered sailing down the floor of the House in the direction of the table at which Disraeli stood. There Avas an anxious moment, din-ing which the common fear ]X)ssessed the heart of lookers-on that the Brobdingnagian Major was going to dispose of the fragile Premier by walking off Avith him under his arm. Disraeli paused and looked at the threatening advancing figure, Avhich, as soon as it had reached the gangwa}^, happily turned off' to the right and dropped heavily into a seat. Xoy. 17. — Mr. There Avere a dozen Bills on the Orders after Biggar on the ,- c < i i i watch. Keport of bupply, and about as many members sat in common attitude of expectation, hoping against hope that, perad venture, they might catch the enemy sleeping and advance a pet measure by a stage. This is the period of the CA^ening when Mr. Biggar comes to the front 112 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PABLIAMENT. [isss. and pervades the premises. Duties partly of a forensic character engage his attention elsewhere through the day, and prevent that regular attendance upon a sitting it was formerly his pride to maintain. But when midnight ap- proaches, and members in charge of private Bills settle themselves in their places intent upon making progress, anxious glances cast below the gangway never fail to discover the member for Cavan at his post. With a pair of spectacles adding a last touch of benevolence to his visage, with pencil in right hand and copy of Orders firmly grasped in his left, he sits and pays off old scores. In the wisdom of Parliament it suffices at this stage of a night's proceeding that any single member, by signifying objection, may stop the pro- gress of a measure, whether loig or little. Thus Mr. Biggar is master of the situation, and avenges outrages perpetrated upon his country by Oliver Cromwell by frustrating all effort on the part of individual Saxons to pass their httle Bills. The Suffragans Nomination Bill was the first victim of his relentless crusade. What was the object of the measure it Avould perhaps puzzle Mr. Biggar to explain. But it was in charge of a Minister ; it seemed to have something to do with bishops ; it had certainly come down from the Lords. That was enough for the member for Cavan. His cry " rbject " rang shrilly through the House, and a powerful Government, connnanding a still unbroken majority, succumbed to his Passing a Bill YoY souic rcasou that did not appear upon the mittee? °^ facc of things, a measure in charge of Mr. Hal- dane escaped Mr. Biggar's observation. This was succinctly described as the Land Purchase Registration and Searches Bill, and the five strangers privileged to sleep in the gallery woke up, and curiously watched the process of legislative action in the House of Commons. The motion was that the House should resolve itself into Committee to consider the Bill. The Speaker, who two minutes earlier had made solenm entry and taken the Chair in wig and gown, as if through all the eight hours that had elapsed since he departed he had been standing at the doorway, withdrew. Mr. Courtney ic:ippr:\red at the tuhlc Mr. llaldane, who 1.88.] CLAUSE 10. 113 had betrayed his personal concern in the measure by sitting on the extreme edge of the bench and bobbing up and down as if he had unexpectedly found it red hot, rose and said something. The Attorney-General, secure on the follow- ing day of a holiday from the Probate Court, took his seat on the Treasury bench, Bill in hand. The Solicitor-General, anxious to show that apprehension of public business being overlooked by law officers of the Crown under stress of private business was ill founded, joined his learned colleague. Mr. Courtney put in sonorous tone the various clauses, de- claring each added to the Bill. Meanwhile Mr. Haldane, finding the edge of the seat hotter than ever, bobbed with redoubled energy. The Attorney-General slowly crossed the floor. Bill in hand, and Mr. Haldane, gratefully quitting his seat, met him midway, where a hurried consultation was held. " Clause 8," said Mr. Courtney, going on with his recitative; " that Clause 8 be added to the Bill." At this the Attorney-General and Mr. Haldane retired, and again advanced, as if it were some figure in a quadrille they were engaged upon, rather than in Connnittee upon the Land Purchase Registration and Searches Bill. Fatal Clause 10. Oil Clausc 10 Something happened. Either the clause ought to have been omitted or amended, or the wrong amendment was inserted in the rapid, relentless recitative. The Attorney-General and Mr. Haldane again taking the floor, chassed, hands across (with a copy of the Bill in each), down the middle and up again to their seats. A thrill of freshened interest moved the somnolent House, and the five strangers in the gallery became almost turbulent in their excitement. Something had surely happened to Clause 10, and a slight tremor in Mr. Courtney's voice showed that he was not unconscious of the mishap. But the Chair can do no wrong. There was nothing for it but to go straight forward with the clauses, which he did with increased rapidity. " Clause 14, 15, IG " — Mr. Haldane rhythmically bobbing up and down as each number was recited. Then it was proposed to take the report stage. But here Clause 10, with whatever had happened to it, was avenged. The Attorney-General, in gravest, almost funereal, manner declined the responsibility of 114 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. permitting the linal stage to be taken, and report Avas post- poned till Tuesday. All this while Mr. Biggar had sat abashed and silent, watching Mr. Haldane's gymnastics, and pondering over Clause 10. But, this measure disposed of, and proposal made to read a second time the School Board for London Pensions Bill, he found his voice, steadily objecting to this and to all succeeding measures till, the list exhausted, the House adjourned. Noy- 20; —Lord Lord Randolph Churchill was early in his place E. Churchill . ■, ^T n , , i • ,. in possession. HI the Housc 01 Couimous this attemoou. As usual he sat in the corner seat behind the Treasury bench, which he has appropriated with more suc- cess than Mr. Forster met with when, in years gone by, he claimed his favourite seat. Since Lord Randolph foregoes the privilege of attending prayers, he has no statutory right to the place, and it was upon this ground that live years ago Dr. Lyons, coming down to prayers and securing a ticket for the corner seat, used to question Mr. Forster's attempts to appro- priate it. But no one ventures to dispute Lord Randolph's determination to fill his favourite place. Whether he comes early or late he always gets his seat and sits there, incessantly twirling his moustache, an attentive listener to whatever may be going forward. He very rarely speaks to anyone, a manner differing diametrically from that familiar with him when he was still Leader of the Fourth Party. Then he was wont to buzz all over the House in search of temporary allies, whether against Mr. Cladstone or Sir Stafford Northcote. That is all changed. Having at one time, according to hostile critics, been distinguished for impudence, he now affects dignit}', and sits apart in lordly self-comnumion. Nov. 21. -Lord The expectation that the Lord Chancellor Halsburys i i /• i i • patronage. would feel hunseli compelled to take notice of the grave allegations made against him in the House of Commons in debate on the vote for law charges was realised to-night. As soon as Lord Salisbury had answered a question with respect to the new (ilerman alliance, Lord Halsbury, who had been carefully nursing a bundle of notes, left the Woolsack, and, according to the manner of the 1888.] LOBD HALSBUBTS PATBONAGE. 115 Lord (.'hancellor when addressing the House, stood a pace or two to the left. From this place he read out a statement occupying some time in the delivery, but which, as far as its purport could be folloAved, delicately skirted the fringe of the question raised in the House of Commons with that brutal frankness which sometimes distinguishes Lord Randolph's attacks. There was a good deal said about Lord Halsbury on that night, but the charge that stuck in the memory of the House, and has since arrested attention, was that two years ago, on a vacancy occurring in the department of the Official Referee, the Lord Chancellor had filled up the post, notwithstanding the fact that Lord R. Churchill, at the time Chancellor of the Exchequer, after carefully going into the matter and finding it was practically a sinecure, had recommended that it should not be filled up, a conclusion arrived at, after a similar but independent investigation, by Mr. Jackson, Financial Secretary to the Treasury. To this charge Lord Halsbury replied in very general terms. Lord Salisbury said never a word, whilst Lord Cranville adroitly excused himself from discussing the matter on the ground that no notice had been given of Lord Halsbury 's in- tention of dealing with the subject. The general impression is that if the Lord Chancellor had nothing better to say, it would have been wiser to have maintained the attitude of silence with which he has hitherto met similar charges. ^'o/- 22. — iir. It has come to iiass in the whirligig of time that Gladstone s '-. i • position. Mr. LTlaclstone is, at this epoch, m a position wherein his comings and goings arouse the hearty cheers of his motley following. It seemed fourteen years ago, when he wrote to " My dear (xranville " from Carlton House Terrace, that the end of his political career was reached, and that whether he took his seat on the front Opposition bench at half-past four or half-past seven, or did not put in an appearance at all, was a matter of no consequence. But a great deal has happened since 1874, and Mr. Cladstone has once more gone through the regular stages of popular adula- tion and personal neglect, though the depth reached in 1886, after the new rout at the poll, did not approach the dark profundity that whelmed him in the spring of 1874. 116 A DIAIIY OF THE SALISBURY FABLIAMEXT. [isss. Once more Mr. Gladstone is gambolling on the crest of the flowing tide, and the House of Commons waits on his utter- ances, watches his coming and going, as it began to do in 1879. He never cherishes personal resentment, otherwise his daily life would be a sore travail. Yet someti;iies he must have a pained consciousness of the hoUowness of the personal adulation Avhich just now, as from time to time in other days, greets him in the House of Commons. He is the same man to-day he was when, in the Session of 1874, he used to sit at the remote end of the front Opposition bench, wearinsr his gloves and carrying;- his stick, with studious ex- pression of the admission that he had really no business there, hoped he did not intrude, and would presently quietly go ijiway. It was not quite so bad in 1886, partly because past experience had proved the danger of taking it for granted that he was finally discomfited, and largely because scores of his followers who had sacrificed their seats on the altar of his new- formed policy were not in their places to frown upon him. But circumstances change, and he haply forgets. However it be, he brightly beams upon his faithful, hopeful following when, as happened the other day, they rise to greet him with stormy cheering on his return from a triumphal tour in the Midlands, Nov. 24. — Mr. As Mr. Gladstone, coming in this afternoon a Smith makes *- , a joke. little late, stood tor a moment at gaze by the Speaker's chair he beheld an animated scene. The Strangers' (Tallery, long empty, was crowded. The benches on both sides of the House were filled with members rocking to and fi'o with uncontrollable laughter and hilarious shouting. At the table stood Mr. W. H. Smith, his ingenuous countenance suffused with a deeper blush, and a spasmodic smile responding to the general hilarity. Mr. (xladstone, making haste to reach his seat, anxiously inquired into the cause of the mystery, and speedily learned the trutli. Mr. Smith had made a joke, the unqualified success of which was completed \>y an absence of deliberate intention. Quite early in the course of questions the First Lord of the Treasury had displayed a sprightliness which attracted tlie attention of the House. i\[r. liabouchere had set him off by veiled inquiry as to the possibility of a Saturday sitting. IS8S.] MR. SMITH'S JOKE. 117 AVith grave irony Mr. Smith had acknowledged the earnest desire of the member for Northampton to get on with pubhc business, and, assuming that he was the authorised exponent of the desire of inembers to sit on Saturday, proposed with pretty appearance of unwilhngness to make the necessary arrangements if the House so willed it. Members on both sides, entering into the spirit of the joke, hotly objected, and Mr. Smith, pausing for a moment, as if weighing the pros and cons, finally decided that a Saturday sitting w^as not the general desire, and therefore should not take place. This was a little bit of comedy that presented the prosaic First Lord of the Treasury in a new light. Xo one was more pleased with its success than the leading gentleman, and it encouraged him to higher flights. The opportunity came after he had set forth the arrangements for the business of the Session. There followed the usual clamour of private members in charge of Bills, beseeching that exception might be made in their favour. The Irish members having been mollitied, J)r. Clark came forward to plead the privilege of Scotland, A\Tiy, he asked, should the Scotch estimates be remitted to the end of the programme, coming after ever\-thmg else ? " I am ver}^ sorry," said Mr. Smith, in one of those kindly apothegms which immortalise his Parliamentary speech, " that anybody should have to come after anybody else." The House, once resolved to accept Mr. Smith as a humorist, roared with generous delight at this nwivete. Thus encouraged, Mr. Smith went on : — " But that is a state of things inseparable from Parliamentary life, unless we can sit in two or three Houses at the same time." The House, quick as lightning, saw the bearing of this epigram. Session after Session, since the far-olf time of Mr. Butt, the Irish members had been clamouring for the right to sit in their own Parliament on CoUege Green. And here, in the very midst of a stormy campaign, where as yet the Home Rule flag had ever been beaten back, was the spokesman of a Conservative Ministry stumbling into an admission which surrendered the whole position ! Of course Mr. Smith had not meant anything. Lured on by the passion for epigram, he had chanced upon this unlucky turn of phrase. But that added to the enjoyment of the situation, and the strident cheer, 118 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLLUIEXT. [isss. Started below the gangway, was taken up along the Opposition benches, echoed by peals of laughter on the Ministerial side, finally working the House up to the state of excitement in which Mr. Gladstone found it when he chanced to look in. ^°J: ?';~;f'^ ^Ii'- Clancy, referring to-night to a disclaimer by Irish bull. "^ . ^ ®. "^ Mr. Jesse Collings of certain conduct attributed to him, Hashed forth one of those priceless sayings, not un- familiar in the days of Sir Boyle Roche and later Irish members, but, unhappily, rare in these more prosaic days. " Whether it is a calumn}^ or not," said Mr. Clancy em- phatically, " it is true." ^'ov- r^*- — Mr. Xhe Chancellor of the Exchequer, questioned will. ' ' ' to-night by Mr. Justin M'Carthy, admitted the truth of the romantic stoiy of Mr. O'Reilly Dease's will. Mr. Dease, years ago, sat for an Irish constit- uency, and was a Avell-knoAv^i figure in the House, though he did not take obtrusive part in debate. When the Parnellites came into power in Ireland Mr. Dease lost his seat. But he kept up his London house, and spent his days and nights in the Reform Club. He had a curious habit of talking about the wealth at his disposal, and of his difficult}- as to whom he should bequeath it to, being, as he said, a lone and childless man. SomehoAv, Avhen the confidential conversation had closed, his interlocutor had had it subtlely borne in upon him that if he only minded his P's and Q's, and was propei'ly deferential to Mr. O'Reilly Dease, he might be agreeably sur- prised when that gentleman's will Avas opened. When the end came, and the Avill Avas read, it was found that Mr. Dease had left his Avhole fortune, amounting to something like £50,000, to the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the time being, with instructions to apply it to the reduction of the National Debt. The disclosure of the contents of the Avill must liaA'e been a profound disappointment to more than one member of the Reform Club whom ]\Ir. Dease was accustomed to single out for his confidential conversation and his hints of princely legacies, conveyed by Avinks and nods and pressure of the hand. Noav the Chancellor of the Exchequer has got the money, though ]\Ir. (Toschcn almost Avept when he referred to A THRILLING TEN 3[INUTES. 119 the two nieces of the legatee, in ill-health and wholly without means, and declared himself utterly unable to assist them. ^' thriUin- "tet ^^^' ^J^^^^J ^uxton is a hard-headed young minutes. man Avho has thoroughly mastered the political questions of the day, and is able to state both sides with such perfect impartiality as to induce in the mind of the student a condition of absolute indifterence as to which he shall advocate. Xo casual observer would suspect Mr. Buxton of tendency to perpetrate a prac- tical joke ; but it is opportunity that creates the offender, and the circumstances that Mr. Jacoby in- tended to-night to introduce a Bill for the establishment of Tribunals of Commerce proved too much for Mr. Buxton's rigid morality. Mr. Jacoby is the member wdio early in the year came to the front in levee dress and a lethal weapon. Attempting to enter the House of Conmions with sword by his side he was stopped by the Serjeant- at-Arms, Avho, with reckless courasfe, disarmed him and retained posses- sion of the weapon till the hon. member Avas seen safe oft' the premises. He Avas, it Avas made knoAvn in reply to earnest . inquiry, going to dine Avith the Paraguayan Minister, or the representative at this Court of some equally overbearing State, and, determined the House of Commons should suffer no loss of dignity in his person, had as early as four in the afternoon put on his levee dress, girt on his SAvord, and presented himself to the vicAv of the amazed throng in the lobby. To-night he Avas in attire more suitable for the prosaic business Avith Avhich he Avas charged. A velvet coat, ruiWes at the AA^'ist, and sAvord at side, Avere all very Avell A\4ien the object SYDNEY KUXTON. 120 A DIARY OF THE SALlSBUIiY PARLIAMEXT. [isss. Avas to overawe the Minister of proud Paraguay ; but to in- troduce a Bill for the establishment of Tribunals of Commerce was (|uite another thing, and the ordinary dress of commerce sufficed. There were two Bills to be introduced at this con- Mli, JACOJtY. venient period of the Session, jMr. Jacoby standing second, precedence having been gained by Mr. Sydney Buxton. Mr. ]>uxton had, however tardily, aAvakened to the necessity of the better protection of sand grouse. With a view to conciliate opinion on the opposite benches^ and Avith a consciousness that he was not above suspicion of Separatist tendencies, he had dexterously dragged in a reference to the solidity of the Empire. The full title of his measure was " a Bill for the better protection of Sand (Irouse in the rnitcd Kingdom." 18SS.] A THEILLING TEN MINUTES. 121 How Bills are Questions over, he, always keeping liis eye on Mr. Jacob}^, sallied forth to accomplish the important and well-detined process by which Bills are brought in after leave has been humbly asked and graciously given. From time immemorial it has been the unwritten ordinance that a member having a Bill in charge shall leave his seat, march towards the door as if about to retire from political life, halt at the Bar, and take up his position at the cross bench to the left. Here he stands until the Speakei' calls upon him by name, whereupon he advances (always skirting the benches on the left), making due obeisance to the Chair, and, passing between the Treasury bench and the table, hands in a document which may or may not be the Bill. Too often it is Avhat is known as " a dummy " — a blank piece of paper en- dorsed with a title, after the fashion of the hollow wooden cases imitative of books with which quaintly disposed persons sometimes fill up odd shelves of their library. i\ir. Buxton out- Qii a memorable occasion Mr. Christopher Sykes, rages order. . tt-ti burdened with a measure dealmg with crabs and lobsters, sadly bungled the business of bringing in a Bill. Mr. Sydney Buxton has not sat in two Parliaments without knowing all about it : but there was Mr. Jacoby to be led astray, and by a series of elaborate manceuvres Mr. Buxton successfully carried out his little plot. Starting from the cross bench before the Serjeant-at-Arms' chair, he walked down the right-hand side of the House, essaying to reach the Clerk by the passage between the front Opposition bench and the table. Instantly a shout of " Order ! order 1 " rang across the crowded benches. The House of Commons is a body imbued with a tolerant spirit ; but there are some things it will not stand. One is two members on their legs at the same moment ; a second is a member crossing between the Chair and another member addressing the Speaker ; a third is a member standing as much as five inches within the Bar ; a fourth is a member moving a single jxice with his hat on. A penny may be added to the income-tax or a declaration of war made with less outward disturbance than is created b}^ any one of these accidents. To see a member skirting the benches on the right-hand side 122 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. intent upon bringing in a Bill when he should have walked to the left hand was a covert attack upon the foundation of the Church and the stability of the Throne not to be passed over in silence. By the tune Mr. Buxton had reached the table, and was showing a disposition to pass by the front Opposition bench, the roar had increased to a degree of ferocity before which this ordinarily self-possessed young man visibly trembled. Faltering and finally halting, he turned and made again for the cross bench by the Serjeant-at-Arms' chair. This accomplished, he, to the added horror of the House, again set forth on the wrong track. Again and again ! The uproar, uow grown deafening, began to tell upon Mr. Jacoby. That hon. gentleman — pre- pared to follow up the sand grouse of the United Kingdom with the establishment of Tribunals of Commerce — had happily stationed himself in proper position by the cross bench on the loft-hand side, facing the Speaker's chair. Thence he watched the manoiuvres of Mr. Sydney Buxton, who, with the ordinary pallor of his studious face grown ghastlier, began to look like a hunted hare. What had been commenced in jest had deepened into sternest earnest. Having reached the table a second time, again approaching from the Avrong side, Mr. Buxton found his passage barred by an ex-Minister. There was nothing for it but to double again, a storm of laughter, cheers, and cries of "Order!" rendering inaudible the directions that would have guided his steps to the other side of the House. Once more he retired towards the Bar, no sand grouse in the United Kingdom more sorely in need of pro- tection. (Gasping for breath, with parched lips and the ])('rspiration dcAving his broAv, he set out for the third time to bring in his well-meant lUll, and for the third time, amid terrific shouting, he was seen to make his way over the fatal I rafk towards the passage by the front Opposition bench ! Arrived there, a friendly member pushed him over towards tlie other side of the table, and at last, amid hearty cheers, he was welcomed by Mr. W. H. Smith half rising from the Treasury bench, and reached the haven wbeve lie would have been. Attention Avas still fixed upon the now breathless ]-5uxton, when Mr. Jacoby was discovered sailing down the House 1S8S.] A TEBILLIXG TEN mNUTES. 123 before he liad been called upon by tlie Speaker. He had gained a few steps, had made his first obeisance to the Chair, when he was startled by a roar of execration even more blood- curdling than any that had rebuked Mr. Sydney Buxton. The roar of caged lions observing the tigers' daily meal carried past their den is a mere Avhimper to this outbm-st of humor- ously siuudated indignation. Mr. Jacoby faltered for a moment, and looked anxiously round at the excited tlirong on either side of him. His hesitation lasted only a moment. Something was wrong ; but he had to bring in his Bill, and the sooner it was over the better. Accordingly he started off at the double, making straight for the passage by the Treasury bench, the roar increasing as he moved forward. Fortunately the Leader of the House was again equal to the emergency. Throwing himself bodily into the breach, Mr. Smith stopped Mr. Jacoby's unauthorised advance, and the member for Mid-Derbj^shire turned about and slowly withdrew to the Bar, peals of laughter ringing through the House. There he stood till the Speaker, in tones of awful solemnity, cried aloud, " Mr. Jacoby ! " whereupon he advanced in due form and safely landed his Bill. Throughout this scene the House of Commons had been thronged and intensely interested. Afterwards, there being- nothing more important than the voting of a million and a half in Committee of Supply, the benches emptied, and to the intense excitement crowded into the space of three minutes there followed a lengthened period of paralysis. Dec. 7. — «ir There was something about Sir Geors'e Elliot George Elliot , ^ -iVi-iirr, , takes the floor, as he stood to-uight behind the Treasury bench discoursing on the Employers' Liability Bill that irresistibly recalled Mr. Pecksniff leaning over the banis- ters at Todgers's addressing the hastily gathered company at the foot of the stairs. Not that Sir George in any personal aspect resembles Tom Pinch's employer. It was more the attitude and the air of benevolent philanthroj^y suffusing the oration that recalled the famous scene. " My fi'iends," said Mr. Pecksniff, leaning over tlie banisters, " let us be moral." " Gentlemen," said Sir George Elliot, leaning over the rail 124 A DIARY OF TEE SALISBURY PARLIAMEXT. [isss of the Treasury bench, " let us not put a collar ronncl the neck of the workmg man and allow him to be guided entirely by Trades Unions." Sir George, as he confidentially informed the House, " knew what he was talking about," which a genial nod of the head, comprising in its survey the whole of the Opposition benches, hinted was not universally the case with former speakers. Man and boy he had been in the House for twenty WHAT I SAY IS THIS. years. He had also, the earnest searcher after autobiograph- ical truth miq-ht crather, been larj^ely enga^'ed in business in which Trades Unions were somehow inextricably niixcd up with the Egyptian question. "What I say is this," said Sir Cleorge, and the crowded House of Commons bent forward to catch the words of wisdom drop])cd in a voice so impressive as occasionally to become inaudible. " There nuist be a limit to it," Sir George added, after a dramatic pause, looking round on the listening senate Avith an aspect of supremest sagacity. The loud cheer which this dictum drew forth did not lure Sir George into tiresome lengths of oratory. He had gained the ear of an audiencQ which always gladly listens to him. 18SS.] STB GEORGE ELLIOT. 125 Ho was speaking on a subject of which he is master, and was evidently in the vein. Ho swayed the potent House of Commons with master touch. Laughter and cheers pimc- tuated his sentences. Moreover, unhke Mr. Pecksniff on the occasion referred to, he was not disturbed by an uneasy sense of the comparative scantiness of his garments. Ho was thoroughly comfortable ; the joyousness beaming from his face as he thrust his left hand into his waistcoat pocket, and held out his right containing a cop>y of the Orders folded up like a baton, was reflected on every countenance. But Sir George is not the man to imperil an oratorical success by undue length. Glancing upwards at the clock, whoso very face, regarding him, caught the contagion of hilarity, he observed, " T see the clock is going round : I nmst be brief," and then, waving his baton, he gracefully glided into the powerful peroration in which he besought the House " not to hand over the destinies of this great country to Trades Unions." Cheer after cheer rose from the crowded benches as Sir (Tcorge, bowing and smiling and gaily waving his baton, with- drew Avithout resuming his seat. The Lord Chan- The Lord Chaucollor unfortunately missed this oration, which was delivered long after the dinner-hour and just upon the eve of the division. But Lord Halsbury was in time to behold Mr. Bradlaugh taking Her Majesty's Government under his friendly protection and de- fending it from the aspersions of men like Mr. Broadhurst. Lord Halsbury does not often return to the scene of his earlier Parliamentary triumphs. To-night's visit, extending over two hours, was the flrst occasion when opportunity and attraction have combined to make him a 23roniinent figure in the Peers' Gallery. He sat in the Commons as member for Launceston up to 1S85, and was not unfamiliar with Mr. Bradlaugh's interpositions in debate. He has seen him waltzing up and down the floor with the late Serjeant-at-Arms, ad- vancing and retiring between the Mace and the Bar amid angry shouts from outraged C^onservatives. With nose uptilted he has heard him, standing behind the outdrawn Bar, plead, before an implacable majority, for admission of his constitutional 12 in attitude of studied elegance, with one foot set in the rack of the bench before him, domg battle for a Conservative (xovernment, one of whose most important measures was attacked by a Radical faction. The Bill was by courtesy styled a (iovernment measure ; but Mr. Bradlaugh, struggling with natural modesty, was fain to confess that in all its principal clauses it Avas his own. He, and he alone, had done it. There were, it is true, other members sitting on the Crand Conmiittee which had moulded the measure as it was now presented to the House, and Mr. Bradlaugh was not indisposed to share the credit with them. But a passion for accuracy required him to state that, with one single exception so immaterial that it need not be particularised, he was responsible for every suggestion made in Conunittee and accepted by the (Tovernment. In such circumstances he Avas hardly able to repress the scorn and indignation Avith Avhich he beheld the appearance on the scene of men like Mr. Burt, Mr. FeuAvick, and Mr. Broadhurst, claiming to be heard on behalf of the Avorking 18SS.] MR. BRADLAUGH. Vll classes. C'odlin was the true friend of the Britisli working man, and Mr. Bradlaugh's most metallic tones were inadequate to duly ring forth his righteous indignation at the impudent pretensions of the obtrusive Short. The Lord Chancellor, sitting in the gallerj^ rubbed his eyes, and pinched his ears, and gazed about in silent amaze- ment as he heard again and again the ringing cheers that rose from the serried ranks of the Conservatives sitting at the feet of their new Gamaliel. Did he dream, or were visions about ? No, it was the old familiar unmistakable place, with the Mace on the table, the Serjeant-at-Arms in the Chair, the Bar beyond which a few years ago Mr. Bradlaugh dare not advance, and the glass door that used to be flung wide open when his burly form was hustled out. Lord Monk Closc bcsidc him, sharing the full length of the Peers' Gallery, sat Lord Monk Bretton. He used to be Mr. Dodson in those not distant days, and Sir Hardinge Giflfard had more than once paired with him through the dinner hour, when there was prospect of a division on a new Bradlaugh incident. The Lord Chancellor furtively scanned the countenance of his noble friend, hoping haply to tind upon it some fleeting emotion of surprise. But Lord Monk Bretton is gifted with imperturbable self-possession. Sir Hardinge Giftard had sat opposite Mr. Dodson for years, and to-night remembered how, when the House was in a state of seething commotion at some crisis in Mr. Bradlaugh's Parliamentary career, Mr. Dodson had looked out straight over his nose with the same imperturbability as Lord Monk Bretton now gazed into space over the head of the transformed member for Northampton and the bewitched Conservative Party. As the Parisians of an elder generation used to sing about the statue of Philip Augustus on the Place du Trone, the Lord Chan- cellor pitied Lord Monk Bretton — Car il est en pierre, en pierre, Pour lui ce n'est pas amusant. When Mr. Bradlaugh had made an end of speaking the spell was broken, and the Lord Chancellor Avent out as one dazed. Christmas Parliament prorogued. Eve. A * 128 .1. DIABY OF THE SALISBURY VAULIAMEKT. [isss. Dec. 30.— Along The finnoiinceiaont of the death of Lord link with the _,,.,, past. Eversley will convey as a surprise to many people the news that the Speaker who retu'ed from the Chair more than twenty years ago was alive so recently as Friday morning. Since Lord Eversley quitted the Chair three Speakers have tilled it — Mr. Denison, Sir Henry Brand, and the present occupant. Mr. Denison is long since dead ; Sir Hemy Brand (Lord Hampden) is living a peaceful life, chiefly devoted to dairy farming ; and Mr. Peel has only just lived down the circumstantial rumour that he was about to retire to make room for the fourth Speaker whom Lord Eversley should have seen in the Chair. But the oldest of all Parliamentary Hands has dropped oft" at last, and Lord Eversley is dead at ninety-four. It was only a few weeks before the prorogation that a near relative of Lord Eversley, just returned from a visit to the veteran, told me an interesting story about him. Born six years before the century, he was one of the oldest men, and certainly, for his years, the halest man, in England. He pre- served to the last all his mental faculties, and his memory was, with a notable hiatus, remarkable. He could not recall events of last week or last month, or of the last few years, but going back fifty, sixty, seventy, or even eighty years, he had a vivid and accurate memory for particular incidents. One thing he remembered quite well was the visit he paid to the House of Commons Avhen he heard William Pitt speaking in triumphant tone of the coalition he had just formed with Austria and Russia against Napoleon. This must have been in the late autuum of 1805. Li December, 1805 — the 2nd of December, a memorable Napoleonic date — Austeiiitz w^as fought, and the coalition crumpled up. This broke Pitt's proud spirit, and in the following January he died. Thus it must have been more than eighty- three years since young Shaw-Lefcvre, afterwards \'iscount Eversley, heard this speech in an assembly over which thirty-three years later he was elected to preside. It is drawing on for thirty-two years since Mr. Shaw- l.cfevre stepped out of the Speaker's chair and went up to the House of Lords as Viscount Eversle}^. This is more than a lifftiiiic in the politicul^world. I suppose there are not more isss.] DEATH OF LORD E VERS LEY. 129 than a dozen men in the House of Commons at the present time who sat there when Mr. Shaw-Lefevre was Speaker. A right hon. gentleman, now sitting on the front Opposition bench, clihgently turning over the pages of " Dod " has dis- covered that of men who sat in the Parliament dissolved in 1868 only thirty now have places in the Commons. It seems incredible that we should but the other day have been able to go back to the Speaker appointed in 1839 and find him still in the flesh. Lord Eversley's last public appearance was in connection with the Queen's Jubilee last year, when he was able to take his part, sitting with the assembled Commons in St. Margaret's Church, between Lord Hampden, the late Speaker, and Mr. Peel, the present. By an odd coincidence the death of the ancient Speaker was announced on Mr. Gladstone's birthday. Compared with Lord Eversley Mr. Gladstone is a mere stripling of seventy- nine, and according to the latest accounts received of the state of his health there is reasonable expectation that he may live as long as the Speaker whose installation he witnessed close upon half a century ago. Mr. Shaw-Lefevre was two years Mr. Gladstone's predecessor in the House of Commons. He took his seat in the year 1830 for the pocket borough of Downton, Mr. Gladstone coming in two years later, in the first reformed Parliament, as member for Newark. SESSION OF 9. T/iHcs.— H.M. Speech. Address thereon. First. Debate. 10. i*"ri.— Ditto. Ditto. Second Debate. 13. JlIo?i.— Privilege. Arrest of Mr. P. O'Brien. Complaint nml Motion, Mr. Pirton. Anieiidni.Mit, Mr. Mt'.nir,,-i ;,'„, r.,1. FEBRUARY. 1. Tues.—TIM. Speech. Address thereon. Scotland (Di.stress, &c.). Amend- ment, Dr. Cameron. Ninth Debate. Wed.—T3.M. Speech. Address thereon. Agricultural Depression (Scotland), Mr. Anderson. Division — For, H.M. SiHvrli. Ad.lryssthriinii Aiii.MHl- ; AgaiHst, 190.' Address agreed to! nient, .1/,-. r,n-,i>H. 'I'liird l)rl)at r»f.s.— Ditto. Ditto. Fourth Debate. n>f?.— Ditto. Ditto. Fifth Debate. Thars.— 'Ditto. Ditto. Sixth Debate. Metropolitan Board of Works. Royal Commission. Lord R. ChurchiU. Fri.—li.M. Speech. Address thereon. Division on Mr. Parnell's Amendment —For, 229. Against, 317. Seventh Debate. Mon.S.M. Speech. Address thereon. AgT'icnltural Depressitm, Mr. Chaplin. India (Finance). Amendment, Mr. S. Smith. Ei'dith Debate. Report made. Tenth Debate. 23. r/utrs.—H.M. Speech. Report of Address agreed to. 24. Ji"ri.— Rules of Procedure. No. I. Sittings of the House. Agreed to. First De- bate. < 27. JVfoii.— House met at 3 o'clock. Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 28. Tues. — Rules of Procedure. Nos. H. to VIII. agreed to. 29. Wed.— Ditto. Nos. IX. to XII. agreed to. 130 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. 1. r/mrs.— Supply : Civil Service Estimates. Public Meetings (Metropolis). Eesolu- tion, Sir C. Russell. Debate adjourned. 2. Fri.— Ditto. Ditto. Division— For, 224. Against, 316. 5. il/ow.— Supply. Amendment (Protection of the Empire), Capt. Colomh. Debate adjourned. 6. Tifes.— Rules of Procedure. No. XIII. Debate adjourned. 7. JFerf. -Ditto. ' No. XIII. and otlier Rules agreed to. 8. Thiirs. — Supply. Amendment (Protection of the Empire). Army Estimates. 9. Fri. — National Debt Acts. Considered in Connnittee. Parliamentary Irish Under Secretary. Committee. House of Lords. Mr. Lahonchere. Di- vision on Motion— For, 162. Against, 223. 12. Mon. — Supply. Amendment (Admiralty Administration), Lord C. Btresford. 13. Tues. — Government of India. Resolu- tion, Mr. Slagcj. Division— For, 72. Against, 122. 14. ICcf/.— Oaths Bill. Mr. Bradluuah. Read 2'. Division- For, 2.'iO. Against, .50. 15. 2'fot)-s.— Supply. Amendment (Admiralty Administration) . Withdrawn. Supply : Civil Service. Vote on Account. 16. Jn'.— Privilege. Canvassing Members. Question, Mr. H. Fou-ler. National Debt Conversion Bill. Read Egypt, Judge Advocate. Resolution, Mr. 0. Morgan. Division — For, 126. Against, 213. 10. Mon. — Local Government (England and Wales) Bill. Mr. Ritchie. Rsad 1°. 20. rwcs.— National Debt Bill. Committee. Bill reported. 21. irec?.— Land Law (Ireland) Acts, &c. Bill. Mr. ParneU. Division on Second Reading— For, 243. Against, 328. 22. r/u()>-.— National Debt Bill. Read 3^ Criminal Evidence Bill. Read 2^ Di- vision—For, 198. Against, 130. 23. i-'ri.- Perpetual Pensions. Resolution, Mr. Bradkmgh. Agreed to. 26. Jl/on..— Ways and Means. Financial State- ment, Mr. Ooschen. 27. rues.— Land Law (Ireland) Land Com- mission Bill. Mr. Bcdfour. Read 1^ 28. Wed. — House adjourned till 5th April. Tfotrs. —Supply : Civil Service Estimates. Ji'ri.- Government Yards. Resolution, 3fr. Baumann. Civil Service Estimates. Mon. — Ways and Means. Resolutions. Tues. — The Alnwick Magistrates. Motion for Adjournment, Mr. Fetuuick. Fishery Department. Resolution, Sir E. Birlcbeck. Wed. — Agricultural Tenants (Ireland) Bill. Mr. Blane. Division on 2nd Reading —For, 190. Against, 247. T/ittrs.— Disturbance at Ennis. Motion for Adjournment, Mr. Parndl. Divi- sion — For, 179. Against, 249. Local Government (England and Wales) Bill. Debate on 2nd Reading. First Debate. i-Vi.— Ditto. Ditto. Second Debate. .1/oH.— Ditto. Ditto. Third Debate. r»cs.— Ditto. Ditto. Fourth Debate. »'«?.— Marriage with a Deceased Wife's Sister Bill. Division on 2nd Reading —For, 182. Against, 239. Thurs. — Local Goveriinicnt (England and ^y Wales) Bill. Fifth Debate on Reading. y Fri.— mtto. Sixth Debate. Bill read 2'. ^ Local Government (England and Wales) Electors Bill. ■ Read 2'. A/ou. —Customs, &c.. Bill. 2nd Reading. Amendment, Mr. Gladstone. Division —For, 217. Against, 310. Bill read Tkcs.— Increase of Sentences on Appeal (Ireland). Motion for Adjournment, Mr. ./. M'Carthy. Division— For, 165. Against, 219. Liquor Traffic (British Dejiendencies). Resolution, Mr. A. !\r Arthur. '"n ired.— County Government (Ireland) Bill. [ \ Mr. Carew Division on 2Md Reading ^^ — ^ —For, 195. Against, 282. r/iKrs.— Customs, &c., Bill. Committee. ii"?-t.— Ditto. Ditto. Technical Education. Resolution, Mr. A. H. n>il:e A Hand. jl/o».-Custuins, &c.. Bill. Reported. Land Law (Ireland) Land Commission Bill. Read2=. 1. Taes.—C .\ct. .Motion for Ailjourn- 'in, Mr. Bradlaugh. Waste l,;ilnN. . Housr .•.,i,iit.-.| .,ut. 2. lVed.—Env\y Closing Bill. 2nd Reading, Sir J. Lubbock. Division— For, 95. Against, 278. 3. r/iwrs.- Customs, &c.. Bill. Considered. Local Government (p:M-land and Wales) Bill. Order for (;<.niM]i1 tec. Instruc- tion,, A/ r. .Sl,n,s/rld. Division-Kor, 128. Against, 21 t. Cominittfr. First Sitting. 4 FW.— (iovcrnment Contn.I (?.- ChannelTunnel Bill. 2nd Reading. Sir E. Watkin. Division— For 165. Against, 807. Libel Bill. Read 3^ . Thn rs.—hocal Government (England and Wales)Bill. Committee. TenthSitting. . f /■!".— Ditto. Ditto. Eleventh Sitting. , y Mon.— Ulster Canal, &e., BilL Considera- tion. Resolution, Tliat this House declines to entertain Amendments, kc, That the Bill be ordered to be read 3^, Mr. Stansfeld. Bann, &c., Drainage Bills. Read 1^ Tues. — Local Government (England and Wales) Bill. Committee. Twelfth Sitting. 4. IFed.— Oaths Bill. Committee. Bill re- ported. 5. r7i?trs.— Supply : Civil Service Estimates. , 6. »i.— Police (Metropolis) Costs. Motion ^ for Adjournment, Mr. Bradlaugh. Local Government (England and Wales) Bill. Committee. Thirteenth Sitting. Payment of Members. Motion, Mr. Fen- vick. Division — For, 135. Against, 192. /■ 9. Mon. — Local Government (England and V Wale.s)Bill. Committee. Fourteenth Sitting. / 10. Twes.- Ditto. Ditto. Fifteenth Sitting. 11. JFed.— Ditto. Ditto. Sixteenth Sitting. 12. r/i!()-s.— Ditto. Ditto. Seventeenth Sitting. V 13. Fri.— Ditto. Ditto. Eighteenth Sitting. il/o ft. —Public Meetings (Trafalgar Square). Motion for Adjournment, Mr. Coiuj- beare. Local Government (England and Wales) ^y Bill. Committee. Nineteenth Sitting. Thk.- Ditto. Ditto. Twentieth Sitting. ^ IFc(/.— Ditto. Ditto. Twenty-flrst Sitting. *■• Thurs. — Ditto. Ditto. Twenty-second v/ Sitting. To report. Fri.— Privilege. Mr. Conybeaie and the Speaker. Mr. Conybeare suspended. Supply : Civil Service Estimates. i/o)i.— Members, &c. (Charges, &c.). Bill. 2nd Reading. Debate adjourned, roes.— Ditto. Ditto. Bill committed, irerf. - Railway, &c.. Traffic Bill. Con- sidered. National Defence Bill. Cortiniittee. r/»()'s.— Local Government (England and""'^' Wales) Bill. Considered. Fri.— Ditto. Ditto. Bill read 3'. .li^OH.— Members, &c. (Charges, &C.), Bill. Committee. First Sittini;. jKe^-.— Ditto. Ditto. Second Sitting. 1. K'erf. —Members, &e. (Charges, &c.), Bill. Committee. Third Sitting. 2. r/i«rs.— Privilege. The Times Newspaper. Motion, Mr. I/xhouchere. Withdrawn. Closure, Resolution (Members, &c. (Charges, &c.), Bill). Members, &c. (Chirgp-;, ire. ), Bill. Com- mittee. Foui-tli .Sitting. 3. F(-i.— Supply : Civil S.rvices. Vote on Account. 4. .SfiJ.— Ditto. Navy and Army Estimates. (). J/on.— Supply. Report. 132 A DIARY OF THE SALISBUBT PARLIAMENT. AUGUST (continued). 7. Tues.— Members, &c. (Charges, &c.), Bill. Considered. 8. Wed.— Ditto. Read 3'. 9. T/mrs.— Oaths Bill. Read 3^. East India Revenue Accounts. Com- 11. Sat. — Adjournment of the House till mittee. Tuesday, 0th November. 10. Fri. — Local Government (England and Wales) Bill. Lords' Amendments agreed to. NOVEMBER. 6. Tiies. — Supplv : Ci\-il Service Estimates. 7. Il'ed.— Ditto." Ditto. 8. T/iwrs.— Ditto. Ditto. 9. ii"ri.— Ditto. Ditto. 12. Jl/o)!.— Ditto. Ditto. 13. rwes.— Ditto. Ditto. 14. W^ed.— Ditto. Ditto. 15. Thurs.— Ditto. Ditto. 16. Fri.—Bmo. Ditto. 19. Moil. I-iipi Tiiirliase (Ireland) Bill. Mr. "1. Motion for Leave. 20. T)'!.. I,: , \:ii.'ndment, Mr. Olad- .v/',". HiM-iL.u— For, 246. Against, 330. Bill ordered. 21. H'et?. —Ditto. 2nd Reading. Debate ad- journed. Thurs.— Land Purchase (Ireland) Bill. 2nd Reading. Division — For, 299. Against, 224. i^ri.— Ditto. Ditto. Committee. In- struction, Mr. Parnell. Division — For, 148. Against, 182. Bill con- sidered. First Sitting. J\/on.— Ditto. Committee. Second Sitting. rues.— Ditto. Ditto. Third Sitting. ired.— Ditto. Ditto. Fourth Sitting. Bill reported. Thurs. — Thomas Moroney. Motion for Adjournment, Mr. Bradlaugh. Land Purchase (Ireland) Bill. 3=. Fri.— Supply : Civil Service Estimates. DECExMBER. 1. Sat. — Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 3. 4. fi'. Mo)!.— Ditto. Ttt es.— Ditto. ired.—Ditto. T/Mfrs. —Ditto. Fri.— Ditto. Sai.— Ditto. Mon. — Ditto. Twes.— Ditto. Jrcf?.- Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. 13. Thurs. — Supply: Navy Estimates. 14. Fri. — Ditto. Army Estimates. 10. Sat. — Ditto. Civil Service Estimates. 17. J/o)i.— Ditto. Ditto. 18. Thcs.— Ditto. Ditto. 19. Jl'erf. —Appropriation Bill. Read 1°. 20. r/tHrs.— Ditto. Read 2^ 21. Fri.— Ditto. Committee. 22. .S'ai.— Ditto. Reads'. 24. Mon. — Prorogation. CHAPTER XII. ORATORS AND DEBATERS. Mr. Gladstone— " Joe " Cowen— The Speaker— Mr. W. O'Brien— Mr. Bradlaugh — Mr. Chai^lin — Sir W. Hai'court — Mr. Biggar — Mr. Sexton — Mr. Tim Healj^— His Noble Friend— Mr. Gladstone and Tim— Mr. Parnell— Mr. Chambei-lain. Dec. 31.— Mr. It IS a noteworthy circumstance in a picked as- Giadstone. scmbly of 670 gentlemen, one of whose especial functions is to make speeches, that so few should reach the standard of oratory. Now that Mr. Bright has practically retired from Parliamentary life Mr. Gladstone stands alone, the only man in the House of Commons to whom the old-fashioned term orator may fitly apply. Mr. Disraeli never seriously aspired to it, and some fitful attempts to qualify for the position 1S88.] ORATORS AND DEBATERS. 133 stand out among his more disastrous Parliamentary failures. He began by being an orator, and everyone knoAvs the history of his first deliberate attempt. He drifted into the more useful position of a debater, and it was only when he had nothing to say, or did not desire to say something, that he momentarily returned to his earlier manner. Mr. Gladstone holds two unique positions in the present House of Connnons. He is not simply the only orator, but with one possible exception he is the supremest debater, two qualities which, even less richly bestowed, rarely meet in a man. "Joe"Cowen. The late Mr. P. J. Smyth had the oratorical faculty developed in no inconsiderable degree. With due preparation this shabbily dressed plebeian-looking man was wont to rise and, in the presence of an entranced House of Commons, declaim, glittering passages of polished periods. Members crowded in to listen when " Smyth Avas up," sat in something approaching devotional attitude for a quarter of an hour, found half an hour rather long, and went away with a pleasing sense of having assisted at a func- tion. It was magnificent, but it was not debating. Mr. Joseph Cowen is another born orator, whose absence the House of Commons laments. Mr. Cowen's oratory was nearly as ornate as Mr. Smyth's, and was declaimed with something of the same indi- cation of possession of illimitable hoard of polished sentences. But Mr. Cowen, deeply stirred himself, really did momentarily move the House of Commons, though it is mr. joseph cowex. doubtful whether he ever influ- enced a vote. His speech in 1876 on the Ptoyal Titles Bill, 134 A DIAUY OF THE SALISBUllY FABLLDIEXT. [isss. and a second delivered two years later on the Vote of Credit moved by Sir Stafford Nortlicote under the impression that the Russians were at the gates of Constantinople, hold high place in the records of Parliamentary oratory. Excepting Mr. Gladstone, I know of only three men in the present House of Commons who have the oratorical faculty. They are the Speaker, Mr. Bradlaugh, and Mr. O'Brien, an odd conjunction of persons, each differing widely from the rest. The Speaker. Mr. Arthur Peel's opportunities of doing justice to his natural gifts are rigorously limited by his official position. In ordinary times the Speaker is the man who does not speak. But circumstances arising since he was called to the Chair have once or twice given Mr. Peel an op- portunity of displaying the charm of perfected grace, force, and di,gnity in public speech. No one who heard his speech on taking the Chair upon his election can forget the impression created. It was, as far ^s I remember, the most perfect sur- prise, the most striking revelation that ever came upon the House. Up to that time he had been slightly kno^vn m various Under-Secretaryships. He had answered a few ques- tions and taken an occasional part in debate. But though a member of long standing, he had made no impression on the House such, for example, as had been established by his elder brother. He was looked upon as a sort of ordinary, not to say provincial, member, who, inheriting a great name, naturally oame in for a vacant Under-Secretaryship, took his saUuy, did his office work, and would presently die and be forgotten. Called to the post of highest dignity open to a Commoner, Mr. Peel quietly, at a single step, assumed his natural place. His very personal appearance seemed to have undergone a change since last he was seen at the lower end of the front Opposition bench. He looked taller, and had taken on an impressive dignit}^ ; his voice sounded deeper and his intonation was more measured. Of course this was all fancy. The simple fact is, he had lived in the House of Commons for twenty years, and only on this February afternoon, when he stood up and declared that " if elected to the Chair he would humbly and honestly try to do his duty," did the Commons know him. 188S.] OBATOBS AND DEBATERS. 135 That was a difficult speech for a man to make, and its successful accomplishment Avas equal to a triumph. (^)uite another manner was necessary on a painful occasion during the present year, when the Speaker met the necessity of taking note of certain charges levelled against the impartiality of the (liair. No position could be more embarrassing than that in Avhich Mr. Peel found himself placed. To defend himself without appearing to make excuse, to vindicate the impartiality of the Chair without appearing to admit the possibility of its fallibility, was a task the full difficulty of which can be ap- preciated only by those steeped in the traditions of the House of Commons. The difficulty was increased by a consciousness that there were many men whose opinion he valued who were not sure that the conduct noisily challenged out of doors had been altogether free from error. Yet Mr. Peel came unhurt out of the horny dilemma. There was just enough concession in his tone and manner to make the nice distinction that, though the Chair was infallible, and its decisions not to be ap- pealed against, yet the present incumbent, honest in intention, was after all human, and claimed nothing more than the possession of absolute integrity of purpose. Mr. w. O'Brien. Mr. O'Brien is one of the large body of members, chiefly Irish, who have taught themselves Parliamentary oratory at the expense of the House of Com- mons. When he took his seat for Mallow little more than five years ago he was even repulsively uncouth. He had a way when addressing the Chair of gnashing his teeth and clenching his hands, painfully suggestive of what might take place if he could only get within reach of the unoffending Speaker. Traces of these gestures still linger around his more impassioned speech. But by practice and perseverance he has brought them under command, so that they even lend force to his invective. He is as fluent as Mr. Sexton, as fiery as Major Nolan. Sometimes — more especially when fresh from 23rison, with the spectacle before him of Mr. Balfour languishing on the Treasury bench — it seems as if his passion would overmaster him and carry him away into the regions of shriek- ing bathos. A picturesque figure he presents, Avith pale set face, flashing eyes gleaming under spectacles, and long arm 136 A DIAliY OF THE SALISBURY PAELTAMENT. nsss. signalling denunciation of right hon. gentlemen on the Treasury bench. His paroxysm is, in these later days, of limited duration. He always j)ulls up in time, and comes out in the end master of himself and of the critical and, to a considerable extent, hostile assembly he addresses. His speech on the Yote of (-'ensure, moved by Mr. John Morley last Session, was a splendid sample of militant oratory of the " Ruin-seize-thee- ruthless-king " kind. In truth, in these later days, the House of Commons presents no nearer resemblance to Gray's angered bard than is found in Mr. William O'Brien on the war path. Listening to him as with a " master's hand and prophet's tire he strikes the deep sorrows of his lyre," one expects him to lapse into the Pindaric strain — Weave the waip and weave the woof, The winding-sheet of Balfour's race. Give ample room and verge enough The characters of hell to trace. Mr. Bradiaugh. Mr. Bradlaugli differs in all personal respects from Mr. O'Brien, except inasmuch as he has an evil habit of occasionally addressing the House at the top of a strident voice. Mr. O'Brien is ascetic looking, with some- thing of the air of a professor not over well remunerated. Mr. Bradiaugh is plump, not to say massive, and looks as if he slept o' nights. The position he has achieved to-day in the House of Commons furnishes remarkable evidence of the ultimate success of natural ability when pitted against pre- judice. As a rule the House of Commons is the fairest-minded assembly in the world. It looks to Avhat a man is, not to what he possesses, Avhether in respect of advantages of birth or accunuilation of wealth. Being human and English, it has a natural leaning towards a lord. But, as Lord George Hamilton has discovered, that a man should be the son of a duke does not solely suffice for his acceptance by the House of Commons. It is pretty certam that had the present mem- ber for Paddington been simply Mr. Churchill, his father a Manchester merchant, a Scotch ironmaster, or something in the City, he would not so readily have achieved his present position. To discover .that a young man inheriting a title, even ORATORS AND DEBATERS. 13: MK. liKADLAUGH. thongli it be of courtesy, lias in him appreciably more than the average commoner, is so agreeable a surprise that the 138 J DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. House of Commons is ahvays inclined to make the most of it. But it must have something more, and it does not withhold its admiration because one who deserves it was obscurely born, and has nothing but his talents to recommend him to notice. The exception made at the outset of Mr. Bradlaugh's Parliamentary career testifies to the mtensity of the distaste in which he was held. Since Wilkes was expelled from the House of Commons and brought back again and again on the crest of the wave of popular enthusiasm, there have been no such scenes in the House of Commons as once raged round the burly figure of Mr. Bradlaugh. Devout men like Lord Randolph Churchill, Sir Henry Wolff, and Mr. Gorst, had their deepest sensibilities shocked by his avowed atheism. That was an in- superable barrier to their approval of his claim to take his seat. But behind Mr. Bradlaugh stood the figure of Mr. Gladstone, just at that time (1880) returned to power at the head of what looked like an impregnable majorit}^ A crusade led against atheism and Mr. Gladstone was a delirious dehght, the more treasured since it would in ordinary circumstances have seemed a combination impossible for imagination to conceive. Thus Mr. Bradlaugh Avas, year after year, barred out whilst Mr. Gladstone was leader of the House, and quietly admitted in the very earliest days of Conservative accession to power. In the now far-off days when Mr. Bradlaugh was Avont to be buffeted at the bar, Avith occasional processes of propulsion into Palace Yard, he made his mark as an orator. His op- portunities Avere unique. Whilst ordinary members, desiring to take part in debate, rose in their places and struggled Avith others to catch the Speaker's eye, Mr. Bradlaugh had proAdded for him special advantages. The veritable Bar of the House of Commons, a mysterious entity rarely gazed upon in the course of a generation, Avas solemnly draAvn out. Behind it he stood, the Serjeant-at-Arms in inunodiate attendance, Avith the House croAvded from floor to topmost range of the galleries, and all London Avaiting outside to catch the earliest echoes of his speech. The opportunity Avas great, and time after time he rose to it. The audience forgot his ungainly presence in the keenness of his argument and the gloAving eloquence of his appeal. Those Avcre his l>aliny days, to Avhich he uuist occasionally 18SS.] OBATOliS AND DEBATERS. 139 look back with regret as he now not infrequently rises from the Bench below the gang\yay and argues with a half-empt}^ House, whose lymphatic mood is stirred only by occasional applause from the Ministerial majorit}^ or a nod of approval from the Conservative Attorney-General. In these quieter days Mr. Bradlaugh has had time to cultivate a new oratorical attitude. He always addresses the House from precisely the same place far down on the third bench below the gangway, almost level with the line of the Bar, and so commanding the fullest view of his audience. Beginning on two legs, Mr. Brad- laugh, as his argument advances, finds his thoughts and his tongue run freer if he stands upon one. So, with one knee resting on the back of the bench before him, he will stand twenty minutes on one leg and Avrestle Avitli the convictioEs and prejudices of the House of C'onnnons. Ml-. Chaplin. Examples of the burlesque of oratory and of the fatal tendencies of fluency are seen in diverse development in Mr. Chaplin and Mr. Sexton. Probably if Mr. Chaplin had never had an opportunity of studying Mr. Dis- raeli's manner his Parliamentary failure would have been con- siderably lees complete. Able, well-informed, personally pop- ular, enjoying exceptional opportunities of ascertaining the views and feelings of the country gentlemen, he might, as their spokesman, have . achieved a position of influence and useful- ness something akin to that of Lord George Bentinck. But the temptations thrown in his way by Mr. Disraeli were irresist- ible. To listen to that great man uttering, in deep chest notes, pompously conceived commonplaces, to behold him literally filling out his cheeks with wind, to note his Jove-like frown, and to see him fling his arms about in windmill fashion, seemed easy for anyone with ordinary mimetic powers to imitate. So it was. Where Mr. Chaplin made the mistake was in believing these little mannerisms, rarely and with de- liberate j^i^irpose assumed, held the secret of Mr. Disraeli's Parliamentary success. Making due allowance for diversity of personal appearance, Mr. Chaplin reproduces them skilfull}- enough. But the House of Commons only laughs, for this is all of the Great Master the earnest painstaking pupil is capable of recalling. 140 .1 DIARY OF TEE SALISBURY PARLIAMEXT. [isss. Sir ^v. Haicourt. Sir William Harcourt is another frequent par- ticipator in debate who shows traces of having studied in the school where Mr. Chaplin's gifts were cultivated. The House also laughs at Sir Wilham Harcourt when he flings about his arms and trembles with carefully cultivated indignation at the shortcomings or iniquity of some right hon. gentleman on the bench near him or on the bench opposite, as the time may serve. But Sir William Harcourt has some- thing more than these borrowed garments wherewith to fix the fancy of the House. He has much of Mr. Disraeli's great gift of phrase-making, though he lacks the skill with which Mr. Disraeli was wont to hide evidences of deliberate preparation. Like Mr. Disraeli, Sir William Harcourt brings all his im- promptus down to the House with him. But he has not Mr. Disraeli's skill in deftly removing and hiding away the little pieces of paper in which they were wrapped. Mr. Biggar. As uncouscious iuiitators of familiar styles, both Sir William Harcourt and Mr. Chaplin must yield to the supremacy of Mr. Biggar. Whilst they concen- trate their attention upon one great exemplaire, he mingles with skilful touches traces of the personal manner of half a dozen. If one famous Parliamentary man predominates over the rest in his influence on Mr. Biggar's later Parliamentary style it is Mr. Bright. The traces are faint and fleeting, inde- scribable b}' the pen, but recognisable by anyone familiar with Mr. Bright's Parliamentary manner. Mr. Biggar's imitative faculty is indeed habitually called into play by immediate con- nections, and since Mr. Bright's voice has of late been silent in the House he has partially lost touch with him. Mr. (iladstone is always with us, and Mr. Biggar, following upon one of his speeches, is certain to show recognisable trace of his influence. He also, when opportunity ofl'ers, lapses into his Randolph-Churchillian manner ; whilst if the Speaker has had occasion prominently to interfere in the course of a sitting^ the member for Cavan, following at a later hour, assumes a certain dignity of manner and authority of tone which would bewray the secret to any late comer ignorant of the course of earlier proceedings. It is in this mood that he makes use of his familiar gesture — holding out his right hand pahn down- 1SS8.] OBATOBS AXD DE EATERS. Ul wards, imperiously waving it and anthoritatively disposing of other inembers who may rise at the same moment to compete with him for precedence. Mr. Sexton. Mr. Scxton imitates no one unless it be Lord Castlercagh, Avhose likeness to a pump was dis- covered by Tom Moore. " Why is a pump like Lord Castle- reagh ? " the poet asked, and answered — it is a slender thing of wood, That up and down its awkward arm doth sway ; In one weak, washy, everlasting flood It coolly spouts, and spouts, and spouts away. The pity of it is that Mr. Sexton's flood of eloquence is not invariably weak and washy, and need never be so. Occasional passages in his voluminous dis- courses are flashes of heaven- born eloquence. But they are so smothered in verbiage that they have no chance either to burn or to illumine. He rarely addresses the House of Commons for less period than an hour at a stretch, hopelessly wearying it. If he were content with a quarter of an hour, or at most twenty minutes, he would be a valuable addition to its debating poAver. But he is so openly and undisguisedly in love with his own gift of speech- making that he has no room for consideration of the physical frailty of his audience. Mr. Chap- lin does not disguise the plea- sure with which he listens to Mmself The late Mr. Beresford- Hope used literally to hug himself with delight in anticipation of a yet unspoken witticism. Xone of these peculiarities is so aggravating as the seraphic [K. SEXTON. 142 ,1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isss. smile which wreathes the lips of Mr. Sexton as he listens to his own interminable talk. To compare small things with great, he recalls a criticism of Lord Thurlow's which hits off in a sentence the prevailing difference between the oratory of Fox and of Pitt. " Fox," said the Lord Chancellor, " always speaks to the House ; Pitt speaks as if he were speaking to himself" The phrase may be borrowed to indicate the fundamental difiterence be- tween Mr. Sexton and another well-known Irish meaiiber. Mr. Healy always speaks to the House ; Mr. Sexton speaks as if he had himself for sole audience — a condition of affairs which his more prolonged harangues tend literally to bring about. Mr. Tim Healy. Mr. Healy, out of unpromisiug materials, has grown into one of the most acceptable and in- fluential debaters in the House of Commons. Of practical work accomplished by Irish members during the past five years, it is a moderate computation to say that fully one-half has been achieved by him. He can see farther through the intricacies of a Bill than most men, and is exceedingly adroit in drawing up amendments. Like some other of his compatriots, he has gained in polish at the expense of a long- suffering House. To this day he is not debarred from using a phrase because it is coarse, or following a line of argument because it is personally offensive. But he is a very different person from the one whom, eight years ago, Wexford Borough sent to Parliament. Those Avere the days of coercion pure and simple, with Home Kule scouted, and the Irish members a sort of guerilla force whose duty it was, between intervals of imprisonment and suspension, to make things as uncomfortable as possible for the Saxon at Westminster. Mr. Healy entered the House with a consummate contempt and hatred for it. He once informed a listening senate that he " did not care two rows of pins whether he was in prison or whether he was in the House of Commons." In the relations which then existed between the Irish Party and their fellow- members the House probably had a preference, which it Avas too polite to express. ^Vhen addressing the Speaker he would 1S8S.] OBATORS AXD DEBATERS. 143 not even take the trouble to remove his tists from his trousers pockets. With both hands hidden away, with neck bent for- ward in slouching attitude, a scowl on his face, and raspmg notes of hatred in his voice, he scolded at large. All that is changed. Mr. Healy is now the " hon. and learned gentleman," one of the leaders in debate, in open counsel, even in colleague- ship, with right hon. gentlemen on the front Opposition bench. His noble That thcsc relations should exist with a pro- minent section of English members is no ncAv thing to Mr. Healy 's experience. In the Parliament of 1880 Lord Randolph Churchill, his immediate neighbour below the gangway, was in constant personal communication with him. One night Mr. Healy created quite a sensation by alluding to Lord Folkestone, one of the Conservative Whips, as " my noble friend." These were fleeting acquaintance, arising out of temporary tactical movements, and have no ground of com- parison with the formal and regularised alliance now existing between the Irish members and the leaders of the Liberal Party. Mr. Giaiistone In the last division Mr. Gladstone took part and Tim. . , . , r-. . . , m. during the summer Session— it was on the Parnell Commission Bill — a crowded House watched with breathless interest a significant scene. The leader of the Op- position, strolling down the floor of the House towards the division lobby, halted at the Bar, and, turning round, took out his glasses and eagerly scanned the Irish benches. Perceiving the person he sought, he retraced his steps as far as the gang- way, stood there, the focus of four hundred pairs of eyes, beckoned Mr. Healy down and, placing his arm within his, walked out eagerly conversing with him. Mr. Healy has risen to the full height of altered circum- stances. He lives cleanly, and has almost entirely abjured sack. Now and then he falls into his old bullyragging manner, as when in debate on the Parnell Commission Bill he tickled the fancy of the House with his reiterated inquiry, " Where's Walter ? " meaning the respected proprietor of the Times. But for the most part he is grave, responsible, acute, weighty 144 ^1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY VABLIAMENT. [isss. in counsel, overpo^rcring in attack, living up to liis new status as an "lion, and learned o-entlcnian." Mr. Parneii. ^li'- I'amell is Still another, not the least striking, example of the disciplinary influence of the House. In the self-possessed, softly spoken, courteous gentleman who at long intervals addresses the Speaker, it is difficult to recall the lineaments of the one time member for ]\Ieath. A dozen years have passed since Mr. Parnell found ill Mr. Biggar his chosen companion, and, sustained by his acrid cheer, was wont to flout the then leader of the Irish Party, 1SS8.] ORATORS AND DEBATERS. 145 Mr. Isaac Butt, and nightly assail the anthority of the Chair. He began Parliamentary life by being in an ungovernable passion. He promises to end it in an atmosphere of icy calm. His coolness in debate is almost supernatural, and probably has something to do with the secret of his supremacy over an emotionable nation and a heterogeneous party whose leading characteristic is certainly not repose of manner. He comes and goes without affectation of mystery, but with all its eftect. No one can say whether he will be in his place on a particular occasion, however specially interesting to him, and, if he comes, whether he will take part in the debate or remain to vote. He is the only man of prominent position who has not ap- propriated for himself a corner seat. When he speaks he rises from some place midway on the bench below the gangway, in which he has happened to drop on arriving. He has a pleasant voice, a clear enunciation, and a pellucid style. He never, even on the most moving occasions, attempts to rise into the oratorical style. Having something to say — and he never speaks till he has, a rare personal peculiarity in the House of Conunons — he says it as simply, as briefly, yet as forcibly as possible, and sits down. For an Irish leader, wielding more power than one has held since the days of O'Connell, Mr. Parnell is in appearance, in manner of speech, in tone of thought, and in all his Avays, less like a typical Irishman than any man in Parliament. Mr. ciiambeiiain. Take him for all in all, I should say Mr. Cham- berlain is the best debater in the House, not ex- cepting Mr. Gladstone. He is not an orator, but rather a man of business gifted with lightning-like acuteness and consummate gift of lucid expression. With intimate knowledge of Mr. Chamberlain's speeches during the last twelve years, I remem- ber only one occasion when he permitted himself to drop into oratory, as Mr. Silas Wegg used to drop into poetry. That was at Birmingham in the bright June days of 1885, and the passage itself is so remarkable, affording within brief space so admirable a specimen of Mr. C'hamberlain's more elevated style, that it is worth citing : — I sometimes think (he said) that great men are like great mountains, and that we do not apjoreeiate their magnitude while we are still close to them. You K MU. CJlAMliKRLAIN. isss.] ORATORS AND DEBATERS. 147 have to go to a distance to see which peak it is that towers above its fellows : and it maj- be that we shall have to put between us and Mr. Gladstone a space of time before we shall know how much greater he has been than any of his com- petitors for fame and power. I am certain that justice will be done to him in the future, and I am not less certain that there will be a signal condemnation of the men who, moved by motives of party spite, in their eagerness for office, have not hesitated to load with insult and indignity the greatest statesman of our time ; who have not allowed even his age, which should have commanded their reverence, or his experience, which entitles him to their respect, or his high per- sonal character, or his long services to his Queen and to his country, to shield him from the vulgar affronts and the lying accusations of which he has nightly been made the subject in the House of Commons. He, with his great magna- nimity, can afford to forget and forgive these things. Those whom he has served so long it behoves to remember them, to resent them, and to punish them. Mr. Chamberlain is supremely good on a platform address- ing an applauding audience, a quality which does not by any means imply that a man will be a success in Parliament. He swiftly rose to the front rank in the House of Commons whilst yet a favourite captain in the Liberal host. As a Minister in charge of intricate Bills he displayed capacity for exposition and management not excelled by Mr. Gladstone. To see him at his very best is to watch him in the House of Commons in these days, when he stands with his back to the wall engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle with his former comrades. Mr. Gladstone in the full swing of his oratory is often disconcerted by hostile interruption, and is too easily led astray into devious paths. The fiercer the attack on Mr. Chamberlain, the more noisy the interruption, the brighter and cooler he grows, warding off bludgeon blows with deft parr^dng of his rapier, swiftly followed up by telling thrust at the ao-oressor. A dangerous man to tackle even with the advantage of overwhelming numbers — one whom it would not be safe to count as beaten, however disastrous circumstances concerning him may at a given moment seem to be. 148 SESSION 1889. CHAPTER XIII. CALM BEFORE THE STORM. Opening Day — In the Sparrow's Nest — Mr. Balfour — Sir Eichard Webster — Sir J. Fergusson — Sir John Gorst — -Wasting Time — A Useless Procedure — Bringing in Bills. Feb. 21.— Open- Xhe hgw Sessioii Opened to-day in unique ing day. . /^ t -i ^ -i- • Circumstances. Ordinarily i^ublic attention is fixed upon the opening of Parliament to the exclusion of all other matters. To-day the inquiry before the Parnell Commission, which opened in October, chanced to reach a crisis of its dramatic run. Pigott has been in the box all day under cross-examination by Sir Charles Russell. Even whilst Notices of Motion were being piled upon the Clerk's table came news of an incident in the cross-exammation that pro- foundly stirred the House. In one of the letters alleged by the Tiines to be in Mr. ParneH's handwriting, the word hesitancy was spelt " hesitency." Sir Charles Russell, Avith nice affectation of meaning nothing particular, asked Pigott to write down at his dictation a brief sentence in which the word hesitancy appeared. Pigott blandly consented, and a thrill went through the crowded Court when it was known that the third syllable of the word Avas spelled with an c. It was of this incident, and of Avhat might be expected to follow upon it, that the crowd gathered in the lobby of the Flonse of Commons was eagerly talking, to the neglect of ordinary topics. Still the crowd of members gathered as heretofore. In the Sparrow's The movement of 3Ir. Hcncage, Avho, on first entering the House, took a back seat, gave some colour to the rc[)ort that the leaders of the Dissentient Liberals 1SS9.] OPENING DAY. 149 had resolved to refrain from further forcing their company upon the adversary's camp. But when the House met again for the despatch of business, Mr. Heneage took up his old quarters on the front bench, and was ^^resently joined by Mr. Chamberlam. The latter gentleman was the recipient of many congratula- tions, chiefly from the Conservative side, on his marriage, which has taken place during the recess. Mr. Chaplin was pecu- liarly overjoyed in contemplation of the domestic event. Coming in a little after Mr. Chamberlain had arrived, he crossed over and shook the bridegroom's hand, slapped him on the shoulders, and made other boisterous demonstrations of congratulation. Lord Hartington, as usual, came in late, not arriving till six o'clock, when that plumed knight, Sir John Colomb, Avas on his legs, seconding the Address. He took his accustomed seat at the end of the front bench, where, the House being at this time nearly empty, there was plenty of room. Mr. Smith arrived just before half-past four o'clock, the hour at which to-day's public business commenced. He had a hearty reception, to which many members on the Opposition benches lent their voices. It was not a sharp, ringing, ex- ultant cheer, such as that which greeted Mr. Gladstone half an hour later. It Avas a friendly, even Avarm, reception, testi- fying to the high esteem in Avhich the Leader is held by the House of Commons. Sir Horace Davey, at last returning to Parliamentary scenes, Avas Avelcomed Avith a cheer by the Liberals. Mr. Balfour. There Avas one more outburst of cheering, perhaps the most signiticant and dramatic of the series. It Avas noted that among the crowd of Ministers on the Treasury bench the slight, graceful figure of Mr. Balfour Avas lacking. Half-hour after half-hour sped, but still he came not. At length, just Avhen the long list of Notices of Motion Avas draAving to a close, and the hands of the clock pointed to half-past five, a sudden, sharp cheer Avent up from the Con- servative benches, and the Chief Secretary Avas discovered striding into his place at the gangAvay end of the Treasury bench. The Irish members made a hostile demonstration ; one or tAvo of them even hissed, though not in a tone so loud 150 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY FARLIAMENT. [isso. as to attract the attention of the Speaker. This, of course, added fuel to the fiery enthusiasm of the MinisteriaHsts, and again the cheer rang forth as Mr. Balfour dropped into his seat, and tried to look as if both demonstrations were in- tended for someone else. TH K ATTOKN V.\-V, K.N EKAL. Sir Richard Qnc of tlic plumpest, healthiest, and most pleased-looking men seen on either side of the House on this da}^ of meeting is the Attorney-General. Con- sidering he is fresh from the fifty-fourth day of the Parnell Commission, of the \v(5rk of which he has done the lion's share. IS89. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL. 151 it is little short of a miracle. I passed a fortnight of ray life in the Court from its opening clay, and never in any experience felt brought so near to the verge of the grave. It is true the fortnight was almost exclusively occupied by delivery of the Attorney-General's opening speech, a peculiarly terrible ordeal. Still, fifty-four days, Avith whatever pleasing variations, are a serious matter. Yet it is no exaggeration to say Sir Richard Webster looks really better in health and is brighter in manner than Avhen he started. He is a man of powerful constitution, with an inexhaustible stock of good health, so that he thrives and blooms amid circumstances that sap the vitals of an ordinary man. Sir Henry James is looking haggard ; Sir Charles Russell is visibly older ; even the florid countenance of stalwart Frank Lockwood is beginning to be sicklied o'er. But the Attorney-General seems to draw nourishment from the Probate Court, and to blossom like a rose in what to others is a wilderness. Last Friday night it happened the Attorney-General had a dinner-party at his house. Friday was a most exciting day in the Cburt. Mr. Soames had been under long examina- tion, and Mr. Macdonald had followed. It was the crisis reached at last, and even the invulnerable Attorney-General might have been expected to show some traces of anxiety and seek for some interval of rest. But he was as cheerful and fresh as if he had been lounging in a library aU day, or out with his gun. After dinner someone laughingly asked him lor a song. Nothing would please him better. He gave one song, then another, and another, singing for nearly an hour and a half, as if he had not been talking for the greater part of the day. It is an odd coincidence that both the Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General in Lord Salisbury's Government are gifted songsters, each regarding the other's endowments Avith secret rivalry, " Capital fellow, Clarke ! " says the Attorney-General, " onl}- he tuill sing." " Excellent fellow, Webster ! " says the Solicitor-General " but we all have our weakness, and he . thinks he can sinof." 152 ,1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isso. Feb. 22.— Sir J. "lam obliged to listen to particularly tasteless " " speeches out of the mouths of uncommonly childish and excited politicians, and 1 have, therefore, a moment of unwilling leisure which I cannot use better than in ^^ giving you news of my welfare." Thus Bismarck wrote to Mr. Motley, in 1868, from his bench in the Reichstag. Sir James Fergusson is not quite Bismarck; has not been anything like him since ho was Governor of Bom- Ijay. But thus he might have written as he sat to-night forlorn on the Treasury bench listening to Mr. Bradlaugh lustily declaiming on foreign politics. It is one of those nights on which leaders of a party find engagements elsewhere, leaving the cares of State to Under-Secretaries. At last night's sit ting it had been formally resolved that battle should be given on the paragraph of the Address echoing the complacent re- flections about Ireland that figured in the Queen's Speech. Mr. John Morlcy's amendment was fixed for Monday, and for all practical or useful purposes the House might as well have adjourned till that day. But there were Thursday and Friday to be filled up. The Speaker was in the Chair, the Mace on the table, and, as Avas proved before the hour of adjournment, there were explosive elements lying scattered about wliich might at any moment blaze forth. One peculiarity of the situation was that whilst the com- prehensive mind of Mr. Bradlaugh had Ijy chance selected foreign affairs as the gubject of his tremendous oration, the NOT QUITE BISMARCK. SIR JOHN GOEST. 153 Under-Secretary, having already taken part in the debate, was precluded from speaking. He had to sit there and listen, with that air of j^rofound sagacity which assisted to strengthen the hold of the British Crown on Bombay. But he might not speak. THE LTILITY MAX. Sir John Gor.st. Fortunately, Sir John Gorst had also been " kept in," and Sir John, as has been shown on many occasions, is equal at briefest notice to represent the Govern- ment view on any question arising in connection with Avhat- soever department. He is the utility man of the Treasur}' 154 .1 DIATtY OF THE SALISBURY FARLLUIENT. [issp. bench, at home in the Soudan or Syracuse, Thibet or Thes- salonica. Macau lay somewhere tells a story about the (to him) amazing ignorance of the Duke of Newcastle, for thirty years Secretary of State and during nearly ten First Lord of the Treasury. " Oh, yes, yes, to be sure ; Annapolis must be defended," said the Premier ; " troops must be sent to Annapolis. Pray where is Annapolis ? " Sir John Gorst would have been invaluable in the Duke of Newcastle's Ministry, as, to tell the truth, he is in that of Lord Salisbury. Wastiiu' time ^^ ^^'^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^^® hours that followed on the resumption of the so-called debate on the Address. It was mercifully designed in the interests of the stranger in the gallery, whose mind had earlier been wrought up to a dangerous pitch of excitement, being privileged to witness the time-honoured, but, as far as the public is con- cerned, very little knoAvn, process of bringing in Bills. Last year the opportunities for legislation by private members were wofuUy curtailed, and, if report is justified, the coming Session will be arranged on similar, if not more severely-drawn, lines. Nevertheless, over a hundred members, casting about, have found as many subjects urgently calling for legislation. Last night over an hour of time reputed to be valuable was occupied in the business of balloting for places. This is a process useful, even necessary ; but there is no reason in the Avorld why it should not be carried out by the Clerks in the quasi privacy of one of the Committee Rooms. The equally ancient custom of verbally giving notice of questions, and of subse- quently reciting the terms of the question, has hapjDily been abolished by the action of the Speaker. There is no reason apparent why licence should be permitted on the first night of the Session, and public time occupied by an interminable string of members rising in their places to announce the title of a Pill they propose to ask leave to introduce, or the terms of a resolution they mean to submit. A useless pro- JJnt if souic iudulgcncc might be claimed for the opening night, there is nothing to be said in favour of the monotonous, soul-depressing process which ap- propriated one of the^ earlier hours of to-day's sitting. The 1SS9.] A USELESS PROCEDURE. 155 Speaker, takin^- in hand the long hst of notices given yesterday, calls the names of the members in succession, and this is what the stranger in the gallery beheld. The Speaker calls out " Mr. Murphy ! " Mr. Murphy raises his hat, whereupon the Speaker says, " The question is that leave be given to bring in a Bill to provide for the vesting in the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland Royalties, Fore- shore Rights, and Water Rights connected with lands sold under the Purchase of Lands (Ireland) Act." The Speaker reads out this description of the Bill with the perfect elocution of which he is a master. Not an accent is lost, not a syllable slurred. His sonorous voice and emphatic intonation invest the Royalties and Foreshore Rights (Ireland) Bill with a new grace even in the eyes of its author, and Mr. Murphy sits blushing and smiling. " Who is prepared to bring in this Bill ? " asks the Speaker (it is the ninety-fourth measure), with pre- cisely that air of personal interest and preparation for being surprised that he has managed to throw into each of the ninety-three precedent interrogations. Then Mr. Murphy rises and reads out the names of members who endorse his Bill, and the Speaker goes on to the next on the list. Bringing in Bills. Tliis is ouly a portiou of a Parliamentary pro- ceeding of which the newspapers give no ac- count. As the Speaker approaches the end of the list the stranger in the gallery, craning his neck over the rails, will discover a gathering throng of members at the Bar. Gradually nearly every seat on either side is vacated, and members struggle for places at the Bar. The Speaker calls on Mr. Bradlaugh, whose name heads the list. Mr. Bradlaugh is very well acquainted with the locality between the Bar and the table on which lies the Mace. In days gone by he has waltzed up and down with the late Serjeant-at-Arms hanging on to the lappels of his coat what time three-fourths of a crowded House, not all seated on one side, yelled and roared. NoAv Mr. Bradlaugh, having been favoured with the first place in the ballot, brings up unmolested a Bill to " Abolish Prose- cutions for the Expression of Opinion on Matters of Religion," and making the circuit of the Speaker's chair goes quietly back to his place below the gangwa}^ to gather up his 156 A DIARY OF THE SALISBUrxY FABLTAMENT. [isso. papers and scan his notes for the instructions he will presently deliver to Her Majesty's Ministers for their guidance in Foreign Affairs. The Speaker calls on the next member on the list, who, making his Avay through the throng at the bar, advances towards the table holding a piece of folded foolscap in his hand. This is understood to be the Bill he is bringing in, and nothing done under the eye of the stranger in the gallery dispels the fiction. But the member himself has the guilty knowledge, shared by the imperturbable Clerk at the table, that the piece of paper carefully folded and elaborately en- dorsed is nothing but a blank sheet. The text of the measure will be deposited in the Bill Office at some future convenient date. The Clerk, carefully concealing his knowledge of the little fraud, respectfully takes charge of " the Bill," recites its title, and observes to the member, " Second reading ? " Eighth of May," says the member. " Bill read second time eighth of Maj-," says the Clerk at the table. " Read second time eighth of May," echoes the Speaker in the chair, giving quite new point to the observation by his impressive tones. Then Member No. 2 disappears behind the Speaker's chair, and so on through all the hundred. This is all very well if the House of C'ommons has nothing better to do ; but for a barbarous, futile waste of time it must take the palm. To-night it did not greatly matter. The House was bound in decency to sit till midnight, and for all (^ther usefid purposes served this wearisome and ridiculous trot- ting up and down of members Avith pieces of waste paper in their hands was just as good a way of spending an hour as any other. It was, in truth, exhilarating as compared with what followed with Sir James Fcrgusson sitting on the bench ready to coach Sir John (xorst, with Mr. Goschen flitting uneasily in and out, and Mr. Smith showing himself now and then with a pen stuck behind his ear to let the Under-Secretaries know that, though he might not be actually in his place as Mr. Disraeli was wont to be on similar nights in days long since dead, hie was hard at work in his room, caring for the destinies of the nation. 157 CHAPTER XIY. MR. PARXELL's day OF TRIUMPH. The Flight of Pigott— Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Chamberlain— :\Ir. Parnell's Hour of Triumph — A Memorable Scene— Then and Xow. Feb. 2G. - The The iiews of the flio-ht of Pio^ott, which burst flight of Pigott. , 1 1 T. 1 * / , -1 11 through the Probate Court into the crowded Strand this morning, rapidly spread over the Metropohs. By eleven o'clock it was known in the clubs, and very shortly afterwards the evening papers came out with specially early editions. In the lobbies and in the Chamber itself the House of Commons is literally buzzing with the news. Those in the councils of Mr. Parnell and his legal advisers have for some time spoken of surprises in store which should exceed anything hitherto disclosed in the court. It need hardly be said that this sudden and dramatic disappearance of the mainstay of the case for the Times was liot alluded to. It came as a great shock upon the crowded court, and was the occasion for a profound disappointment on the part of Sir Charles Russell, who had come down bright and early to carry forward his terrible cross-examination. But Mr. Pigott had had enough of it ; and when the officers despatched in hot haste from the court visited Anderton's Hotel, they found the nest empty. Kever in the history of a nation not without moving annals has there been so dramatic an episode. If the whole procedure of the Commission had been arranged with a view to this climax it could not have been more skilfully done. There were the long weeks and months of monotonous serving-up of ancient history. It is easy enough now to understand the coyness with which the Attorney-General approached the consideration of the letters. Every day spent in trotting out policemen and emergency men to describe the state of Kerry or Galway was twenty-four hours' further postponement of catastrophe. Then, abruptly, on the long drawn out scene the stout, flabby-faced figure of Pigott slinks. There is a day or 158 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [issg. two of breathless sus^Dense while Sh* Charles Russell equals even his own great reputation in cross-examination ; and then, without a word of warning, Pigott vanishes into space. March i.-Mr. House Still debating Mr. John Morley's Amend- Gladstone and * i t . , t • i Mr. Chamber- meut to the Address challengms: the Irish policy of the Government. This is the fifth night of talk for the most part dreary. But a fillip is given to the business by the expectation of Gladstone's interposition. He found his opportunity as early as half-past four, the House crowded in every part. His appearance at the table was the signal for a prolonged outburst of cheering from the Opposi- tion, jubilant at the turn events had taken before the Parnell Commission. He looked in perfect health. As is his custom when delivering an important speech, he wore a flower in his button-hole. During his opening sentences Mr. Chamberlain entered and took his seat at the end of the front Opposition bench, an attempt to hail his arrival by a general cheer on the Conservative side not proving a success. A quarter of an hour later Lord Hartington arrived, any difficulty in finding room for him on the crowded bench being avoided by Mr. Heneage relinquishing the corner seat he had secured when the Speaker took the chair. At the outset Mr. Gladstone turned his attention to the speech Mr. Chamberlain delivered on the previous day ; and to his former colleague, who sat close at his left hand, he directly, and with animated gestures, addressed such remarks as personally referred to him or his friends. Mr. Chamberlain had expressed a desire to see the Irish Land Question settled, and Mr. Gladstone, listening to him, had, he said, thought it easy to foretell his next sentence. Of course he would appeal to the Government actiuilly in office, and in possession of official information, forthwith to submit a scheme dealing with it. " But he turned to me," Mr. Gladstone exclaimed, with dramatic tones and gestures that caused much laughter on both sides ; " me, forsooth ! the leader of a discomfited and discredited minority." Placing his hands behind his l)ack, and licndiug down towards JMi'. ( 'h;iiiilHTjain, he asked amid renewed langhter, =..] 3IE. GLADSTONE AND MB. CHAMBEULAIN. 159 " Am / the person who is so happy as to possess the pohtical confidence of the right hon. gentleman ? " The Government, he proceeded to argue, were the persons to produce a plan dealing with the Land Question. Mr. Morley's amendment was an invitation to the majority to take that course, and if they disregarded it they would show once more the utter hollowness and the shallowness of the pretexts Avith which in 1886 they had gained the control of the destinies of the Empire. These passages were delivered with a joyous animation of manner and a wealth of gravely humorous gesture that de- lighted the crowded House. From this point Mr. Gladstone proceeded in more prosaic style to deal with various aspects of the question at issue. Dealing with the alleged decrease of crime under the " salutary " influence of Mr. Balfour's admin- istration, he showed that the returns were so prepared that they did not afford any proof of the decrease of crime w^ithin the meaning of the Crimes Act. He commented on the treat- ment of prisoners under the Crimes iVct, comparing it with what was meted out to O'Connell. He drew an instructive picture of 160 A DIARY OF TEE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isso. the state of Ireland between 1835 and 1840 under the bene- ficent Chief Secretaryship of Mr. Drummond ; and finally led up to a fine peroration, delivered with thrilling energy. '■ You may," he said, " deprive of its grace and of its freedom the act which you are asked to do, but avert that act you cannot. To prevent its consummation is utterly beyond your power. It seems to approach at an accelerated rate. Coming slowly or coming quickly, surely it is coming. And you 3'our- selves, many of you must in your own breasts be aware that already yo\i see in the handwriting on the wall the signs ol coming doom." These sentences were declaimed amid profound silence, broken in upon, as Mr. Gladstone fell back in his seat, by tremendous cheering from the Opposition, many members standing up and waving their hats. jir. Par n ell's j\j[r. Gladstone resumed his seat at half-past six, hour of tri- , • i /■ i m^ umph. having spoken lor two hours, i hereupon the House emptied. At one time the attendance sank so low as to suggest to some ingenious mind the idea that the best way out of the business was to get the House counted, and so home to bed. This, of course, failed, and members trooping in at the sound of the bell, thereafter re- mained in numbers sufficient to give some appearance of life to the temporarily languid debate. When Mr. Asquith rose it was a quarter past ten and a dull night. But gradually, as the young barrister went forward, with a speech marked by conspicuous debating power, and illumined Avith felicitous' phrases, the benches rapidly filled, and when he sat down the House presented the eager, restless, ahnost tumultuous, appearance which marks it only two or three times in a Session. One thing beyond the persuasiveness of Mr. Asquith's oratory which served to muster the eager throng was the ex- pectation of Mr. Parnell's appearance. There was no man in the House more interested in the debate, which had already lasted five days ; and he of all men had been persist- ently absent. The Irish leader has a great gift of subduing, and even efi'ectively concealing, his personal interest in public proceedings, whether taking place at Westminster or in the i,s89.] MR. PARKE LL'S HOUR OF TRIUMPH. 1(51 Probate Court. It was quite on the cards that ho might not come at all. No one had seen him about the House. Eleven o'clock was drawing near, and before midnight the debate must needs close and the House be cleared for the division. A loud, hearty, and prolonged cheer paid tribute to the ex- cellence of Mr. Asquith's orator3\ As it was dying away, and members were looking round to see Avho might follow, a sharp ringing cheer from the Irish camp drew all eyes in that direc- tion, and behold ! there was Mr. Parnell, rising from an obscure place midway down the second bench below the gangway, with pale set face turned towards the C-hair. A memorable When he stood up, the Irish members near him began to cheer. Then they rose to their feet. The enthusiasm extended beyond the gangway, and sedate English Liberal members sitting behind the front bench also uprose, a thing never seen before in the House of Commons in honour of an Irish member. But there was more to follow. Mr. Gladstone stood up, and turned to face with w^elcoming countenance the representative of Ireland. In a second, ex-Ministers right and left of him followed his lead, and resounding cheers tilled the House, whilst Mr. Parnell, pale to the lips, stood waiting till the cheering subsided. On the front Opposition bench only one figure remained seated — Lord Hartington, innnobile at the end of the bench. It was some minutes before Mr. Parnell found an opportunity of speaking, the cheers rising again and again, with waving of hats and clapping of hands. All the while Mr. Gladstone and his colleagues stood with their faces turned towards the animated group below the gang- way. The Conservatives refrained from those ironical counter- cheers with which they are wont to greet ebidlitions in favour of Ireland. When silence was restored, Mr. Parnell proceeded with his remarks in his ordinary quiet, self-possessed manner, with unbroken voice, as if nothing particular had happened. He spoke for twenty minutes in a studiously moderate tone, only once referring to the events before the C-ommission of Judges, and then contenting himself with the remark that he would not stop to consider the means adopted by the 16-2 A DIARY OF THE SALISSURY FAHLIAMENT. liss;.. Government and their friends to pass the Coercion Act, or deal with the conspiracy that had assisted thein. This was a well-understood reference to the fact that the Times had held back the pubhcation of the forged letter till the morning preceding the division on the second reading of the Crimes Bill, the allegfed disclosure materially increasing the majority for the Bill. -^o" Then nii.i now. ^Ir. l^imcll rcccivcd this ovation standing by his usually obscure seat below the gangway. Leaders of sectional parties and leaders without parties usually affect a corner seat, a coign of vantage whence they may with proper authority and due distinction address a listening senate. At one time, when Mr. Parnell first emerged into prominence, having Mr. Biggar as his constant companion and alter ego, he dropped into the fashion amongst Parliamentary claimants of addressing the House from a corner seat. That was many years ago, and the preference was not long displayed. Now he has no seat especially connected with his personality as has Lord Randolph Churchill, Sir Walter Barttelot, Mr. Dilhvyn, or that other guerilla chief, Mr. Chaplin. Somewhere about the middle of the second bench below the gangway, any seat that happens to be vacant, or anywhere where room may be made for him in this quarter, suffices Mr. Parnell for his rare and, of late, historical addresses to the Conunons. Here he stood one sunnner night in the sitting which saw the suspension of thirty-seven Irish members. From this very place he expressed a " doubt whether it was really of any use addressing the House," noting that the English nation was in the habit of bullying and oppressing weaker nations, " much in the same way," he added parenthetically, " as I am subject to menaces from members of this House." Twice in the same sitting his words were " taken down," and the House solemnly agreed that " Mr. Parnell having wilfully and persistently ob- structed public business is guilty of contempt of this House, and that Mr. Parnell for the said offence be suspended from the service of the House till Friday next." It was from this seat that, after years of incidents akin ti» this, he rose last Session to denounce as forgeries certain letters which had ot late appeared in the Times. isss..] UNREST IN THE COMMONS. 163 Perhaps in the few minutes' pause imposed upon him to- night, whilst the Opposition enthusiastically cheered him, and whilst he looked on the unprecedented scene of the veteran statesman on the front Opposition bench rising to do him honour, his thoughts turned back to the days that are no more. CHAPTER XV. UNREST IX THE COMMONS. Dr. Tanner's Escort — The New Lord Radnor — A Missing Document — Sir "VVm. Harcourt in Saddened Mood — Mr. Biggar — J. F. X. O'Brien — Mr. Courtney's Mistake — A Sitting of the House of Lords — An All-night Sitting — "Worried Ministers. .March 2. — Dr. As Big Beu tolled forth half-past twelve this Tanner s es- • t i t^ ■ i t • cort. mornmg, Lord Beaconsheld, gazmg out ironi his pedestal in Parliament Square, looked upon a strange scene. On the stroke of the half-hour there issued from the corridor by the carriage entrance of the House of Commons a densely-packed body of men.. They spoke in low tones, moved with slow step, and, under the tolling of the bell, suggested a funeral procession. Slowly they marched across Palace Yard, shoulder to shoulder, almost tumbling over each other in their undisciplined effort to keep their square unbroken. As they passed out of the Yard their steps quickened ; there was less anxious closing up of the serried ranks, and as the procession passed beneath the statue of the late Premier, there rose up on the stilly midnight air the strains of the Irish Marseillaise — • " God save Ireland I " say wc all, " Whether on the g.allows high, or on battlefield we die, WTiat matter if for Ireland dear we fall ? " This Avas the escort of Dr. Tanner, bent upon the desperate but vague purpose of somehow or other delivering him in safety at Westminster Palace Hotel, and so baffling the Ohief Secretary's myrmidons. Dr. Tanner has hitherto successfully carried out his little scheme for bringing authority into 164 A DIARY OF THE SALISBUIIY VABLIAMENT. [is89. disrepute. After evading fur a month the magistrate's warrant for his arrest under the C'rimes Act he hist night with (h'amatic effect burst in upon the assembled House of ( 'oiiunons on the very eve of the division which challenged the existence of the Government. He had had a boisterous reception ; and now " the boys " were taking him home — a stern, resolute body of men as they emerged from the sanctuary of the House and faced the unknown terrors of Palace Yard. What would happen who could tell ? Would the police bear down upon them baton in hand and wrest from them their precious convoy ? Would the Yard bristle with bayonets, its dark recesses illumined by the Hash of rifle fire ? No one could tell ; but Mr. O'Hanlon, who had almost tasted blood on the previous night when imdcr the gallery he Avrestled with Sir Henry Havelock- Allen, and mag- nanimously gave him " a minute to think," was among the throng of members who grimly set their teeth and prepared to meet the worst. Ex pede Herculem. Nothing came of it in Palace Yard ; nothing in Parliament Square, only the familiar figure on the pedestal looking down with that inscrutable glance Avith which some in the ])rooossion were famiHai- when Mv. Disraeli used to gaze across the tioor of the House at the tumultuous group l)elow the gangway. Then among tliem the stupendous form of Major O'dorman towered. Then " divshiug Lysaght Finigan " was still to the fore (where is iss'.i,] BR. TANNER' H ESCORT. 165 Lysaght now ? Married a wealthy widow, they say, and retired from pohtics), Then well-meaning M'Carthy Downey was distraught between his devotion to Mr. Butt and his desire to mingle in the scrimmage led by lighter spirits such as Frank Hugh O'Donnell and Joseph Gillis Biggar. As the procession passed the broad space by West- minster Court House and neared the hotel, a depressing thought simultaneously possessed the mind of the gallant band. What if, after all, no attempt should be made to arrest Dr. Tanner ? Irish members sometimes bitterly say Mr. Balfour lacks a sense of humour. Supposing he were suddenly to develop it in this ruthless way and spoil the sport by leaving the procession severely alone ? Footsteps lagged ; a ripple of laughing conversation succeeded the measured chant of the song ; the crowd halted forlornly at the 0})en doors of the hotel. There had been the usual policeman or two about the gates of Palace Yard, but they had taken no notice of the procession, had not followed it, and were not now anywhere within sight. There was evidently nothing to be done but for Dr. Tanner to enter his hotel as any ordinary late comer might, to disappear, and go to bed, perchance to sleep. Before the curtain fell the doctor, standing bareheaded on the topmost step, delivered a speech, the best (because the briefest) ever heard from him since his Parliamentary career commenced. Then he went in, the door closed; the escort having, regardless of personal danger, performed their duty, went boldly home, and Dr. Tanner was nabbed — ignominiously nabbed in the smoking-room of his hotel, with scarcely any to see save a waiter, whose sympathies were sapped by the consciousness that he had been unduly kept out of his bed. Aiaich IG.-The The death of the Earl of Radnor incidentally new Lord Kad- „ .,. , „ . -^ nor. removes a lannliar and lavourite personage from the House of Commons. Lord Folkestone, his heir and successor to the peerage, is something more than a Conservative. He is one of those thorough-paced Tories whom modern concatenation of political circumstances makes increasingly rare. But he is so bubbling over Avith the quality described by the untranslatable word honhomic that he is as im A DIABY OF THE SALISBURY PABLIAMENT. [issi.. imich liked on the Liberal side as the Conservative. He has been in the House of C'oninions for upwards of fifteen years, and has throughout voted steadily against every one of those reforms Mr. Gladstone and his colleagues have been instrumental in bringing forward. His reward has been the appointment of Treasurer to the Household, which came to him in 1885, the year he was returned for the Enfield Division of Middlesex, severing his long connection with South Wilts, It is well kno^\Tl among Lord Folkestone's intimate friends that when the Conservative party came into power in 1886 he looked for the appointment of Chief Whip, which he would have admirably tilled. Nominally he has never been Wliip, but during the time the Conservatives were in Opposition he did all the drudgery of the office. March 18. —A Mr. Beaufov, the newly-elected member for missing docu- . "^ . ^ . . nient. Ivennuigtou, was durmg question-time under the gallery, in the seat allotted to members waiting to take the oath. It was naturally expected that as soon as questions were over he would walk to the table, and the crowded state of the Opposition benches promised an enthusiastic welcome. It presently turned out that, owing to some unaccountable accident, the return to the writ of election was not to hand, and the Speaker ruled that, failing its arrival, Mr. Beaufoy might not take his seat. The delay is, of course, accidental, and of no particular consequence, since no critical division is on to-night. But it is unpardonable, seeing the considerable space that has intervened since the election was determined. There has been no similar case since the year 1848. The nearest approach to it was in 1877, when the present Lord Chancellor, then Sir Hardinge GifFard, after many defeats managed to get elected for Launccston. When he arrived at the table, and was asked to produce the return to the writ, he could not find it. This was a dozen }-ears ago, l)Ut no one who Avas present can forget the ludicrous scene, which lasted several minutes, during which the new member frantically fished in every pocket, turning out heaps of papers, vainly searching for the document. It was finally found on the bench under the gallery where he had been sitting await- inu' the call to the table. issii.i SIR W. HAEGOrRT IN SADDENED MOOD. 107 March 22. -Sir The little sceiio in which Mr. J. F. X. O'Brien Um. Harcoiirt . , . , -i ■ ^ t i in saddened to-niglit niYohuitarily hgured supplied a grate- "^*'°*' fnl relief to the over- wrought feelings of the House of Commons. For an hour and a half Sir William Harcourt had mingled his tears Avith those of gentlemen who deplore the short-comings, or the too far-goings, of the Attorney-General. Sir William's oratorical manner may be roughly classified after the manner of an interestirg page of the morning paper, which announces deaths in one column and marriages in another. His more familiar manner is marked by the boisterousness of the happy bridegroom. But there are times, happily rare, when he assumes the habiliments of mourning, and laments at large. Such an occasion pre- sented itself to-night, when it fell to the lot of this distin- guished man to indict the Attorney-General for his private practice in connection with the Parnell Commission. He was oppressed with a sense of his responsibility, borne down with the weight of commiseration for his " right hon. and learned friend " at the other side of the table. At the very outset he, with instinctive dramatic art, assumed an attitude of almost limp depression. As a rule, he stands with head erect and lissom figure poised, so that he may, at a moment's inspiration, the more readily and easily launch forth in that convincing gesture by which, with arms flung abroad, he turns rapidly upon his heel and literally rounds off a telling sentence. To-night his aims hung listless at his side ; his massive shoulders were bowed ; his head drooped. Unconsciously he assumed the attitude of the principal accessory, who usually stands at one of the corners of a monumental piece, and drops a stony or metallic tear over departed Youth, or Valour, or Domestic Excellence. His voice was attuned to his attitude. He hardly once up- lifted the tones of his righteous scorn or ridicule, familiar in ordinary circumstances. He plodded along in melancholy monotone, rarely raising his eyes from the l)rass-bound box on which lay the manuscript that entombed the annotation of his spontaneous regret. It was a touching spectacle ; but, perhaps, regarded through the space of an hour and a half, a little monotonous. H" the Attorney-General had not been quite so wicked, or the three months' ex-Solicitor-Generrd 168 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [iss9. had been a little more hopeful of the ultiinate destination of his learned friend, the crowded House would have been thankful. Sometimes, towards the end of a week, the House of (Jommons begins to think it has had a little too much of Sir William Harcourt as L' Allegro; but the punishment of his II Penseroso is apt, after the tirst sixty minutes, to grow insupportable. Mr. Biggar. It was tliis made the House grateful to Mr. Courtney for the diversion he presently created. The Irish members, relieved from the incubus of Sir William Harcourt's lament over the iniquity of his right hon. and learned friend, showed a tendency to be a little uproarious with the Attorney-General. For one or two among them it was a great opportunity. Mr. Biggar, for example, had for days and weeks and months sat silent in the Probate Court whilst the Attorney-General had laboriously imfolded his case before the Commission of Judges. Oc- casional attempts to find vent for overcharged feelings had been sternly repelled by the Court. Now, here was the Attorney-General at bay in the open field of the House of ( 'ommons, and Mr. Biggar's spirits rising to the height of the occasion, he joined lustily in the ironical cheers and running comments with which Sir William Harcourt's speech was punctuated. Once his excitement reached such a pitch that the Chairman, addressing him with studied courtesy, observed " If the hon. member for Cavan finds it impossible to restrain his emotion I must ask him to retire." Mr. Biggar smiled grimly ; but the hint Avas not thrown away, and his subsequent contributions to the uproar below the gangAvay were made with judicious furtiveness. Still the noise was continuous. The Attorney-General, encouraged by the cheers with which his friends had wel- comed his appearance, and desiring to present some contrast to the funereal manner of Sir William Harcourt, was, Avhen he came to reply, unusually animated. For the nonce he had abandoned his level nisi prias style, and with uplifted voice and commanding gestures he met and repelled the charges and allegations levelled against him. One interruption he' met with the remark that he left his case not to hon. mend)ers isso.] MR. GOURTNETS MISTAKE. 160 below the gan^'way (this with a contemptuous gesture of his ready right hand), but to the judgment of any honoiu*abl}-- minded man — a nice distinction which drew from the tur- bulent ranks of the Irish members a roar of angry resentment. Mr. Courtney sprang to his feet, and, amid a scene of growing excitement, ruled the expression out of order. Then the shouts of exultation below the gangway rose to stormier pitch. Members flung themselves about as if the floor were upheaving in earthquake throes. Above the din Mr. Courtney was heard shouting " Order ! order ! " After a while the Irish members, supposing the Chairman was about to continue his interrupted rebuke to the Attorney-General, became partially hushed, and through the undertone of eager talk sounded forth the injunction — " I must order the hon. inember for South Mayo to retire." J. F. X. O'Brien. The member for South Mayo is the many- initialled O'Brien, who holds a position of pecu- liar eminence among Irish patriots. Most of them have at one time or another been in prison ; Mr. J. F. X. O'Brien Avas nearly hanged. Twenty-two years ago he was tried for high treason and sentenced to death. Almost at the last moment the hand of amnesty was extended, and James Francis-Xavier, a brand plucked from the burning, survives to this day to live in Fentiman Eoad, Lambeth, and represent South Mayo in the House of Commons. For one with such a history the member for South Mayo is a disappointing personality. He is pro- bably the mildest-mannered man ever sentenced to death for the crime of high treason. Since his appearance in the House in 1885 he has taken no prominent part in its proceedings. A grey-haired, kindly-faced, unemotional-looking man, one meeting him in the corridor or crossing the lobby Avould think he was a stranger, who paying his lirst visit to the House of Commons, had strayed from the Strangers' Gallery. That he of all men should have been fixed upon by the Chairman and ordered off for immediate sacrifice as atonement for the uproarious conduct of his colleagues had about it something familiarly comic in its bearing. It is an old trick on the pantomime stage for the policeman called in to (piell a street riot to pounce upon the smallest, most inoffensive boy 170 J DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isso. on tlie skirts of the crowd and liale him oft' to the nearest dungeon. Whatever may have been Mr. O'Brien's degree of comphcity in the' events of 1S67 he was certainly innocent enough of an}^ prominent participation in the uproar that at this particular juncture hampered the progress of the Attorne}^- (leneral's S2:)eech. Breathless with indignation, almost inarticulate with conscious innocence, he gasped forth, " I did not open my lips." Mem- bers near him bore testimony to the accuracy of his denial, and the tem- porarily played-out storm below the gangway burst forth again. Mr. Courtney's mistake. This Avas a ditiicult position for Mr. Court- ney. He had made a mistake, inno- cent in intention and natural enough in the circumstances. But a mistake from the Chair is a serious matter, fatal if persisted in, exceedingly em- barrassing if acknowledged. Here was Mr, O'Brien persistently on his feet plaintively stretching forth the curiously long neck once in such imminent peril, and insisting that asrain he had been wronged. He was under orders to withdraw, and the next word was with the Chairman. If he insisted on his withdrawal Mr. O'Brien would have suffered a fresh wrong in his unduly chequered life. If the Chairman admitted he had made a mis- take his authority at a critical epoch would be sorely shaken. Mr. Courtney was equal to the occasion. Having accused Mr. O'Brien of doing something which it was shown he had not done, the Chairman accepted his " disclaimer," bargaining at the same time that Mr. O'Brien should not deny having repeatedly interrupted in a loud voi(!e earlier in the evening. This was not a very logical position. It was not lacking AMKS FKAXCIS-XAAIEU. 18S9.] A[R. COURTNEY'S MISTAKE. 171 in suspicion of introducing into dicta from the Chair the principle of the occult science of Proportional Representation. Mr. O'Brien, it was admitted, had not been guilty of disorderly interruption at the particular moment he was arraigned and sentenced. But he had been guilty at some earlier period, and a proportion of his offence extending through later sections of the proceedings had suddenly, at a given moment, assumed a magnitude which authorised the Chairman to order him to withdraw. This, perhaps, does not seem very clear when written out : but its eft'ect upon the mind of Mr. O'Brien as he stood facing the Chairman and the excited House Avas, on the whole, successful. He opened his parched lips, turned his head slowly round in search of enlightenment, and, finding none, dumbly dropped into his seat. Then the Attorney-General went forward with his speech. March 19.— A The Housc of Lords met this afternoon with all sitting of the .^ T , n^i T 1 House of its ordinary pomp and ceremony, ihe Lord '^^'^^' Chancellor, in wig and gown, took his seat on the Woolsack ; the Mace was laid on the table ; and the Pursebearer reverentially deposited his burden. The only thing lacking to add dignity to the proceedings was some work to do. There Avas positively none, except the third reading of the Hythe Corporation Bill, a private measure Avhich has quietly gone through earlier stages. The Lords meet at a quarter past four, and public business is not opened till half-past. The Hythe Corporation Bill Avas disposed of in the interval, after which the Lord Chancellor sat on the Wool- sack tAviddling his thumbs. The few Peers present sat looking at each other. The clerks at the table scribbled aAvaj^, and the strangers in the gallery looked on aAvestruck. Not a Avord Avas spoken till the clock struck half-jiast four, when the Lord Chancellor rose and solemnly observed — " The question is that the House do now adjourn." No one opposed this reasonable procedure. Lord Hals- bury — Avho, arrayed in Avig and goAvn, ahvays looks like the comic man gone astray from a music-hall — Avalked doAvn the floor of the House, preceded by Black Rod, and folloAved by the Pursebearer. A fcAV Peers quietly Avalked out, the galleries emptied, and the sitting Avas over. A DIABY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. Ma.cii22 -An ^Matters have come to a pretty pass in the ting. House oi Commons when m these mad March days the Speaker takes the Chair at two o'clock in the afternoon, and leaves it at ten minutes to four in the following morning-, with delusive interval of a couple of hours for dinner. It is true that on this particular occasion the Speaker was not uninterruptedly on duty. At the morning sitting, and for an hour after , ^^^ the House resumed in the evening, i^'" ii'jf'^lwk ^^^ question before the House was that it should resolve itself into Com- mittee, in which case the Speaker is in the Chair. Once in Committee Mr. Courtney takes the lower chair at the table, and thence sees the long night through. But though the Speaker is free from actual attend- ance on the House whilst it is in ( 'ounuittee, he must needs be within call. The Chairman of Committees may not adjourn the House, and the Speaker must be fetched up out of bed to per- form that formal business. If he could only stalk in in dressing-gown and night- cap, the operation would be useful as bringing strongly home to the House the absurdity of its sitting up all night to scamp imj)ortant business that should be carefully de- spatched at more reasonable hours. But the Speaker must needs put on wig and gown, walk in with liis stately stride, and make belief that he has not had a wink of sleep, but has been sitting at the door through the night awaiting the summons. The deadlock is ]ieculiarly paiufid to Ministers. If it came about through ordinary accident or by deliberate obstruction they might find some means of consolation. But they know too well — the fact is absolutely beyond dispute — that the whole afl'air is due to their own action. IN DHESSISG-GOWN- AND NIGHT-CAP 1S89.1 WOIilllED MIMISTEES. 173 Their curses of ]\Ir. Parncll and his colleagues in the represent- ation of Ireland have come home to roost. That fateful Com- mission of Judges they insisted on appointing, in the sure and certain hope that it would prove the destruction of Mr. Parnell, and with him of Mr. Gladstone, Home Rule, and the Liberal Opposition, looms darkly over the Chamber. Every day as the question hour comes round the Chief Secretary and the Home Secretary are set up against the wall and pelted with questions as to their connection with the Timci^ and its various agents, from Mr. Pigott to Mr. Soames, from Mr. Houston to the Attorney-General. Worried Minis- Poor Mr. Smith is terribly worried, and is too honest-minded a man to succeed in disguising his condition of hopeless disappointment. There is talk about his throwing up the sponge, seeking the more placid atmo- sphere of the House of Lords, and so bringing about a re- construction of the Ministry. There is not any more founda- tion for this story now than there has been at any time during the last eighteen months, when it has periodically cropped up. Mr. Smith will probably be garnered to the House of Lords some time in the late autumn. But he will undoubtedly stick to his post through this Session. Not a very strong man himself — his strength, indeed, such as It is, lies in his weakness and in the friendly patronage with which he is therefore shielded from both sides of the House — he is not assisted by his colleagues. Mr. Balfour, infinitely the strongest, is just now tainted with the breath of the departed Pigott. Mr. Goschen, from whom so much was expected, is rather a source of weakness than of strength. He has this week succeeded in accomplishing one of the rarest feats of the least habile Minister. He has " got up the backs " of the Scotch members, turning a habitually peaceful section of the House into an exasperated and almost desperate company. He is listened to with dislike by the party he has deserted, and without respect by the party he has joined. The only Minister who, having made a position, keeps it, is Mr. Ritchie, whose adroit and resolute dealing the other day with the Board of AVorks has given him another lift in the opinion of the House of Commons. 174 CHAPTER XVL DEATH OF MR. BRIGHT. Mr. Rriglit Dying— Mr. Gladstone and his Old Friend— Death of Mr. Eright— John Bright in the Commons — Bright and Kcnealy. Marcii 2r,.-Mr. The sad tidiiio's of the state of Mr. Bridit's Bright dymg. -, ,^i T T . • r .• • nealtn were a leading topic ot conversation m the House to-day. The near approach of the end was no news to the generahty of members. His brother and his son have been in constant attendance at the House, and they have not from the tirst attempted to hide their conviction of the hopelessness of the case. Either of the two diseases which had attacked Mr. Bright was necessarily fatal. With the combination the marvel is he should so long have withstood the assault. None has been more surprised than his medical attendant at the prolongation of his life. Dr. Hayle privately expresses the o})inion that it is Mr. Bright's tremendous brain power that has had an appreciable effect in delaying the end. He determined that he would not give up the contest with his deadly disease, and for a period that at the outset seemed impossible he has held his own. Mr. Gladstone ^\'\i\\ resiDCct to ]\Ir. Gladstone and his old and Ids old /■•inn i i i • ^ i friend. friend and colleague, they had m these last months renewed their ancient relationship. When Mr. Bright was first stricken down, and was, as it seemed, at the gates of death, Mr. (Iladstonc sent him an affectionate message, to which he promptly responded, and since then, though Mr. Bright himself has not been able to write, several messages have passed between them. This is a happy change from the state of things formerly existing. A little more than a year ago an honourable baronet who sits for a southern constituency told me he had been in connnunication with Mr. Bright with the olijt'ct of bringing about, apart from all jiolilicnl ditfeveiiccs. a personal re- conciliation. He proposed that the two old fi'ieiids should 1880.] JOHN BRIGHT. 176 meet at his country house. The negotiation did not go so far as to ehcit from Mr. Gladstone a personal reply, but a nieniber of his family who possesses in peculiar degree his confidence was sounded on the matter, and expressed the conlident belief that nothing would please Mr. Gladstone better. The next thing was to approach Mr. Bright. Mr. Bright, who was then in tolerably good health, and in occasional coi-rcspondence 17H J DfARY OF THE SALISBURY PABLTAMENT. [issd. with stray i)e()ple on the iniquities of ^Ir. (Iladstone, brnsquel}' refused to have anything to do with the project. :March 27. —Death There was no difficulty in niakino- a House in of Mr. Bright. ^, , , ^ 1 at i i the Lonunons to-day. ^Members came down unusually early in anticipation of proceedings in connec- tion with the death of Mr. Bright, news of Avhich reached London shortly after ten o'clock. Mr. Smith was promptly in his place, accompanied by about half a dozen of his col- leagues, Mr. Balfour and the Home Secretary being among the absentees. Mr. Closchen was in his seat, and as soon as pra3Trs were over crossed to the front Opposition bench to speak to Mr. John. Morley, who, with one exception, was the sole representative of the Liberal leaders. Before business commenced Mr, Smith approached the table, and alluding to the great loss sustained by the country, ])roposed that, pending the arrival of Mr. Gladstone, further observations should be postponed. Mr. John Morley expressed what is the general feeling on both sides of the House — a deep sense of the considerateness and good taste displayed by Mr. Smith. Everyone felt it would have been an irreparable loss if the temporarj^ absence of Mr. Gladstone should have pre- vented him from paying a last tribute to his old friend and companion in arms. Nothing is more difficult in Parlia- mentary oratory than to pronounce a panegyric. Mr. Bright was one of two men in the House of Gonnnons of recent }'ears capable of worthily performing the task. The other is Mr. Gladstone, who, hurrying back to town from the grave of his elder brother, Avill on Friday be in his place to cast flowers on the coffin of one who was almost his oldest, political tViend. The shock that would in ordinary circumstances follow ii])()n the news of the closing of so great a career has been iiioditied by the slow but certain approach of the end. Mr. I '.right's old companions in the House of Gonuiions have known foi- werl;s, even months, that he was marked for (Icatb. Still, now the end is accomplished a great sorrow has fallen on tlie Cliamber in whi(;h he for many years filled so large a ])laee, and nothing is heard but words of personal esteem for tlie great Tribune and admiration of his noble 18S9.] JOHN BRIGHT. 177 career. Mr. John Morley, in his brief r(n narks this afternoon, did not refrain from touching upon the division which had parted the dead statesman from his hfelong friends. But, as Avas well said, that has not in the smallest degree impaired the gratitude, the veneration, and the affection felt for him. :\iarch 29.— John Qn Tucsdav ucxt it will be twenty- four years Bright 111 the . ^ r t. • t i i i i /- i tt Commons. suice Mr. JBright stood at the table oi the House of Commons and spoke a few broken words about his dead friend Cobden. Lord Palmerston was at that time Leader of the House, and Mr. Disraeli Leader of the Opposition. Both had delivered their eulogy on the apostle of Free Trade, and as they resumed their seats all eyes were turned upon Mr. Bright. He rose, spoke half a dozen sentences in a voice scarcely audible, and then sat down. Now the years have passed — nearly a quarter of a century — and to-night Mr. Gladstone, who on that April da}^ went down to Lavington with a great contingent from the House of Commons to stand by Cobden's grave, rises to lament the death of John Bright. On the other side of the table in place of Disraeli stands Mr. W. H. Smith, with Mr. Gladstone still a link Avith the far-off past, mourning afresh one of the now innumerable friends and colleagues who have passed before him. There are few men in the Avorld, perhaps none other, for whom the grave holds so many distinct memories as it does for Mr. Gladstone. For this Parliament of 1886 John Bright was rather a tradition than a realisation. As far as memory goes he had but once or twice entered its doors since they were thrown open in August, 1886. For him the times were out of joint, and he had no more pleasure in a place where his deathless triumphs were won. It is, in truth, nearly twenty years since he was a commanding figure, a motive power in the House of Commons. He came back to the Parliament of 1874 in shattered health. He took his seat at the remote end of the Treasury bench, where on dull nights he chatted in low tones with Mr. Gladstone, who had just written that famous letter from " Carlton House Terrace " announcing to " My dear ITS .1 DIABY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isso. Granville " that " at tlie age of sixty -five, and after forty-two years of a laborious public life, I think myself entitled to retire at the present opportunity." He seemed beyond doubt an extinct volcano. But one night the House discovered to its partially-delighted surprise that the old fires were not dead, but only sleeping. It happened early in the Session of 1875, of all subjects in the world, on a turnpike debate. Sir George Jenkinson— another ghost of past Parliaments — had brought forward his annual motion dealing with this entrancing subject. It was a Tuesday night, and the House was almost empty, but, in accordance with their Avont, Disraeli and Bright sat in their several places as attentive to the course of debate as if the life of the Ministry depended upon it. Mr. Bright suddenly interposed. It Avas his first ordered speech since his return to public life, and as the word went round the wondering lobbies that Bright w\as " up " the Chamber swiftly filled. Mr. Bright, bowling along the hitherto placid turnpike, dashed at the Tory Party in general and Disraeli in particular, heaping on them a sudden outburst of contumely and scorn. The attack brought Disraeh promptly to his feet, and in a few flashing sentences he replied. It was all over as swiftly and as suddenly as it had commenced, and the House going back to Sir George Jen- kinson and the turnpike roads got itself counted out. The incident was taken to heart as showing that for all his stooping shoulders, his halting manner when he approached the table, and the broken music of his once clarion voice, John Bright, regarded as a factor in Parliamentary debate, was not safely to be disregarded. Later in the life of this triumphant Tory Parliament he spoke oftencr in sufficiently aggravating tone. He Avas always listened to by the party he lectured with a feeling of respect and admiration, miraculously merging at last in that strange concatenation of circumstances that l)laced the Anti-Corn Law League agitator of 1843 on the liighcst pedestal of Conservative adulation. iirigiit an.i J ^vcU reuiembcr the first a})pcarance at the table vcne:i j . jj^ight 1 iiadc in the House of Commons on return- ing to political life. It was in 1875, and he was moved thereto by one of those generou|j impulses that marked his life. It Avas 1S89.] BRIGHT AND KENEALY. 179 at the time Dr. Kenealy Avas to the fore. He had just been re- turned for Stoke, and on this February night had Avalked up the floor of the House of Commons with his hat in one hand and a good stout umbrella in the other. He was a sort of pariah. No man, except poor Mr. Whalley, would hold converse with him. Ho had been returned for Stoke by an overwhelming- majority. A huzzahing multitude had brought him down in triumph to the gates of the House of Commons. Within he stood alone — alone with his gingham umbrella and poor, half- cracked Mr. Whalley. It is requisite that a ncAv member coming up to the table shall be escorted by two sitting members, who vouch for his identity. When Kenealy got as far as the table and showed premonitions of desire to hang his umbrella on the Mace whilst he signed the Roll of Parliament, the Speaker interposed and observed that it Avas customary for a noAv member to be accompanied by sponsors. Were there tAvo members of the House prepared to introduce the elect ot Stoke ? There Avas a dead silence, and Dr. Kenealy's Parliamentary career seemed cut oft' thus early on the threshold ; Avhen from his modest seat at the end of the front Opposition bench John Bright rose and said that, out of deference to the Avill of the large constituency that had elected Dr. Kenealy, he Avould himself, if the hon. member Avould accept his companionship, be glad to Avalk Avith him to the table. As he stood at the table in the thronged and excited House, thus breaking the silence of many Sessions, Mr. Bright trembled like an aspen leaf, and his once magniiicent voice was so beyond his control that it hardly penetrated as far as the cross benches. Through succeeding years, certainly up to the close of this Parliament, he never entirely mastered his curious nervousness. I have often seen him sitting on the front Opposition bench hour after hour,, taking notes with evident intention of delivering a speech, and failing to muster courage to rise. Wlienever, at this period, he did speak, he began in a nervous, hesitating Avay, Avhich Avould have Avell become a modest young member making his maiden speech. As he went forward he regained his self-possession and his mastery of his audience. 180 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [iss9. What in those days used to be his salvation was the sight of the Conservative Party massed opposite him ; DisraeH on the Treasury bench, with folded arms, head bent down, and brown eyes watchfully fixed on his ancient adversary. As Bright shook a contemptuous finger at them or a clenched right hand, his voice rang out with its old metallic sound, and the inimit- ably clustered words sprang spontaneously from his lips. All his life Bright has been angry with some one. In his latest days it was with Mr. Gladstone and the flower of the Liberal Party. Once it was the Tories, Mr. Disraeli and Lord Salisbury, their hate of him being equalled only by their fear. For a man of peace, of Quaker parentage, he was desperately aggressive. Of all the millions of words that have been spun about him through his long life, and now, with added force, at the day of his death, I do not thmk a briefer or more graphic summary has been uttered than is to be found in the remark of Lord George Bentinck. " If Bright," he said, " had not been a Quaker, he would have been a prize-fighter." CHAPTER XYII. LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL. Lord R. Churchill and the Representation of Birmingham — The Chairman of Committees in the Lords — Mr. Chaplin and Lord R. Churchill — From Bad to Worse. April 2.— Lord R. X REMARKABLE political cpisodo was brought to a Churchill and . . , ,. , i i Ti • /y it i the representa- conclusiou at fivc o clock this attcmoon by Jjorci mingham. ^'''' Randolph Churchill's declinature of the invita- tion to contest Central Birmingham, the scat vacated by the death of Mr. Bright. Some weeks ago, when the vacancy which has now taken place was known to be im- minent, negotiations were opened, with Lord Randolph on behalf of the Conservative committee of the constituency. There was no difficulty in ascertaining his personal views on 1SS9.] LORD BANDOLFE. 181 the matter. The fact is, it has for j-ears been the dearest object of his pohtical hfe to represent Birmingham. He fought it in 1885, and almost won, even against so supreme a candidate as Mr. Bright. He has no S3'mpathy with the villadom of Paddington, nor do his constituents regard with unquahtied satisfaction the vagaries of his ParHamentary career. He believes that in Birmingham he would find the very constituency that Avould appreciate and sympathise with his Democratic Toryisin, and when an opening was presented to him to succeed Mr. Bright he jumped at it. Everything was practically settled, and the deputation that visited London to-day came assured of being able to carry back his formal assent. So complete was the understanding that arrangements had been made for holding a meeting at Birming- ham on Friday, which Lord Randolph was to have addressed as the Conservative candidate. He saw the deputation at his house this morning, and promised to hand in his formal reply at five o'clock this afternoon. This delay was the response to signs of uneasiness which had reached him from the quarter where Lord Hartington and Mr. Chamberlain sit together. Mr. Chamberlain had won over Lord Hartington to his view that the appearance of Lord Randolph to compete for a seat re- cently held by a Dissentient Liberal would be fatal to the prospects of the alliance between Dissentient Liberals and Conservatives. If, it was pointed out, on the very first oppor- tunity where the Conservatives seemed to haA-e the pull, a seat were snatched out of the grasp of the Dissentient Liberals, there would be an end of all confidence, and the Dissentients would clearly perceive Avhat was in store for them when the day of dissolution came. It is quite possible, and is freely asserted this afternoon in Conservative circles, that, apart from this consideration, Mr. Chamberlain was influenced in the course he has taken by the unwelcome character of the prospect of sharing his throne in Birmingham with so active and popular a person as Lord Randolph Churchill.. After seeing the deputation this morning, and promising them an answer. Lord Randolph had an interview with Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, the only member of the present Ministry with wdiom he is on terms of intimate friendship. Sir Michael repeated to hun representations that have 182 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isso. been made to tlie Government by the Dissentient Liberal leaders, and pointed out the gravity of the situation. Lord Eandolph finally consented, if Sir M. H. Beach would meet Lord Hartinsfton and Mr. Chamberlain, and confer with them upon the situation, to accept the unanimous decision ol the three. This was given shortly before five o'clock, and was against the candidature. Lord Randolph loyally accepted the decision, though he himself frankly admitted that the dis- appointment is very bitter. Whilst Lord Randolph Churchill is in a mood of pro- found depression, the deputation of Birmingham Conserv- atives left in a very angry frame of mind. It was in the Conservative Whip's room at the House of Commons that the decision was conveyed to them, and they openly told Mr. Akers Douglas that if a Dissentient Liberal can- didate were put up they as Conservatives would not vote for him. If this be more than idle threat Mr. Cham- berlain's peremptory interference will have disastrous conse- quences for the Ministerial Party. The incident has engrossed attention here throughout the sitting of the House, and has excited much feeling between the two divisions of the Minis- terial forces. Between Lord Randolph Churchill and Mr. Chamberlain there is not even the appearance of a patching up of old h-iendship. Lord Randolph is not a man to take half-mea- sures with his personal acquaintances. He is either on terms of friendship with them or he declines to hold intercourse with them. He has reached the latter stage in respect of Mr. Chamberlain, and what at one time seemed in a fair way to become a notable political alliance is now drifting into a condition of personal antagonism. Lord Randolph in his private conversation does not mince matters. He plainly traces the upsetting of an arrangement on which he had fixed his heart to the machinations of Mr. Chamberlain, who, he says, was thinking not of the interests of the Unionist Party, but of his own. Mr. J. A. Bright, an amiable gentle- man dowered with the heritage of a name popular in Birming- liam, but himself not a strongly-marked character, will suit ^Fr. Chamberlain as his colleague in the representation of Birmingham much bettor than would Lord Randolph Churchill, 18S0.] MR. CHAPLIN AND LORD RANBOLFH. 183 whose personal popnlarity in the toAvn is already cnibarass- ingly great. Ai)ni4. — The AVhen Lorcl Granville entered the House of Chairman of i i i /• • i ,- Committees in Lords to-day he was asked by a iriend Ironi t le Lon s. ^^yQ Connnons whether there was any chance of his carrying the election of Lord Morley to the Chairmanship of Committees. " Not the slightest," said Lord Granville, and so said everyone else concerned. There is no question on either side which is the better man for the post. But Lord Salisbury had championed the cause of Lord Balfour of Burleigh, and it was taken as a foregone conclusion that he would be elected to this snug berth. He has been already provided for, being Under- Secretary to the Board of Trade, at a salary of £1,500 a year. As compared with the Chairmanship of Committees, an appointment for life at a salary of £2,500 a year, it would be an easy and agreeable sacrifice to give up this berth. Lord Balfour accordingly put forth every effort to win the prize. His friends worked hard for him, and his election seemed a certainty. The result is a surprise to everyone. In a fuller House than has been seen for some weeks Lord Morley was elected by a majority of 19. Last time he was put up he was defeated by a majority of 18. It is cheering to know that, however leniently the Lords may look upon a family and political arrangement in connection with other departments of the State, they will not sanction a job when their own immediate interests are at stake. ^ci^ r ~ ^^^i "^^^" '^ psi'iotl now fast rimning into ten years Lord E. Lord Randolph Churchill has been a trouble to Miircn . j^i^^ Chaplin. There was an epoch when the member for Sleaford used to regard the stripling with that measure of languid interest with which Goliath might have looked upon David before his attention was directly called to him by a personal challenge. Mr. Chaplin, who shares with true greatness the feeling of kindl}^ interest in ambitious youth, was wont to be in his place on the night, which came 184 A DIABY OF THE SALISBURY BABLIAMENT. [isso. but once a yeav, Avlien in the Parliament of 1874 Lord Ean- dolph Cliurchill, seated on the heights of mediocre respect- abihty immediately behind the Treasury bench, repelled the attacks of Sir Charles Dilke on unreformed Corporations. Lord Randolph was then, as Mr. Jacob Bright would sa}^ " member for Woodcock," and his little family borough being included in the vigorous attack of Sir Charles Dilke, at that time a member seated below the gangway, Lord Ran- dolph was drawn out of his indolent retirement into the forefront of debate. The House was startled and delighted with the freshness, vigour, and originality of these speeches, which relieved the dulness of a Tuesday evening. Mr. Chaplin, turnmg round from his throne below the gangway, nodded approvingl}' at his young friend, who might one day, if he diligently studied an attainable model, rise to some position in Parliamentary debate. After a while Mr. Chaplin, his mind occupied with more urgent matters (including from time to time the preparation of a speech), lost sight of his young friend on the back seat behind Ministers. Sir Charles I)ilke intermitted his annual attack on Woodstock and similar anachronisms, and nothing else, not even the proposal to make the Queen Empress of India, stirred the languid pulses of Lord Randolph. Then came the General Election of 1880, which transferred parties in the House of Commons, and somehow Lord Ran- dolph' turned up on a seat below the gangway. This locality had been selected in the first instance by Sir Henry Wolff as offering certain strategical advantages in connection with resistance to the incursions of Mr. Bradlaugh. As that gentle- man began about this date to display a disposition to present liimself at all unguarded moments and make a dash for the table, it was found desirable in the interests of the Constitution that someone should be at a convenient place where he might throw his body across the pathway of the intruder. Mr. IJradlaugh by frequent reconnaissances had acquired the precise range of the table. He knew exactl}^ in hoAv many swinging strides he could reach it. For the Defender of the Faith, the Champion of tlic Constitution, to be on guard midway on a back. bench would obviously place him at a disadvantage, liefore he could get down to plant himself in MB. CHAPLIN AND LORD liANDOLPH. 185 Mr. Bradlaiigli's path that gentleman would be aheady at the table, and well through the speech that always began with the perhaps unnecessary exordium " I am here " So Sir Henry Wolff, the real pioneer of the Fourth Party, planted himself on the front bench below the gangway, and to him presently gathered Mr. John Gorst and Lord Randolph Churchill, with Mr. Arthur Balfour still in the dim and distant future. Mr. Chaplin was able, on the whole, to approve the polic}* pursued by Lord Randolph Churchill when he took the full 186 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isso. command of the Fonrtli Party. Occasionally he himself deigned to enter the lists and bntiet Mr. Bradlaugh. He also turned a friendly countenance upon the little party when they wrestled with Mr. Gladstone, collogued with Mr. Parnell, Mr. O'Donnell, and Mr. Biggar, and made things generally un- comfortable for the Government. This sort of guerilla war- fare was very useful in its way — alwaj-s assuming that in reserve there stood one or more responsible gentlemen of commanding presence, oratorical gifts, and some position in the country, who might be counted upon to deliver set orations on field nights of debate. When Mr. Chaplin first began to look with uncertainty upon his young friend Avas when, intoxicated Avith the success that had attended his nightly appearance on the j)olitical stage. Lord Randolph began to turn upon his pastors and masters. As early as the Session of 1882 the young man was known to speak disrespectfully of Sir Richard Cross, G.C.B. Mr. Chaplin was present one night in the Autumn Session of that very year when, some amendment being under discussion without having been placed upon the paper, question arose as to its precise terms. Sir Richard Cross, always jDrecise, had jotted them down on a piece of paper, which he, with engaging smile, handed to Lord Randolph, who was complaining that no one knew what was under discussion. Lord Randolph took the memorandum and, holding it disdainfully between finger and thumb, turned a glaring countenance upon Sir Richard, and said, " A pretty pass Ave've come to in the House of Commons when we have to consider amendments passed about from hand to hand on dirty bits of paper." From bad to After that Jjord Randolph went entirely to the bad, followed by the troubled gaze of one Avho Avould fain have gathered him under his Avings and clucked affectionately in his ear. He threAv all authority to the Avinds, made the life of Sir Richard Cross a burden to him, Avas responsible for fixing on the countenance of Mr. W. H. Smith a Avavering inconsequential smile, and fatally disturbed the placid course of Sir Stafford Northcote's existence. Mr. Chapljn, shoc^ked, and estranged, came again and again 1SS9.] MB. CHAPLIN AND LORD RANDOLPH. 187 to rescue and reprove. But even a Avorse thing happened. Lord Kandolph Churchill, with whom even the equator would not be free from the risk of disrespectful reference, was known to turn scornfully on Mr. Chaplin, and in the sight of a pained House of Connnons prod hun with ill-timed thrusts of so-called humour. All this happened in the Parliament ot 1880. What followed in 1886, when Mr. Chaplin, overlooked in the dis- position of offices, rubbed his eyes and beheld his quondam young friend promoted to the Leadership of the House of Commons, is a matter of familiar history. That Lord Ran- dolph should, after a brief enjoyment of office, suddenly throw up his position and entangle his colleagues and his party in the most embarrassing position, w^as no surprise to the Nestor of the Conservative Party. But what puzzled Mr. Chaplin then, as it had astonished him before and annoys him at this day, is the question why should the party and the country be so interested and even absorbed in the vagaries of this pre- sumptuous young man ? Take the latest evolution — that which has during the past week disturbed the mind of Mr. Chaplin, and incidentally justified, or at least utilised, the outbreak of cattle plague in Germany. Supposing a respected member of the Con- servative Party, a man of high intellectual attainments, one who possesses quite peculiar gifts of Parliamentary oratory, a scholar, and a country gentleman — supposing Atticus had announced his intention of resigning his seat, for, say, the Sleaford Division of Lincolnshire, and contesting Central Birmingham, Avhat would have happened ? Would a leaf have stirred in the Parliamentary atmosphere ? Probably not. But because it was wdiispered that Lord Randolph Churchill, abandoning Paddington, was about to present himself as a candidate for the suffrages of Central Birming- ham, a sudden storm bursts forth in the political world which obscures all other interests. The strong places entrenched by the Unionist forces tremble with dismay. The Treasury bench is perturbed ; Lord Hartington, temporarily aroused from his mood of lethargy, hurriedly consults Mr. Chamber- ' lain ; the President of the Board of Trade is selected as the plenipotentiary of the Government ; meetings are summoned ; ]88 A DIABY OF THE SALISBURY FABLIAMENT. [18S9. conferences are held ; and all the world waits breathless at Mr. Akers Douglas's door to learn Lord Randolph's decision whether he will go to Birmingham or whether he will refrain. These things are past Mr. Chaplin's comprehension. He has on an earlier occasion turned aside from contemplation of the phenomenon to plunge into the entrancing study of bimetallism. But the personality of this troublesome person has thrust itself even into the quiet glades where bimetallists walk and take counsel together. Providentially there is the cattle plague, and Mr. Chaplin, sternly shutting out from his mental view Lord Randolph Churchill and all his works, has bent his mind to the task of obtaining the slaughter at the port of arrival of cattle which, though ostensibly coming from Holland, may have contracted infection in Germany. CHAPTER XVIII. PARLIAMENTARY CUSTOMS. The Lamp Bill — A Curious Dilemma — Mr. Sam Smith — Sir John Gorst — Sir R. Temple — Mr. Balfour and the Roses — Ancient Parliamentary Customs — The Letter to the Queen — Gunpowder Plot — "Who goes Home?" — "The Usual Time ! " — An Intei'esting Library — Mr. Disraeli — Sii- R. Peel — Mr. Gladstone — An Historic Letter. April 8.— The The Spirit of cconomv which animates the lamp bill. •*■ _^ f . / t •/. T • Tf present House oi Commons mamiested itselt afresh to-night in the fierce controversy that raged around the lamps supplied to the House of Commons, which figure in the Estimates for no less a sum than £2,000. Considering that the House does not sit more than seven months in a year, and these the summer months, £2,000 for lamps over and above the gas bill is a little stiff. What makes it worse is the fact that of late the electric light has been introduced into many parts of the building. Nevertheless, the lamp bill remains the same. It should be understood that lamps are burned in very few parts of the building, not in the House itself, but in the Committee rooms and some passages. As 1889.] A GUBIOUS DILEMMA. 189 the Committees sit in the daytime, the consumption of oil obviously cannot be much. Moreover, in addition to the assistance from the electric light, the consumption of oil must have materially decreased since the twelve o'clock rule came in. In spite of these various considerations, the contractor will have his £2,000, though it is plainly discernible from the breeze that sprang up in the House to-night when the subject was ' incidentally mentioned that this nice little perquisite, worth even more than a canonry, is not likely to last longer than the term of the existing contract. April IG.— A cu- To-day the House of Commons, following in the rious dilemma. n , p ,i m • i t t footsteps 01 the more easily wearied Lords, adjourned for the Easter holidays. The final moments of this section of the Session were marked by a little comedy, of which only the barest indication is found in the Parlia- mentary Reports. Just before six o'clock the Irish members decided that a last word must be said about Donegal. Mr. Sexton had another speech ready, and felt it must be got off before the House did. Accordingly, negotiations were opened with the Ministerial Whip, who, for a consideration, sold the last hour of the sitting. The price paid was two votes in Class 2 of the Civil Service Estimates. These being granted, it was agreed that progress should be reported at six o'clock, and that the Irish members should have the remaining hour in which to discourse. Mr. Arthur O'Connor made a commendably brief speech, introducing a telegram despatched by Mr, Conybeare, Mr. O'Brien, and Mr. O'Hea, describing the latest condition of affairs in Donegal. Mr. Balfour had pooh-poohed the story ; Mr. Sexton had appropriated for his speech fully one-half of the possible limit of time ; and Mr. Waddy was haranguing when the hand of the clock touched ten minutes to seven, and the Speaker, rising, called " Order, order ! " in intimation that the debate must now close. This was a surprise to the Irish members. They had understood that they might talk up to seven o'clock, the moment when the morning sitting would lapse. Mr. Sexton, delighted at the opportunity of again coming to the front. 190 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isso. put this view before the Speaker, who pointed out that under the orders that rule debate the last ten minutes of a morning sitting are reserved for unojDposed business. And now the fun of the situation developed itself. There was no business, opposed or unopposed, on the paper. There sat the Speaker in the Chair, and there sat members facing each other, the flood of talk peremptorily stopped. It was expected that the Speaker would leave the Chair, and the sitting come to an end. But the Speaker might not go till seven o'clock, and so members sat in solemn silence staring at each other. After a moment's pause, Dr. Tanner rose. Time Avas with him a more than usually precious commodity. His hours were numbered. A^Hien the House met again he would be in gaol, and here were ten precious minutes running to waste ! So Dr. Tanner proposed to utilise them, and had got as far as the declaration that the policy being carried out in Ireland was murderous, when the Speaker interposed. But Dr. Tanner was desperate. "Am I to understand," he said, "that the House, having still eight minutes before it, and the Chief Secretary and Solicitor-General for Ireland being in their places, we are to sit doing nothing ? " " Yes," the Speaker said, that Avas about it. Dr. Tanner subsided, and there Avas another pause of aAve- some silence, broken once more by the irrepressible doctor, to Avhom a briglit idea had occurred. If they could do nothing else, Avhy not count the House ? He moved a count, and hurried out so that Avhen the Speaker counted he should not add a unit to the numbers present and peradventure make a quorum. The Speaker sat motionless and unresponsive, and there Avas another interval of silence, through Avhich a subdued titter could be heard. The pauses might be counted in seconds, but they seemed terribly long. Sir Wilfrid LaAvson next broke silence. " Is the House sitting, Mr. Speaker ? " he asked in bcAvil- dered tones, " or are Ave not sitting ; or Avhich ? " Then the Speaker executed a strategic movement. It Avas too grotesquely comical for him to be presidmg over a silent and impotent assembly. Yet he could not declare the adjourn- ment till seven o'clock, and it Avas noAv five minutes to seven. 18S9.] MB. SAM SMITH. 191 " There is," lie said, " no business before tbe House, and to show that is so, I will leave the Chair." 80 he stepped down and sat on the Treasury bench, talking in low voice to Ministers who clustered round this unwarranted, I believe unprecedented, visitor to their preserves. The five minutes slowly passed, members conversing in awed whispers, the Chair empty, the Mace on the table, the Serjeant-at-Arms with sword by his side in his chair, the as- tonished strangers looking on, and members wondering what would come next, or how this curious sitting would close. At seven o'clock the Speaker rose, and, always stately, dignified even in these circumstances, walked up the steps to the Chair, faced the House, cried " Order ! Order ! " and then, turning, left the Chair, slowly passing out of the House. Thus the sitting was adjourned, and members, relieved of the terrible tension of the past ten minutes, broke up in a buzz of laughter. May 3. —Mr. Sam Somcbody Avho remains unknown varied the ' ™^ '■ dull routine of life in the House of Commons to-night by a graceful act. He — or was it she ? — taking ad- vantage of the clearance of the House for the interval between the morning and evening sitting, flung upon the end of the Treasury bench Avhere the graceful figure of Mr. Balfour is known to lounge a spray of pale blush roses. The flowers lay unnoticed whilst Mr. Samuel Smith, encouraged by his victory of Tuesday night, once more assailed the Government. Then it was India and the liquor trafiic. To-night it is China and the opium trade. " Let us be moral ! " said Mr. Pecksniff on a memorable occasion, looking down from an upper landing on the company at Todgers's, assembled in haste and alarm at the foot of the stairs. "Let us be moral," said Mr. Samuel Smith to the natives of India, who do not usually drink brandy and soda, and to the countless population of China who, whilst they eschew whiskey, occasionally eat opium. Sii- John Gorst. It was an interesting speech, instinct with amiable intention, eloquent with moral reflec- tions. It Avill, perhaps, be chiefly memorable to those Avho sat out the long debate, as drawing from Sir John Gorst 192 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [issg. one of the most neatly-constructed and effectively-delivered bits of banter heard in the House of Commons in recent times. No newspaper reports it, though if it had chanced to have been delivered by the late Mr. Disraeli — and, perhaps, no one else could have done it quite so well— every one of the exquis- itely framed sentences would have been preserved, and the passage would have become historical. It was a very old text Sir John preached from for the edification of Mr. Samuel Smith and Sir Joseph Pease. It was set forth ages ago in the injunction about extracting the beam from one's own eye before devoting kindly endeavour to removing the mote from one's brother's. Hudibras later summed it up in the ironic injunction to — Compound for sins you are inclined to By damning- those you have no mind to. Into the old theme Sir John managed to throw a brightness of wit, a delicacy of thought, and a dexterity of expression not often met with towards midnight at an evening sitting devoted to Indian topics. Rarely has the Hudibrastic satire, to which Mr. Sam Smith probably to this hour remains impervious, been put in a more effectively humorous form than in Sir John's lightly sketched picture of himself confronted in far-off New Zealand by native chiefs, who, not above suspicion of cannibalism, reproached the representative of Western civilisa- tion with an inexplicable and repulsive taste for decayed cheese and " well-hung " birds. Sir R. Temple. It was, probably, the scent of the floral tribute laid at Mr. Balfour's feet that inspired Sir John to this successful flight. But though the spray of roses was at this hour of the debate generously passed from hand to hand along the Treasury bench, it did not reach Sir Richard Temple, and cannot be held to account for his exceptional success. When Sir Richard first appeared in the House of Commons, fresh from ruling Bengal, he made the serious mistake of attempting to coerce the House into listening to his speeches. A year or two earlier the central provinces of India had lain prostrate whilst he spoke, and in Bombay there was not an aide-de-cavi}^ who was not thrown into a condition SIB lilCHARD TEMPLE. 193 of uncontrollable emotion by his Excellency's eloquence. It was a sad, swift change to the blunt manners of the House of Commons. The Chief Commissioner of the central pro- vinces of India, when at last he caught the Speaker's eye, was after his first speech met with angry cries for the division. The Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal was "booed" at as if he were simply Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant, and the Governor of Bombay was actually laughed down. This was a strange and painful experience, not at once to be grasped. For some time Sir Richard Temple struggled against the House, which only grew angry at his persistent interposition. At last he recog- nised a force superior even to that of a Chief Commissioner or Lieutenant-Governor of a Province, and retired into compara- tive obscurity, while men possessing not one tithe of his natural ability were permitted to discourse at large. Sir Richard has lived down the contumely of the crowd, and now, speaking less frequently, finds be- stowed upon him at least some measure of the attention he de- serves. Blossoming in this balmier breeze, he has developed lighter gifts not suspected under his states- manlike aspect. On Tuesday, gal- lantly coming to the assistance of a Government that has never shown itself disposed to recognise his capacity, he created a diversion which, for a moment, checked the advance of the Temperance party. Mr. Samuel Smith, Mr. Caine, and other advocates of the repression of the drink traffic in India, had piled up statistics and marshalled facts in support of their argument. lightly stepping into the arena, quoted by the yard extracts from the works of native poets, which showed that the gods of ancient India were not averse to the blandishments of the ST. GEORGE Sir Richard Temple, 194 ,1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. wine Clip. That should have settled the (juestioii for the House of Commons, and it was only a perverse and accidental majority that subsequently, in the division lobby, defeated the Government. To-night Sir Richard, in even lighter vein, l)uffeted that othergreat Anglo- Indian, Sir George Campbell. " I feel," he said, at the conclusion of a sparkling pas- sage, " as if I had taken part in an encounter between St. George and the Dragon." The House laughed con- sumedly, delighted Avith the uncertainty of identity with which the illusion was charged. There is an old familiar and not very kindly-meant House of Connnons story about a well-known member and his Avife being likened to a con- junction of Beauty and the Beast, and the husband, on hearing it, resenting the impu- tation upon his Avife's good looks. Thinking of this, and listening to Sir Richard's simile, members laughingly aslvcd Avhich Avas St. Georo-e ? i\Ir. Balfour and the roses. ■A SVIT.VliLE .VCCLSSUUY. It Avas Avhilst Sir Richard Temple Avas speaking that Mr. Balfour came in, and, dropping into his seat, became aAvarc of the proximity of the spray of roses. Perhaps if there had been time to think the matter out, and opportunity had been available, a branch of lilies Avould have been more suitable. In tempestuous times, Avhen the roar of mcuilicrs below the gangway opposite is most threatening, Mr. 188(1.] 2IR. BALFOUB AND THE ROSES. 195 Balfour never loses the languorous grace with which he droops over the notes of the speech he may be delivering. If the customs of the House permitted it, a branch of lilies, such as is depicted in the hands of a tall, slim young man, who figures in many stained -glass windows in Continental churches, would be a suitable accessory for Mr. Balfour when answering questions addressed to him by Mr. Sexton, Mr. Harrington, or Mr. Swift MacNeill. Failing that, the pale blush roses did very well. Mr. W. H. Smith had been in his place for an hour before the Chief Secretary arrived, and there lay the roses unregarded. With Supply in a backward state, the Scotch Local Government Bill not yet read a second time, and the Sugar Bounty Con- vention Bill threatened on all sides, the First Lord has no time for dalliance with the flowers that bloom in the spring. He turned with a wearied look on his young colleague toying with the roses, and when they were passed across him in response to the eager request of Sir John Gorst, he made no sign of desire for closer acquaintance. Sir Richard Temple had made an end of speaking ; Dr. Farquharson was now on his legs, giving gratuitous advice to an interested House, on the circumstances which, strictly observed, might make opium not a curse, but a blessing. Sir John, listening and awaiting his turn, sniffed eagerly at the roses. Sir James Fergusson, who sat next to him, was no more interested in the flowers than his respected Leader. He had had a bad time on Thursday when the Foreign Office had been persistently assailed for a space of eight hours. Roses pleased him not, nor daffodils either. But the Home Secretary, not without his crosses, is ever susceptible to the influences of grace and beauty. He reached across the immobile Under-Secretary to take the flowers from Sir John's hand, and, having gracefully sniffed them awhile, passed them back till they were restored to the keeping of the favoured Minister for whose delight they were originall}^ designed. ^^^yii;~^""®^* When at twenty minutes past twelve this niorn- Parliamentary . tt--it t-, i i • i customs. mg Mr. \\ ilham Redmond rose to contmue the debate on University Representation, Mr. W. H. Smith promptly possessed himself of a sheet of paper and commenced his letter to the Queen. The Leader of the 196 A DIAEY OF THE SALISBURY FABLIAMENT. risso. House of Commons is the most courteous and long-suffering of men. He is ready at any time to sacrifice his personal inchnation and comfort to the calls of duty. But there really did not seem any particular occasion why he should longer defer his concluding task of the day's round in order to master the reasons which, presenting themselves in logical sequence to the mind of Mr. William Redmond, brought him to the conclusion that the Parliamentary representation of Universities was an anachronism. If it had been King Ja Ja it would, of course, have been different. Mr. William Red- mond is an authority in respect to all that concerns that interesting potentate, just as of old Mr. Delahunty was on the subject of poimd notes, and Mr. Chaplin is to-day on bi- metallism. But the head of King Ja Ja could not by any force of ingenuity be dragged mto the controversy about the representation of Universities which Mr. Robertson had raised, and to which the new Solicitor-General for Scotland con- tributed an interesting speech. So when Mr. William Redmond, after several efforts, finally succeeded in catching the Speaker's eye, gracefully posed himself and commenced the exposition of his views, the First Lord of the Treasury bethought him of his letter to the Queen, and began to write it. Tiie letter to There are several peculiarities about this function of the Leader of the House of Commons. Not the least striking is that it should contmue to be exacted. When George IIL Avas king it was all very well for Pitt or Addington to send to His Majesty at the close of every sitting of the House a succinct account of what had taken place. In those days the penny newspaper was not, and the science of Parliamentary reporting had not had birth. The King- naturally Avanted to know what his faithful Connnons had been at, and no one was better qualified to inform him than the Leader of the House. But things are vastly different to-day. Mr. W. H. Smith's letter, concluded just before one o'clock this morning, could hardl}^ reach Windsor before the second postal deliver}^ By that time London morning papers would have been hours in hand at the Castle, and Her ]\[ajesty, anxious to laiow how Mr. Jackson had fared in Conunittee of 1S80.] ANCIENT CUSTOMS. 197 Siippl}', or what Mr. Kaikes had said in defence of the Parlia- mentary privileges of his University, would have had full opportunity of reading the accounts, writ large and full in type. Guupowder Plot. But for tlicsG hundred years back the letter has been written to the Sovereign whenever the House of Commons sits. In some of its aspects and habits an assembly which has passed several Keform Bills, introduced the Ballot, disestablished a Church, and almost enfranchised the land, is obstinately conservative. For example, after discovery of the Gunpowder Plot it was ordered that at the commencement of every Session the cellars below the House should be searched. This very year, on the day before the Session opened, the Serjeant-at-Arms, escorted by a strong and resolute bodyguard, perambulated the subterranean pas- sages of the Houses of Parliament, determined at any risk to frustrate the evil purposes of any nineteenth century imitator of Guy Fawkes. No one would venture to affirm that any useful or practical purpose is served by this annual perambu- lation. But the order was made in 1606, it has never been rescinded, and it is solemnly obeyed to this day. "Who goes Another quaint and less w^ell-known custom is that which marks the conclusion of every day's sitting, whether the House rise at six o'clock on a Wednesday evening or at some far advanced hour of the night. In the days when George III. was king, London, ill-lighted and in- sufficiently policed, Avas not a particularly safe place for honest people to be out o' nights. Members going home after a late division were accustomed to depart in squads, half a dozen or a dozen living in Bloomsbury or other fashionable quarter seeing each other home. Thereupon it was directed that as soon as the sitting was adjourned the doorkeeper, standing well out in the middle of the lobby and uplifting his voice, should cry, " Who goes home ? " At ten minutes past one this morning, when the House adjourned after rejecting Mr. Kobertson's motion depriving Universities of their Parliamentary representation, the old cry echoed throuo'h the vaulted lobbv, disturbinu' the shades of 198 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isso. the innumerable company of old Parliament men back to the days of Walpole and the first Pitt, who have long ago and for ever " gone home." "The usual Still another ancient custom pertaining to this period of Parliamentary business is fulfilled by the principal janitor. It has from time immemorial been the custom that the hour for the next meeting of the House of Commons shall be officially declared. It is now set forth on the Orders circulated in printed form, and delivered every morning at the private residence of members. But in early days, when matters were not carried forward with such regularity, it was found convenient that members mustering m the lobby preparatory to seeing each other safely home should learn what time they were expected to resume their labours on the following day. The doorkeeper was, under some forgotten rule, directed to announce it, and to this da}' his successor in the chair scrupulousl}^ fulfils the duty. The Speaker having left the Chair, members dispersing, the lights going do^\Ti, and the echoing cry of " AVho goes home ? " having died away, the doorkeeper again uplifts a sonorous voice and cries aloud, " The usual time ! " An interesting It is probable that somewhere stowed awav are library. , ^ . , . „ ^"^ the manuscript letters wTitten for more than a hundred years by the Leader of the House of Commons to the reigning Sovereign — Pitt and Fox and Lord Liverjjool to (ieorge III., Canning to George IV., Lord Grey and Lord Mel- bourne to William IV. Certainly there are at Windsor Castle, in handsomely bound volumes, the manuscript letters written amid varying scenes from the House of Commons to Queen Victoria ; a series four years long from Sir Robert Peel, five years by Lord John Russell, whole volumes from Lord Pal- merston, a number extending over six years from Mr. Disraeli, and tomes innumerable from Mr. Gladstone. i\ir. Disraeli. Whcu, in February, 1874, Mr. Disraeli found himself Premier and Leader of the House of Commons, he devoted ..himself with pleased assiduity to the 1S89.] THE LETTER TO THE QUEEN. 199 task of night]_y conniianicating ^vitli his gracious mistress. An air of added solemnity stole over his face as he reverentially took np his pen, and, straightening out the paper on his knee, began to " present his humble duty." Sir R. reel. It is a peculiarity connected with this import- ant Ministerial function that the letter shall be written on the knee with the assistance of a blotting-pad. It would appear more convenient that the Leader of the House should repair to his own room and, with the luxury and convenience of a writing desk, despatch his letter. More than fifty years ago Sir Robert Peel coming in with his first Ministry, and being as much hurried as was possible with one of his temperament, began to write the letter on his knee seated on the Treasury bench. His successor imitated him : Sir Robert coming in again in 1841 returned to his early habit, and so it became established. iNir. Gia.istone. Mr. Gladstone introduced a characteristic variety into the practice. In the laborious sittings of the ParHament of 1880 he adroitly availed himself of the opportunity of successive divisions to get his letter written. Beginning it on the Treasur}^ bench, whilst the question was put and the House cleared for the division, he with youthful alacrity headed for the door as soon as the tellers were ap- pointed, and planting himself at one of the writing tables in the division lobb}^ went on with his work whilst his followers trooped past. The division over he returned, bringing up the rear, happy in the consciousness that he had utilised ten minutes which would otherwise have been lost. A historic letter. No ouc wlio was prescut ou that night in June, 1885, when the Government were unexpectedly defeated on Sir Michael Hicks-Beach's Budget amendment, can forget how Mr. Gladstone wrote his letter to the Queen. It was half-past one in the morning when he resumed his seat after winding up the debate in an angry speech. "Wlien the House was cleared for the division he hastened out with his writing-pad and sheet of letter-paper, coming back with his letter half Avritten. Whilst members streamed in from either 200 A BIAIIY OF THE SALISBURY I'AIiLIAMEXT. [im>. side, and the buzz of excitement grew to stormy heights, Mr. Gladstone went on writing, " presenting his humble duty to the Queen," informing Her Majesty how matters had thus far fared. Before he had finished Lord Kandolph Churchill Avas stand- ing upon the bench below the gangway, hat in hand, wildly cheering, and the Premier, still going on writing, was enabled to add to his budget the interesting item that in a House of 516 members Her Majesty's Government had been defeated by a majority of 12. CHAPTER XIX. SOME NOBLE LORDS. In the Wrong Shop — The House of Lords — Oblivious of Pending Doom — Mr. Lahouchere's Motion — Mr. George Curzon — Heirs-apparent— Lord Rose- hery's Guest — "The late Sir James Hogg." May 13.— In the LoRD Granville tclls with keen enioy- wrong shop. p i • i ^ r i ment the story or his adventure on Monda}^ when, strolling along Pall Mall with half an hour to spare, he thought he would step into the Reform Club and look at the evening papers. He inadvertently walked into the Carlton Club, and had proceeded to make himself at home when his error was pointed out to him. It was the Duke of Abercorn who, coming within Lord Granville's view, sua'o-ested to him that there must be something wrong. The mistake will, it is hoped, induce Lord Granville to renew^ a closer acquaintance with his old Club, the Reform, where he has not been seen since the night of the Jubilee ball. May 17.— The At eighteen miiiutes pastftive this evening- the Lords. House of Lords tranquilly adjourned. It had met at the usual hour with the accustomed pomp and circumstance, and had discharged its ordinaiy duties as if no chasm yawned. At a quarter past four the Lord Chancellor, preceded by the .Mace, with Black Rod in 1SS9.] THE HOUSE OF LORDS. 201 attendance, and that mysterious entity the Serjeant-at-Arms hovering near, had ghded down the House and taken his scat on the Woolsack, a high position to which Lord Halsbury lends habitual grace and dignity. The Beverley and East Riding Railway Bill had been read a third time and passed, and the Kettering Water Bill had gone through the same ordeal. Certain Provisional Orders made by the Board of Trade relating to St. Ives Gas, Otley Gas, Pocklington Water, and Marlow Water Bills had been considered and decided upon. Lord Salisbury had been in his place, his shoulders slightly stooping under the cares of Empire. Opposite him Earl Granville, that lyrcmx chevalier of politics, a statesman who combines the courtliness of the best type of Frenchman with the strength of the typical Englishman, diffused an air of geniality over the scene. There Avas some conversation on various topics, including the Arch- deaconry of Cornwall ; and then noble lords dispersed to dress for dinner with as light a heart as beat within Ollivier's breast when France declared war against Germany. Oblivious of It were idle to suppose noble lords were ignorant of what was pending in another place. It is one of the pretty fictions of our Legislature that one branch is ignorant even of the existence of the other. No member with any self-respect, speaking Avhether in Lords or Connnons, w^ould allude to remarks made at the other end of the corridor, save by dark allusion to something said " in another place." When the present Houses of Parliament were built the ingenious and sentimental architect so planned the structure that the Lord Chancellor and the Speaker should for all time sit vis-d-vis. If when both Houses are at work all the doorways were flung open, the Lord Chancellor looking straight before him would catch the Speaker's eye, and Mr. Peel might learn a lesson in deportment by Avatching Lord Halsbury on the Woolsack. But no one minds the dead-and-gone architect and his pretty but forgotten fancy. The splendid brass doors of the House of Lords remain closed, shutting out the vicAv beyond, and the Commons come and go through their lobb}^ Avithout even a thought of the privilege, carefully secured for them under" (piite possible circumstances, of standing at their oAvn 202 A DIABY OF THE SALISBUBY BABLIAMENT. [issii. bar and gazing upon the assembled House of Lords. To the Commons the House of Lords is " another place," and no one knows what wealth of scorn this simple formula may contain till he has heard it used by Lord Salisbury when the exigencies of debate have compelled him to make reference to remarks offered in the Commons. Mr. Labouciiere's Yet wliat with cqual euphuism is known in motion. Parliamentary parlance as " the usual channels of information," must have brought to the knowledge of noble lords dallying with the Pockhngton Water Bill the fact that before midnight the House of Commons, at the invitation of Mr. Labouchere, would have discussed and decided the question whether or not the House of Lords should continue to exist. Probably the magnificent air of indifference with which Lord Brabourne and Viscount Cross regarded this attack upon the ancient privileges of their order was safely assumed with the certainty that there was within the House of Commons itself a body of resolute young men, not uncon- nected by ties of kindred, who might be depended upon to give a good account of the assailants. There is a scene in Corneille's Horace, which Boileau always delighted in, Avhere Horatius is lamenting the disgrace he supposes to have been brought upon him by the flight of his son in the combat Avith the Curiatii. " Qioe voulez-vous qu'il fit eovfre frois?" asks Julie; and the old man passionately replies, " Qiiil mourid ! " AVhat could'the thirty eldest sons of peers having seats in the Commons do against six hundred clamouring for the destruction of the House of Lords ? They could die. Mr. George Cur- It was ouly apparently disheartening that Mr. ='""• Curzon, who stood in the front rank of the defenders of the House of Lords, should have dissembled his love. Mr. Labouchere asked the House to agree to the pro- position that it is contrary to the true principles of representa- tive government, and injurious to their etficiency, that any person shall sit and vote in Parliament by right of birth. Mr. Curzon denied this, but admitted that existing here'ditary 1S80.) mi. GEORGE CURZOX. 203 legislative rights might with advantage be modified by extending the principle both of life peerages and representative peerages in the House of Lords. This, as the late Major O'Gorman once shrewdly observed, was opening the door to the thin end of the wedge. But it was only Mr. C'urzon's art, a strategic broadening of the ground of defence. His amendment, if carried, would not prevent his taking his seat in the House of Lords when he succeeded to the peerage, whilst even in his present condition as eldest son of a peer, he might stand a chance of election to that august assembly. Heirs-apparent. Besidcs, it is wcll uot too scdulousl}' to Cultivate overweening pride. A Session or two ago, before Mr. Labouchere found opportunity for his annual motion, the heirs-apparent having seats in the House of Commons took upon themselves to put their father's house in order. There were solemn rneetings at which Mr. Curzon and Mr. Brodrick took counsel with the Marquis of Carmarthen as to what steps should be taken to keep the House of Lords going till they came into their heritage. They drew up a resolution, circulated among and extensively signed by elder sons, who through this medium gave their fathers and grand- fathers to understand that something would have to be done. The document was formally brought under the notice of Lord Salisbury, who received it with grave courtesy, though a brief minute drawn up in his own hand, descriptive of his feelings on the occasion, would be a priceless contribution to our literary possessions. Nothing came of this movement except that the Premier, entering with grim humour into the spirit of the joke, introduced a Bill proposing to add to the House of Lords thirty life peers, chiefly drawn from the classes which General Goldsworth}^ and Admiral Field severally adorn. It was, doubtless, owing to the limited time available for debate to-night that so few of the next-of-kin to the House of Lords took part in it. The Marquis of Carmarthen probably accepted Mr. Curzon as the exponent of the feelings that welled in his breast as he listened to Mr. Labouchere's elaborate sarcasm, and watched Dr. Wallace trampling through the thicket of hereditary privileges with hearty 204 .t DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isso. manner, suggestive of a rhinoceros among the saj^lings. Mr. Brodrick had his mouth closed by his official position, and Lord Lewisham, with his ever-ready book in hand, was too deeply engrossed in trying to remember who had promised to dine in the House, and who had pleaded imperative engage- LOHD CAKMAKTl ments elsewhere. Lord Wolmer and Mr. Marjoribanks have active duties in the same line, Avhich preclude them giving full attention to matters savouring of personal interest. Lord Hartington's prospect of inevitable translation to the House of Lords, and consecpient comparative effacement from political life, is not a subject calcuhited to draAv him into conversation except under pressure of imperative necessity. But the House would have liked to hear Lord Lvmington, issii.] LOUD ROSE BERTS GUEST. 205 There is about the future Earl of rortsnioutli a happy iningiing of youth and middle age — the j)l^^yfulness of the kitten combined with the gravity of the judge and the erudition of the professor — that makes precious his too in- frequent contributions to Parliamentary debate. Lord C'ranborne took part in the discussion with a fresh- ness, vigour, and originality that give high jDromise of gifts that some day — long distant everybody hopes — will illumine the House of Lords. Earl Compton delivered a good bourgeois speech, and Mr. Arthur Balfour, in one of his polished, spark- ling addresses, gave the House of Commons an opportunity of reflecting with pleased complacency on the happy accident of birth that leaves one of its chiefest ornaments unthreatened with remoA'til to another place. Mr. Balfour is the nephew, not the eldest son, of a peer ; in this case, happily, not the rose, though he lives near it. But where were other elder sons — Lord Baring, the Lord of Burghle}-, the Earl of Cavan, Lord H. Cavendish-Bentinck, Mr. Cochrane Baillie, Mr. W. H. Cross, Lord Curzon, Lord Ebrington, Lord Elcho, Mr. Gathorne-Hardy, the Marquis o' Granby, Mr. Grimston, Mr. Hubbard, Mr. Kenyon, Mr. Plunket, Lord Weymouth, Mr. Rowland Winn ? And where was Mr. Bernard Coleridge, that he should have neglected this memor- able opportunity of showing hoAV sweet a flower will some day bloom in the Paradise of the House of Lords ? May 20. — Lord j^ storv is told about Lord Rosebery which one guest. hopes IS true, it certamly is not miprobable. The other night Lady Rosebery was " At Home " in Berkeley Square, and nearly everybody in London who is anybody was bidden to attend. On the day before the party took place, Lord Rosebery met in Piccadilly a Scotch farmer whom he had occasionally seen at election times in Mid- lothian. Following his natural impulse of kindness, he invited the Scotchman to the evening party. He arrived in due time, and in a costume which, whilst broadly following the regulation for evening dress, was of a cut never before seen in Berkeley Square. He walked about, looked at the company, and finally found his way to the supper- room, where were spread all the delicacies of the season. 206 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [iss'j. The Scotchman had not been in the room ten minutes when bang went a lobster salad, half a chicken, a handful of meringues, and a large plate of jelly. After this he began to trifle with the good things on the table. Seeing a glass dish of olives, he, full of trust in the results of his general LOKD liU.SEliEKY S GUESl sampling, took [i spoonful, thinking they were something in the confectionery line. The result Avas not satisfectory, and lie slyly deposited the debris under the table. He had noticed the ladies all about eating, with evident delight, a pleasant-looking thing, pink or cream coloured, served in saucers. He asked for one of these, and the servant gave him a bountiful supply of ice cream. He took a big spoonful, and conveyed it to his mouth. A look of painful surprise crossed his countenance, but he was not going to disgrace his host. He closed his eyes, shut his mouth tinnly, and with a few spasms gwallowed the ice. 18S0.] LORD ROSEllERY'S GUEST. 207 That was all very well for him. He was a strong man, accustomed to difficulties ; but he felt that to avoid pain to others someone should know about this. Looking round he saw Lord Rosebery talking to a group of ladies and gentle- men. Sidling up to him with a saucer of ice cream in his hand, he plucked him by the sleeve. " I don't suppose you know it, my lord," he loudly wdiispered, " but I think I ought to tell you. There has been a mistake somewhere, and tJiis jmddings froze." Lord Rosebery grasped the situation in a moment. With perfect courtesy and with a pretty appearance of critical inquiry, he tasted the ice cream. "So it is," he said ; " that's very strange." He went off to speak to one of the servants, and, return- ing, said, " It's all right ; I am told that this is a new kind of pudding they freeze on purpose," and, taking his friend's arm, he led him from the room. May 20.— "The Mention of the not lately heard-of title. Sir late Sir James ^ -htz-mitt n . ^ Hogg." James McGarel-Hogg, recalls a story not yet embalmed in print. Shortly after the Chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works was raised to the peerage, he accepted an invitation to dine at a house he had been accustomed to visit in the days of his baronetage. The butler preceding him, with the evident intention of announcing him by his old title. Lord Magheramorne observed the precaution of mentioning his new style. The butler looked at him dumb- founded, made an audible attempt to pronounce the name, and miserably failed. He nevertheless held on his way to the drawing-room, where, flinging open the door, he announced to the assembled guests, " The late Sir James McGarel-Hogg." 208 C H A P T E R X X. SMALL BEER. Patient Listeners— Mr. Sykes— Mr. H. Matthews— Mr. Biggar— Mr. Raikes— A Critical Moment — Smart Answers—" Fearful Creatures " — The New Whip — Sir Wm. Dyke's Misadventui-e — A Stranger in the House — A Death-Led Story. May 24.— Patient There are soine men to avIioui the House ot Commons is attractive in all or any of its moods. Conspicuous among these is Mr. Gladstone, and only less so was Mr. Bright. The difference between these two old Parliament men is that whilst Mr. Gladstone is equally in- terested when the House is stirred to its profoundest depths, Mr. Bright used, in later years at least, to hnd fuller joy in the long level plain of quiet hours that intervene. During the first one or tAvo Sessions that followed the colla23se of the Liberal Party in 1874 Mr. Bright was accustomed to sit through the dinner-hour on the front Opposition bench, as attentive to the comparatively obscure members carrying on the debate as if he were the Leader of the House. Mr. Glad- stone also has this gift of patient listening, and has been lalOA^^l to encourage with strained attention a member who, by his prolixity, has driven nearly everyone else out of the House. Mr. Sykes. Mr. Christopher Sykes experiences, in common with these greater statesmen, the yearnmg after the duller delights of Parliamentary life. AVhen political controversy runs high, when the clash of arms reverberates through the corridors, and the fate of ]\linistries hangs in the balance, Mr. Sykes holds aloof almost up to the hour of the division, and then watches the closing struggle from a remote corner of the side gallery. To-night, drawn by an irresistible impulse to the Legislative Chamber, he found it admirably attuned to his desire. Mr. Pickersgill had obtained the first place at the evening, sitting for a motion demanding the MR. SYKES. 209 appointment of a Royal Connnission to inqnire into the in- equality of penal sentences. This enticing dish had been served np after a sultry morning sitting spent in the delivery of four speeches in so- called debate on the Scotch Local Govern- ment Bill. Members who had survived that walked sadly back again at nine o'clock, and made a House for Mr. Pickersgill. Mr. Sykes, entering shortly after ten o'clock, found the Home Secre- tary on his feet explain- ing ,the view of the situation taken b}^ the Government. There were fully a score of members present, .scattered here and there over the benches in something approaching devotional attitude. There was plenty of room for new- comers, and Mr. Sykes selected a seat far down on the back bench below the gangway — a happy position that combined the fullest opportunity for observation with perfect immunity from contact with other members. MR. SYKES. Mr. H. Mattiiews. Mr. Matthews, addressing his speech personally to Mr. Henry Fowler, who had all the front (Jpposition bench to himself, was painfully deferential. It seemed only by a masterful effort of self-control that ho baulked his evident inclination to address the right hon. member for Wolverhampton as "my lud." He spoke in hushed tones as if he were in church. Indeed, the whole 210 A DIABY OF THE SALISBURY FABLIAMENT. [is89. atmosphere of the place was suggestive of afternoon service. Mr. Esslemont, from time to time resisting the tendency to drop asleep, appeared to miss the familiar smell of peppermint that permeates the kirk in far-off Belhelvie. Once when Mr. Matthews paused in his address and bent his head in examina- tion of his notes, Mr. Molloy, sitting at the corner seat below the gangway, instinctively put his hand under the bench as if he were feeling for the box committed to his charge as " sidesman," and now was the time to make the collection. Mr. Biggar. The lioly cahii which brooded over everything settled with sweetening influence upon Mr. Biggar, as he sat in the corner seat once appropriated by Isaac Butt. Through the almost empty chamber sounded the hushed voice of the Home Secretary as, in his curiously apologetic manner, he excused the judges who allotted too heavy sentences, and minimised the shortcomings of those who gave too little. There were few of Mr. Matthews's col- leagues in the Ministry present to keep him in countenance. The Attorney-General had come down to keep an eye on the debate, and had kept it in such fixed condition that he had gone fast asleep. Mr. Ritchie, ostentatiously arrayed in light morning suit in protest against the prevalence of evening dress, sat and listened. He had gone through the Scotch debate at the morning sitting, and felt himself in admirable training. Near him sat Lord George Hamilton, folding, re- folding, and tearing up bits of paper. Mr. Kaikes. Mr. Raikcs was there too, and presently took part in the debate, though what he did in this galley was not precisely clear. The Postmaster-General's personal interest in penal sentences is presumably limited to consideration of what are the precise deserts of an hon. member who, in season and out of season, pursues him with questions about the parcel post, the postal rates to Timbuctoo, and the reason why a letter sent to far-off Orkney should cost only a penny, whilst, with much less generous consideration of weight, twopence-halfpenny is charged for its despatch to Calais. It was not ditficult to guess Avhom Mr. Raikes was thinking of, as a wistful smile illumined his countenance 1880.1 ^^^- BAIKE8. 211 when ]Mr. Henry Fowler described the tendency of a jndge at Stafford to pass sentences involving long periods of seclusion from active life, Parliamentary or otherwise. From time to time Mr. Akers-Douglas looked in, hovered awhile at the Bar, and then disappeared. At intervals the columnar figure of Lord Arthur Hill appeared in support of the doorway, was withdrawn, and presently discovered sup- porting some other archway. These were the only signs of active life about the premises, the only representatives of the Whip brotherhood. " Bobby " Spencer, whose cheery presence is not unfamiliar on occasions like these, had fled in affright. Even Mr. Jacoby had put on his hat and walked away. The pulses of political life beat so feebly as to be almost im- perceptible. The most remarkable testimony to the influence of indo- lence that prevailed is found in the fact that no one even attempted to move a count. When Mr. Matthews made an end of speaking Mr. Neville, in a sharp voice that had a momentary effect in stirring the languid audience, took up the story. Then Mr. Raikes struck in, skimming round the subject, discussing sentences adequate and inadequate, and never once alluding to Mr. Henniker Heaton. So it went on till Mr. Conybeare and one o'clock arrived, when, it being impossible to go beyond this combination, a division was taken, and members wearily sauntered out into the still sultr}" air. May 28.— A crit- The irruption of the Irish members upon the ordered business of the House of Commons to-night, and the postponement of the division till close upon the*dinner hour, led to an event almost tragic. An hon. and learned member who sits for a northern constituency, and enjoys well-deserved popularity on both sides of the House, had a dinner engagement at a place fully half an hour's drive from Westminster. Long experience of the House of Commons had convinced him of the uncertainty of events, and, as a precaution against contingencies, he had brought a change of clothes with him, and had secured the loan of the private room of a member of the Ministry, meaning to dress at his leisure and set forth in good time. As the debate to-night proceeded, 212 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, iisso. upon the abortive attempt of Mr. Smith to bring about the closure, the hon. and learned member began to grow uneasy. When the Solicitor-General for Ireland succeeded Mr.^ Glad- stone things looked desperate, and when Mr. Parnell rose he felt that something must be done. The only thing was to rush off and dress, return to take part in the division, and hurry off as soon as the doors were unlocked. After sitting listening awhile to Mr. Parnell, he at length made off to the Minister's room, and began his toilet, feeling certain that the Irish leader would occupy at least a quarter of an hour. At an exceedingly critical moment, when he had divested himself of his morning suit of clothes, the division bell rang. There was no time to get back into his morning dress, or to fully array himself in evening attire. Still less could he enter the House in the transition state in which he was caught. Then a happy thought occurred to him. The Minister's room is close by the cloak room, and, huddling on some clothes, he managed to signal the janitor, and begged him to borrow an overcoat that would cover his deskahille. One was brought, but the learned member is more than usually portly, and the coat would not button. A desperate rush was made to the cloak-room, and another coat produced, which just buttoned across, though rather tight about the chest. In this borrowed garb the hon. and learned gentleman, displaying remarkable agility, managed to reach the lobby before the door was closed, took part in the division — everyone wondering why on a com- paratively warm night he was so closely wrapped up — got safely back to the Minister's room, completed his toilet, and went off to dinner only a little late. May 30.— Smait Two Ministers questioned in the House of answers. . , ^ , , . , , Connnons to-night delivered the smart answer which rather provokes than turns away wrath. The first to fire off was ^Ir. Raikes, who was questioned by IVIr. Hcnniker Heaton as to the feasibility of .the scheme of advertising on the back of postage stamps and telegrams. Mr. Raikes answered soberly enough to begin with, indicating that the matter had been under the notice of the Post Office dei)art- ment. Mr. Heaton concluded a lengthy question by asking whether the Postmaster-General had consulted any advertising 1SS9.] SMART ANSWERS. il3 agents with a view of ascertaining what revenue might be forthcoming from this source. To this Mr. Raikes rephed — " No, sir ; I have not. The fact is, it does not appear to be DAVID PLUXKET. so nnich a question of advertising agents as of advertising poUticians." The House hxughed at this httle hit, and Mr. Heaton would have done well to take the same course. He, however, brooded over the reproof for the hours through which the remaining questions ran, and then appealed to the Speaker whether the dignity of the House Avas served by such answers. >14 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY FARLIAMENT. The Speaker, however, niled that no harm had been done, and Mr. Raikes still remains Postmaster-General. "Fearful crea- A neater and much more enioved bolt was tiirea '' o j shot by Mr. Plunket. Mr. John Ellis and Mr. Cavendish-Bentinck had been asking questions about the stone carvmgs of birds and beasts placed by way of ornamenta- tion on the new stair- cases in Westminster Hall. Mr. Plunket had replied to these ques- tions, which appeared on the paper, when Sir George Campbell inter- posed, and was, as usual, greeted with a howl of humorous protest from the House. When the noise had subsided. Sir George, in his emphatic manner, asked whether Mr. Plunket was " re- sponsible for these fearful creatures." The First Commissioner, coming back to the table, smil- ingly said, with a genial nod towards Sir George — " No, I am not responsible for the fearful creatures in Westminster Hall, or in this House cither." This is a good-humoured hit at Sir George Campbell which can only bo thoroughly understood by the House of Commons. It was enjoyed so uproariously that questions were interrupted for several moments, whilst everybody — not least delightedly Mr. Gladstone — roared with laughter. May 31. —The new It is but a few months sincc Mr. Jacoby under- "'^" took, in conjunction with ]\lr. Philip Stanhope, tlic duties of Whip. -So (piictly was the arrangement entered SIK GEORGE CAMriiELL. isso.] THE XEW WHIP. 215 upon that a large majority of the House learned the fact from observing the hon. member for Mid-Derbyshire habitually perambulating the lobby without his hat. It is one of the unwritten laws of the British Constitution that the Whip of a party shall never be -seen in the lobby with his hat on. Lord Lewisham and Mr. Robert Spencer add to this sartorial pecu- liarity the right of tui-ning up their trousers well over their boots. That is, however, not obligatory, and up to the present time Mr. Jacoby has not followed it. He is content to know that, whilst a AVhip must go hatless from the time the Speaker takes the chair till he leaves it, he may turn up his trousers. When it was discovered that Mr. Jacoby had become a Whip, further inquiry brought out the facts that he had a colleague in Mr. Philip Stanhope, a titular Leader in Mr. Labouchere, and a party which, all told, was said to muster seventy votes. Still young in a profession that has enriched the peerage, and but lately filled the Chair of the House of Commons, Mr. Jacoby has achieved an unparalleled personal triumph. He has actually whipped into the Opposition lobby a member of Her Majesty's Government, who for many years held the office of chief Government Whip ! This happened in the division on the vote for the Office of AVorks. Mr. Storey had moved to reduce the amount by the sum of £1,100, and insisted on taking a division. Mr. Smith and his colleagues on the front bench walked out into the lobb}'- serenely contident. They had had a prolonged struggle, but the end was in view. The vote for the Board of Works would be carried, and there would remain time for Mr. Balfour to bring in his Drainage Bills. Mr. Jacoby, with a suspicious gleam in his eye, watched them go, whipping up " Our Party " into the " No " lobby. It w^as a long process, but in due time the doors were locked, and the " Ayes " and the " Noes " were cooped up in their respective lobbies, pressing towards the wicket end as eager to get out as they were anxious to get in. The House was deserted even by the Chairman, who had seized the opportunity to take a stroll behind the Speaker's vacant chair. Sir Wm. Dyke's Suddenly a shout of surprise was heard in the misadventure. t^t » i i i t • "JNo lobby. It rose agam, now become an exultant cheer. Mr. Smith and his friends in the other lobby 216 A DIARY OF THE SALTS BUIlY PARLIAMENT, [isso. pressed anxiously against the wicket gate, marvelling what this might portend. Again the cheer rose, coming muffled through the closed door, but unmistakable in its almost fierce triumph. Then there were sounds of an altercation ; a slight pause ; an unlocked door ; and next was beheld the spectacle of the Right Honourable Sir Wm. Hart Dyke, Vice-President of the Council, some time principal Whip of the Conservative Party, running for dear life across the passage by the doorway of the House, heading for the other lobby. The door was hurriedly unlocked, and a welcoming cheer from the Conser- vatives testified to their joy at this happy deliverance. Mr. Jacoby, dexterously getting his men together, had actually drawn Sir Wm. Dyke into the wrong lobby. In those interesting little memoirs which ilhimine the pages of Dod, Sir Wm. Dyke is self-described as a Conservative, "but not opposed to those moderate changes which altered circumstances render necessary." To find himself in the same lobby as a collection of Radicals bent upon reducing a vote for the salary of one of his own colleagues was " altered circum- stance" indeed. But it could scarcely be regarded as a moderate change, such as it was a statesman's duty to make the best of. So Sir William thundered at the lobby door till the affrighted messenger opened it, and the new Whip's prey escaped. .June 17. — A The liveliest episode in to-night's sitting had the^House.^'^ uo place in the programme. Shortly after five o'clock, whilst the Home Secretary was explain- ing the Tithe Rent-charge Pill, members sitting below the gangway on the Conservative side were horrified to discover a stranger climbing over the front of the pews under the gallery where a few privileged strangers sit. He had alighted on the other side, and was proceeding to dispose himself comfortably on a cushioned bench on the Ministerial" side, when a temporarily paralysed doorkeeper, recovering himself, rushed forward, seized the man, and escorted him out of the House. Brought to tb(^ Serjeant-at-Arms, the stranger explained that he had never heen in the place befor(\ and had not the slightest idea there was any breacih of order in changing his scat. He could not hear Mr. IMatthcws very well, and being 1SS9.] A DEATH-BED STORY. 217 deeply interested in tithes, tlioiiglit he would go and sit a little nearer to him. The Serjeant-at-Arms took a lenient view of the offence, and gave the stranger an order for a seat in the remoter Strangers' Gallery, whence a descent upon the House is practically impossible. June 20. -A The Rcv. Henry AVhite, Chaijlain uf the House ileatli-bed , "^ >- story. ot Commons, tells a gruesome stor}^ Once, many years ago, when Mr. White was a curate living at the East End of London, he was rung up in the dead of the night and urgently implored by a woman at the door to come and see her husband, who, she said, Avas dying. Mr. White hastily dressed, not forgetting to fasten his watch in his waistcoat pocket, and went out into the dark streets. The woman led him by many tortuous passages till they came to the door of a squalid house in a court. Mr. W^iite, going about his Father's business, had no fear or hesitation. Follow- ing the woman's lead he entered, went upstairs, and found, lying on a wretched bed in a corner of the room, a man of about forty years of age, already within touch of the hand of death. Glancing round the room, the young curate was sur- prised to observe some articles a little out of place with such surroundings. There stood on the table a silver dish ot considerable value ; clothes of good style were heaped about the room ; and there were one or two small pictures which it seemed a strange thing the man and his companion should buy. But this Avas no business of Mr. White's. He bent over the bed, talked to the man, and offered to pray with him. As he spoke he observed a sudden gleam in the man's eyes, and noted that they were fixed on his watch chain. He went on talking of things past and things to come, and then, as the woman stood near sobbing her heart out, the young curate prayed. When he finished he found the man was dead, and rising from his knees discovered that the fingers of the corpse were clasped in his watch-chain. The man was a noted burglar and lifelong thief Even as he was dying the sight of a gold Avatch chain in the possession of a pre-occupied man was too much for him, and as Mr, AVhite prayed to God to forgive him his sins, the dying thief tried to pick his pocket. 218 CHAPTER XXI. LEADERS OF PARTIES. A Quiet Time — Sir George Campbell's Strategy — Mr. Balfour at Leisure — Royal Grants — Mr. Gladstone's Dilemma — Disappointed with the Atlantic — Mr. Smith as Leader — The Division on the Royal Grants — Mr. Bradlaugh — Dividing !— Mr. Biggar— "The Grand Old Man"— Sir W. Harcourt as Leader of the Opposition. June2i.— Aquiet A SINGULAR quietude just HOW prevails in Par- time 1 J i liamentary circles. There has not been seen any- thing like it these fifteen years. The nearest parallel is found in the Session of 1874, when Mr. Disraeli came into power at the head of a substantial majority. The country, weary with the turbulence of the triumphant Radicals under the leader- ship of Mr. Gladstone, turned with thankful heart to the laissez faire policy the new Premier inaugurated. The House of Commons from a bear garden was transformed into a temple of ease. The Irish Nationalist Party was not yet born ; the Fourth Party was undreamt of; the Liberal Party was shat- tered ; Mr. Disraeli was omnipotent, and, accurately gauging the public desire and the chief necessities of the case, he let heroic legislation alone, made the passing of Supply the chief business of the Session, and the House of Commons was steeped in an atmosphere of languorous rest. A somewhat similar condition of affairs, brought about under different circumstances, once more prevails in the House. There has been a general sheathing of swords, a proclamation of truce. All unruly elements have temporarily withdrawn. Mr. Gladstone has not been seen in the House since Monday, when he benignly expressed approval of the arrangements for the business of the Session announced by Mr. Smith. Lord Randolph Churchill, after terrifying Lord George Hamilton with threats of what would happen when the House got into Committee on the Navy Estimates, went off to Norway, and the Navy Estimates were passed in a couple of nights. Jx)rd Hartington has spent the week at 1889.] • A QUIET TIME. 219 Ascot. j\rr. Chamberlain has effaced himseh", and only Mr. Heneage, big with the fate of the Board of Agriculture Bill, has braved the indignation displayed by Mr. Osborne Morgan on finding at the far end of the front Opposition bench right hon. gentlemen who do not believe in the infallibility of Mr. Gladstone. Even the Irish members have felt the subtle influence of the situation. The first time for many years they have trafficked with the Leader of the House for conveniences of debate. On the understanding that the Irish votes should not be taken in the first week after the holidays they have stayed away, and public business has advanced by leaps and bounds. On Monday, when the full influence of Mr. Smith's statement had not yet crept over the House, Mr. Labouchere uplifted a defiant voice, and more than hinted his intention of pursuing the familiar habit of debating and dividing on every vote. But the member for Xorthampton had over-estimated his own invulnerability. vSlowly but surely the spell worked upon him also, and though on Monday night he spasmodically resisted its influence it was with steadily failing energ}^ By Tuesday he had completely yielded, and was silent through twenty-seven votes. Mr. Jacoby, weary of piping when none will dance, has given uj) sending out four-lined Whips. Though he still refrains from the ultimate, irrevocable course of resuming the Avearing of his hat during the time the House sits, he wanders listlessly about the lobby, thinking of days that are no more. Even the incorruptible aggressiveness of Mr. Conybeare has yielded to the sweet influence of the prevailing Pleiades. It is true that on Monday night he protested against Mr. Smith's suave suggestion that the prorogation should take place at an unusually early period. Why should the House not sit till September ? growled the member for Camborne, with hands in pockets, lowering brow, and head bent down with that curious gesture which suggests to the timid mind that he contemplates driving home his arguments by physically butting the unconvinced. It was at once perceived that in this matter Mr. Conybeare was not abso- lutely impartial. Whether the House rises in the first 220 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [iss9. week in August or sits to the end of September it cannot matter to the memiber for Camborne, who about that period will be safe in prison under a warrant issued under the Crimes Act.* There are some people who, being themselves in compul- sory confinement, woukl find compensation in the knowledge that the House of Commons was also " kept in " through the glad autumn months. But the House is naturally inclined to take another view of the matter, and Mr. Conybeare's suggestion was openly scouted. In ordinary times such a demonstration Avould have had the effect of aggravating the manner of the member for Cam- borne ; but just now he, too, must yield to the witchery that enslaves the House. Content with having offered the sug- gestion he did not press it, nor take those means open to him, not unfamiliar in his hands, of contributing to his desire by delaying the progress of business. There is no kink in the chain, no discordant voice in the harmony. The wolf of obstruction lies down with the Ministerial lamb, the young lion below the gangway and the fatling on the Treasury bench dwell together, and Mr. W. H. Smith leads them. June 28. — Sir Xlio Housc of C'ommons, spending a long night beUWrategy. in Committee on the Scotch University Bill, was indebted to Sir George Campbell for a pleasing episode cunningly devised to divert the over- weighted mind. That the ]>ill immediately under discussion specially dealt with matters concerning the kingdom of Avhich Kirkcaldy is the hub afforded no particular reason why Sir George should take a prominent part in t]w debate. The House is too familiar with his authoritative onmiscience to be surprised at his interposition on any miscellaneous question that may present itself Where his native originality triumphed was in the novel conditions amid which he pursued his disquisition on Scotch Universities and the proposals of the Lord Advocate. Ordinary members taking part in debate are accustomed to rise from some particular seat they have secured at the opening * On the .Stli of July tlio Siieaker infoimeil tie House lie liail received a letter from Judge Wehl), announcing that Mr. Conyhcare had heeii comniitted to Londonderry Gaol for three m"bntlis. 1SS9.] SIB G. CAMPBELL'S STRATEGY. 221 of the proceedings. How to-niglit Sir George Campbell managed to secure the favourable attention of an utterly fagged House was by the variety and rapidity of his movements. Whilst the echoes of his voice discussing Clause 5 still resounded above the gangway he would be discovered animadverting upon Clause G from a bench below the gangway. After a while, the House having had brief opportunity of forgetting his existence, Sir George's white hat Avas discovered gleaming under the shade of the gallery, and his voice heard discussing the proposition whether the assessors elected by the sevatas academicus should be four in number or three. Anon, he upstarted from the bench consecrated to the memory of Mr. Newdegate, and delivered his opinion as to the propriety of holders of the highest degree with honours in any faculty being recognised (subject to carefully considered regulations) as teachers for the purposes of graduation in such faculty. Ariel, when at the bidding of Prospero the sprite boarded the King's ship, now on the beak, Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin I fianied amazement, suggests the nearest approach to the peripatetic member for Kirkcaldy distilling wise counsel before the heavily moving steps of the Scotch University Bill. Mr. Balfour at Mr. Balfour, louugiug on the front bench, watched Sir George's movements through half- closed eyes. As if the Chief Secretary had not enough to do in connection with Ireland, he appears to be told off to watch the course of Scotch legislation. It is true that just now the pressure of work in his own particular department is lightened. Several Irish members, including Dr. Tanner, are in prison ; others, including Mr. Gill and Mr. Cox, are en route; still others, Mr. O'Brien and Mr. John Dillon, are recovering from the effects of imprisonment, and are making holiday away from Westminster ; others, again, like Mr. Healy, are more profitably engaged in pursuing their private business m Ireland than in worrying the Chief Secretary at Westminster. Mr. Sexton is in attendance, and, in accordance with long-established habit, opens the proceedings by a little 222 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isso. series of ornate speeches ill-disguised in the form of supple- mentary questions. Mr. Balfour, having conceded the ex- pected tribute of alluding to him as "the right honourable gentleman," the Lord Mayor of Dublin retires for the rest of the evening. Mr. Biggar, once so formidable an adversary, has abjured sack, and become a reformed character. His constant attend- ance upon the Probate Court has imbued him with a certain judicial air incompatible with his former eccentricities. He now treats the Speaker with as marked respect as if he were presiding over a Court of Justice, and once, taking exception to an attempt made from the Conservative benches to proceed after midnight with contentious business, he alluded to the Solicitor-General for Ireland as " my learned friend." July 4. — Royal },[y Smith, moving to-night for a Committee to Grants. . . . " • c -r> ^ /~i inquire into the question or Koyai Grants, was from the lirst apologetic in his manner. All he hoped for was that, " at this stage at all events," in consideration of Her Majesty's most gracious message, the House would be unani- mous in the conclusion arrived at. He was not unconscious of laches in connection with delay in submitting the proposal for a Committee. But for that shortcoming he only was to blame. "I am," he said, "personally responsible, and I take it entirely upon myself if any blame is to be attached to anyone." This move, sim})le as it seemed, was in reality profoundly skilful. The Radicals below the gangway raised their first tierce cry of angry resentment when Mr. Smith alluded to the failure to fulfil a pledge given many Sessions back. When he chivalrously, as Mr. Gladstone promptly admitted took on himself the full measure of responsibility, the most relentless sectary was mollified. The hand uplifted to strike drew back disarmed by the peaceful, lamblike bearing of the proffered victim. When a short time after Mr. Smith lapsed into that touching eulog}' of domestic life, beginning " Around tlie sentiment of family is clustered all that is good and pure in the Constitution of this country," he had brought the turbulent House into -so gentle a mood that if it had been 1889.] MR. GLADSTONE'S DILEMMA. 223 possible forthwith to submit the vote it would undoubtedl_y have been carried without a dissentient voice. Mr. Gladstone's ]\Xr. Gladstone seconded the motion in one of those speeches he alone can make. If he had not commenced with the simple statement that he rose to second the motion, the crowded House, following the tortuous windings of his speech, would, up to the closing sentences, have been in doubt as to Avhich of two courses he had resolved to take. He had so much to say in support of the proposal, and so many considerations to put forth of its possible inappropriateness, that the bewildered mmd, hurriedly weighing one with the other, was by no means certain how the scales would fall. \Vhen later he rose again to speak on the amendment moved by Mr. Bradlaugh, he had become aware of the exceedingly strong feeling on the part of fully one-half of his followers hostile to the proposal to vote additional grants for the Royal Family. His task was to support the Government, and yet not to offend his own supporters ; to make two and two seem five, yet in result to bring out the addition as simply four ; to hint that a colour was black, whilst acting on the assumption that it was white ; to agree with Mr. Picton as to the iniquity of the practice of giving doles and dowries, and to vote with the Government in support of the Gracious Message of the Queen. These were the tasks to wdiich he devoted himself with an intellectual delight that sparkled through his elaborate endeavour. He had had no time for preparation to meet the serious turn events had taken. The consequence was that his discourse partook of the character of a soliloquy. He was thinking aloud, arguing with himself, arbitrating between his dual character of ingrained Conservatism and Leader of a political j)arty largely infused with Radicalism. He had made up his mind to vote with the Government at whatever cost. The object of his speech was to minimise the cost, if jiossible to find reasons for less intellectually agile followers to support the Government, or, failing that, to make them regard with the least possible resentment his temporary alliance with the Powers of Darkness. 224 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [is89. He spoke for only a few minutes, but rarely has he presented so interesting a psychological study. Now he walked a little on the left-hand side of the road, comforting his own friends with assurance that the instruction to the Committee as it stood w^ould secure for them the right to inquire into those, possibly imaginary, hoards of money Mr. Laboucherc had gloated over. Then, turning to the right, he walked for a while in company with the First Lord of the Treasury, protesting that "it would be unfair that he should be required at a moment's notice to give his impression as to what the motion contained and what it did not contain." In the end, his dubious course eagerly watched by three hundred pairs of eyes, he sat down, having succeeded in vaguely conveying the impression that whilst he would give his vote with the (Tovernment, his sympathies were with hon. gentlemen below the gangway on his own side. July .").— Disap- J wouder if anybody knowing Sir Wilfrid pointed with -^ i i i •. j. i • the Atlantic. Lawsou could lilt upoii a near guess at nis favourite poet ? Talking with him at dinner the other evening, the conversation turned upon poets, and he made confession. The poet he most delights in is Byron, probably the last that would have occurred to the mind in such connection. I do not remember hearing him quote Byron in any of his speeches in the House or out of it. This is not for lack of knowledge, as he proved by recital of a whole stanza of " Childe Harold." But Sir Wilfrid Lawson, unlike Mr. Bright, and, in one of his meditative moods, Mr. Chamberlain, is not prone to drop into poetry. His great forte is story-telling, and of stories he has a wonderful collection, keen insight into their appropriateness, and rare gift of recital. On the particular night I refer to he had heard from a friend travelling in Ireland of a little adventure Sir Wilfrid related with contagious glee. The English tourist, a member of the House of Commons, was travelling in the West of Ireland, and found himself in the train with tAvo priests. He learned that they were stationed at Kilkee, in County Clare, a rift in the coast on whicli tli<' Atlantic beats in sublimest beauty. The priests coiiipIainiHl that it was very dull there. 1S89.] MB. SMITE AS LEADER. 225 " All," said the M.P., thinking of the Atlantic in its many moods, " but you nuist have a beautiful view ^ " " Divil a bit," said one of the priests testily ; " there's nothing between us and Anieriky." July 8. ~ Mr. It, is no secret that Mr. Smith was selected for the office of Leader of the House of Commons not because he was at the time regarded as the best man, but because he was recognised as the best possible man. His character was prophetically drawn in a couple of lines written years ago : " Here comes a young- person of excellent pith, Fate tried to disguise him by calling him Smith." Mr. Disraeli, a swift and excellent judge of character, had discovered in him this unobtrusive endowment of character, and w^hen he came to power in 1874, made him Financial Secretary to the Treasury. There was, as everybody admitted, an absolute fitness about the state of things. It was putting the square man into the square hole, and Mr. Smith justified the selection by proving himself, in a comparatively obscure, but really important, office, a model Minister. Everybody agreed he was the right man in the right place, but if every- body had been polled there is little doubt it would have been further agreed that he had reached the height of his possible fame. The more intimately acquaintance was formed with his capacity, the fuller Avas the appreciation. Whenever a man was suddenly and imperatively required to fill a post in a moment of difficulty, there was W. H. Smith. At the end of the Session of 1877, when a reconstruction of the Ministry became necessary, and Mr. Gathorne Hardy went to the House of Lords, Mr. Smith was made First Lord of the Admiralty, and, with fuller opportunities, added to his reputation. After the stirring scene in the House of Commons in the Session of 1885, that saw Mr. Gladstone's great majority dissolved into thin air, he was made Secretary for War, an office he resumed after the General Election of 1886. When in the same year Lord Randolph Churchill disturbed the Christmas festivities at Hatfield and elsewhere by throwing up his portfolio, Lord Salisbury turned, in his dilemma, to his plain, unadorned 226 A BIAUY OF THE SALTS BUBY PAltLIAMEXT. [isso. unobtmsive colleague, and, whilst the political world was still perturbed with the news of Lord Randolph's resignation, it learned the fresh marvel that Mr. W. H. Smith was nominated First Lord of the Treasury, and Leader of the House of C'Ommons. He has now held the post through three Sessions, and has worked upon the House of Commons the same charm which operated to his advancement in the inner councils of the Conservative leaders. The House, it is true, sometimes laughs at him. But there is nothing malicious in the merriment, for it recognises in him an honest, kindly, able man, who, free from all pretension, unaided by personal ]3restige or family in- fluence, has conducted the business of the House of Commons with a success that will bear comparison with any equal period of thne under more famous leaders. July 26. -The di- Probably never since Parties were formed was \'ision on the :f t i- r i Royal Grants, tlicre givcii such prooi 01 personal supremacy as is supplied by the acquiescence of the Irish members in their Leader's tactics on the Royal Grants. Often- times has this anti-type of O'Connell, this almost morose recluse, in striking ways brought into orderly line the turbulent spirits that follow him. That he should succeed in taking them into the division lobby in opposition to Mr. Labouchere and his friends, in support of the colleagues of Mr. Balfour, seemed a feat beyond the range of his necromancy. Yet the report that he would do so, current for forty-eight hours, was not contradicted. As the serried masses that waited on either side to hear the question ])ut slowly rose and parted right and left, all eyes were turned below the gangway where Mr. Parnell sat, sternly silent. Parties and sections of parties mingled and divided. Mr. Ciladstonc went out to support the Government in their resistance to the Radical revolt. Lord Hartingtou, lingering aAvhile to talk to Sir \A'illiam Harcourt, strolled out in the same direction with liis (»1(1 colleague, shoulder to shoulder. Mr. John ]\lorley, hapi)y in the final deliverance of his amendment, followed, more sloAv-footed, in the same direction. Mr. Mundclla Avent the same Avay. Of the crowd on the front 0])position, only Sir George Trovelyan, deeply 1SS9.] MR. BBADLAUGH. 227 Avroiight, but bent on following what seemed to him the right course, at whatever wrenching of personal relationships, turned his face towards the other doorway, amid a murmur of ironical cheers from the watchful Ministerialists. It Avas an enormous gathering for a July night, with the shadow of the Prorogation already overhanging the Session. Including the tellers, 518 members voted, many more than could find seats on the floor of the House. They stood in a throng at the bar ; they sat on the steps of the gangway ; they were huddled together behind the Speaker's chair ; they filled the galleries on either hand. It was a splendid audience, worthy of something better than the closing speeches of the debate. Mr. Bradiaixgh. When the Housc met, Mr. Bradlaugh had se- cured the prized opportunity of addressing it in the freshness of its gathering, and had prej)ared one of those stupendous, tinkling-cymbal speeches which mark his deca- dence. Like Mr. Sexton, Mr. Bradlaugh mars the gift of oratorical power by a too-prevailing sense of his own worthi- ness. Whilst onmiscience is his forte, legal erudition is his foible. He is ever posing before the House in plaintive chest notes as a poor layman struggling against the trained hosts of titled and salaried legal luminaries. Beneath his melodramatic humility in presence of the Attorney-General, the House discerns a self-conviction that, save for the absence of wig and gown, he is more than a match for all the Inns of Court. He digs among the sepulchres of Statute Books with patient in- dustry, and frequently brings to light some forgotten Act that should have the effect, not always attained, of upsetting modern judgments. To-night he rolled under his tongue as precious morsels the 9th and 10th of William the Third, revelled in " Crown Lands " and " hereditary possessions." He was great on a statute of William IV., and contemptuous of a Committee who, in the sixth paragraph of their Report, had entirely misapprehended the bearings of " small branches." This was very imposing, but delivered for the most part in a strident voice, Avith much complacent pursing of the lip and conclusive thrusting forward of the right shoulder, it grew a trifle tiresome, and the House hailed with a shout of delight Lord Randolph's happy, Disraelian whisper of the suspicion 228 A DIARY OF THE SALISRURY PARLIAMENT. [iss9. that the hon. gentleman's legal, erudition was derived from diligent study of that popular authority, Every Man His Own Laivyer. Mr. Bradlaugh had, especially at the outset of his speech, a full House, and a still fuller audience folloAved Lord Randolph Churchill through his sparkling speech, in style and manner perhaps the best in a long series of Parliamentary triumphs. After this the company fell away, and to an almost empty Chamber Sir Hussey Vivian, pink of political respectability, struggled to explain to diverse audiences, present at West- minster and listening in the Swansea District, the grounds upon which he should, at this stage at least, support the Government. Nor was Sir W. Lawson so happy as usual in keeping the table in a roar; whilst Mr. Goschen, hampered with abundance of notes and shortness of time, halted terribly. Dinding ! Whilst Big Ben was tolling midnight overhead the division bell rang through all the corridors, and members, waiting the signal, trooped in. A rush was made for the division lobby by members anxious to be out first. The crowds in the side galleries poured into the House till the multitude that had f>eopled the benches thronged the broad passage between. Midway met the two streams, one passing towards the doorway behind the Speaker's chair, the other, much smaller, making for the doorway under the clock. Still the Irish members tarried in their places, and many members on the benches opposite remained seated, waiting till the passage was clearer, and watching how the Irish Avould go. They went at last, passing Mr. Labouchere in his corner seat, he regarding each familiar face with a glance of poignant regret. They had all passed out with slow step, dis- appearing in the Government lobby. Still the ^Ministerialists, clustered on the benches opposite, sat watching and waiting. Mr. Biggar. Then there Avas a ripple of laughter, a burst of cheering, and Mr. Biggav was discovered stroll- ing all by himself in a casual way into the lobby through which the figiu'e of Mr. Balfour had but a few moments earlier disappeared. An uneasy smile flickcrecl over his flushed face as the cheers and laughter grew in volnnic. It Avas noted isso.] "THE GRAND OLD MAN." 229 that on this supreme occasion he was dressed with remarkable care. The imitation sealskin waistcoat, which in years gone by he used to spread in defiance of whatever Ministers sat on the Treasury bench, has long ago disappeared with his in- creasing political and social importance. Of late he has not disdained the lighter attire affected by the man of fashion in summer-tide. To-night he had put away these vanities. Draped in deepest mourning, with no gleam of colour save the flush in his cheek, the white shirt-front, and the gold watch-chain, he followed with slow, sad steps the majority that went to crown the triumph of the Ministry. Looking at him, a sombre figure amidst the boisterous hilarity of the scene, it was impossible to resist the impression that Josejjh Gillis was walking out to the funeral of his old, dead self .July 30.— "The ]\Ii-_ Gladstone has had in his time many Grand Old . at i • i •/ Man." nicknames. Ages have passed since a daily newspaper, then endeavouring to bask in the rays of the rising sun, lapsed into an extravagance which, adroitly turned by the enemy, bestowed upon the popular statesman the mock title, " The People's William." Still later, taken in the same way, came the historic appellation, the " Grand Old Man," perhaps the most widely accepted ever bestowed upon a public man. Whilst his enemies use it with tongue in cheek and meaning wink of the eye, his admirers are content to adopt it as a literal description of a remarkable individuality. The origin of the phrase is already beginning to be lost in obscurity, but the honour of its invention belongs to Sir William Harcourt. It will be found in one of his early addresses to his constituents in Derby, and had its birth amid the exultation that followed on Mr. Gladstone's return to power in 1880, on the ruin of Lord Beaconsfield's Government. There is still another name for Mr. Gladstone, reserved for the inner circle of his otficial colleagues. To them he is always " Mr. G.," and the amount of expression this initial is capable of can be estimated only by those accustomed to hear it spoken in the varying moods in which Mr. Gladstone leaves his colleagues. 230 A BIABY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isso. There is only one otlier man in political life Avhose j^er- sonality is so intimate in the pnblic mind that he is invariably spoken of by a more or less affectionate diminutive. No one in ordinary conversation ever thinks of alluding to the noble lord, the mcml)crf(»r raddington, as Lord Jiandolph ( 'hurcliill, or even Lord Randolph. He is always Randolph, wlictlK r to the man in the street or to the politician at the dinncr-iable. Perhaps it is funniest to hear fair ladies, old and young, speak of him by his Christian name, as if he were a brother, a cousin, or a pet dog. i88f».] Sin WILLIAM HARCornr. 231 Aug. 1(5.— Sir ^\. Concedino- Sir William Harcourt's position as Harcourt ^^ ■, t i f r\ • • i leader of the the Leader or an Opposition bent upon opposing, Opposition. nothing could exceed the skill or the adroitness of his operations carried on throughout the week in Committee on the Tithes Bill. It has been a momentous epoch in his career, finally settling the always vexed question of the suc- cession to Mr. Gladstone's leadership in the House of Com- mons. Sometimes, lacking a free hand, not quite certain of his position on his own side, and still impelled to volubility, Sir William Harcourt has oftended the sense of the House by a certain ponderosity of humour and invective. Through this Aveek he has been entirely free from these vices. No one, unless it be Mr. Henry Fowler, a kind of Parliamentary Bidder, could count up the number of speeches he has made since Monday. But it can be safely asserted by one who heard them all that never once did he descend into that swaggering, bullying mood which at other times debases his style. Quick to see a point, happy in phraseology, brief in speech, he has invariably said the right thing at the right time in the right way ; For high comedy, in which Mr. Smith played a by no means secondary part, nothing has of late been seen in the House of Commons equal to the passage in which the two Leaders fenced across the table over the dead body of the Tithes Bill. Sir William Harcourt's first business was to see that the Bill was really destroyed. This conclusion was reached as a consequence of the Speaker's ruling in reply to his question on a point of order. Mr. Smith of necessity followed with the withdrawal of the Bill, and on this 16th of August, with over eighty votes in Supply yet to be taken, and with knowledge gained through the week of the manifold opposition evoked by any attempt to deal with the question, it was physically and morally impossible to make a fresh attempt. That quite clear, Sir William Harcourt's whole manner changed. On the instant he became the chief mourner over the still-born Bill foreshadowed by the amendments of the Attorney-General. It was the dearest object of his heart, the apple of his eye. Could it be possible that Mr. Smith, un- natural parent, was determined to refuse proffered help of a 232 A BIAEY OF THE SALISBURT FARLIAMENT. [issj>. OM)EKOSITV Ol' IWIXTIVE. passcr-by to resuscitate the bantling ? Then came his eulogy of this oflsiJi-ing- of j\ Conservative (Tovernnient sketched in 1SS9.] Silt WILLIAM HARCOUirr. 233 the amendments to the now abandoned Bill the Attorney- General had laid upon the table, embodying, as Sir William said they did, principles fought for through generations by Radicals — the transference of the liability for tithes from occu- pier to landowner, and the establishment of a universal land court in this country. The Attorney-General tossed uneasily on his seat as Sir William Harcourt turned and blessed him. Mr. Smith endeavoured to look unconcerned while he spas- modically took notes. Conservative gentlemen rustled their papers and muttered interjections. But it was not for them to interrupt a generous adversary, exhausting eulogy on a measure submitted by their own leaders, which they had assembled in unwonted numbers to support. When Sir William Harcourt resumed his seat his triumph was complete. The Bill he had fought all the week was dead, and no one could say he had done it. On the contrary, he had extolled its merits (in its amended form), and Avith tears in his eyes had besought the Government not to abandon it by the wayside. Aug. 30. Parliament prorogued. SESSION OF 1S89. FEBRUARY. \ddre.ss thereiiii. 2(;. Ti •21. Thurs.—H. M. «iieecli First Debute. 22. i-Vi.— Ditto. Ditto. Secoml Debate. 25. Jlfod.— Ditto. Ditto. Ameudineut (Ireland), Mr. John Morley. Tliird Debate. .s-.-H. M. Speecli. Address tin Fourtli Debate. 27. )('(!«?.— Ditt.>. Ditto. Fiftli Debate. 28. r/uns.- Ditto. Ditto. Sixth Debate. 1. Fri. — H. M. Speech. Address thereon. Division on Mr. Morley's Amend- ment — For, 200. Against, 38'.). Seventh Debate. 4. Mon.— Ditto. Ditto. Amendment - (Highlands, &c., Scotland), Mr. Cald- iwlt. Division — For, 90. Against, UiO. Eighth Debate. 5. Tues. — Asli Wednesday Motion. Division —For, 193. Against, 112. H. M. Speech. Address thereon. Amend- ment (Trafalgar Sqnare), Mr. Pickers- gill. Division -For,' 109. Against, ViS. Ninth Debate. It. Wcil.—n. M. Speech. Address thereon. Division on Main Question (claimed by Mr. W. H. Sinitli) — For, 227. Against, 99. Tenth Debate. 7. 77M//-.y. — Naval Defences. Committee. Snpjilv ; Civil Service.s. 8. i-Vf.— Morning Sittings. Motion, Mr. W. H. Smith. Supply. Amendment, Mr. Bradlaugh. Division — For, 79. Against, 112. 11. ii/o?i.— Supply : Army Estimates. .Vr. Std nhojie's Statement. 12. Toes. — Morning Sitting. Supply: Army Estimates. 234 A DIABY OF THE SALISBURY J'ABLIAMEXT. [isso. MARCH (continued). 13. ICerf.— Prisoners (Ireland) Bill. Mr. J. O'Connor. Division — For, li>3. Against, 2.')0. 14. r/uo-s. — SuiM.lviX.lX'. r-tii, ,;,!,.. An.lMl. iiu-iit, Mr. 7' . Ii — 1 II. Against. 10;'. I ■! ,,•. - .■ .■ • ■ . ,. l.j. F/'i.— Salaries iif Ml!: ;-i.i-, .M -; :■ .i^.U, . lUiflthune. Debate on Evening Schools. 15. .1/oii. — Supply : Civil Services. ly. TrfCi-.— Public Business. Motion (Prece- dence, &c., to Supply), Mr. IF. H. Smith. Division on Main Question — For, 26.5. Against, 1(5(5. Supply. Report. Civil Service Esti- mates. 20. Wnl. — Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 21. 27i»»-6'.— Ditto. Ditto. 22. >•«.— Ditto. Ditto. Special Com- mission. The Statement by The Attorney-General. 25. il/o«.— Supyily. Report. Sir. C. Rusfell and The Attorney-General's State- ments. Naval Defence. Committee. 26. rj(«.— Suiijily : Civil Service Estimates. Slave Trade. Mntimi, Mr. S. Buxton. 27. jr«(.— R.iii..-.,il ■! WiveksBill. Sir. E. Bin.' . l; , : . Sale (it li- .;.!!._ Liquors on Sunday Bill. ../, . ./. L. . .-. (€/(.iO«. 2nd Read- ing. Division — For, 179. Against, 157. 28. 27i!M-.«.— Supply : Civil Service Estimates. Army Annual Bill. Committee. 29. ;•>(■.— The late Mr. John Bright. Remarks bv .1/'-. W. H. Smith, Mr. Gladstone, &c. Payment of Members. Motion, Mr. Fcnwick. House counted. 1. .Von.— Naval Defcure. Committee. Re- soluti'.i:. I>i\:-l..ii (claimed)— For, 251. A- : ■ : . 2. Tues. — Su] i I ~ A ice Estimates. PoorinL:ir_' I , n-. \]' ition, Mr. Broad- hnrst. ."select Cniinnittee agreed to. 3. irc!?. — Trusts Investments Bill. Mr. Cozens- Hardy. Read 2°. 4. r/iurs.— Naval Defence. Report. 5. /•>(.- Vaccination Acts. Motion, Mr. Picton. 8. Mon. — Local Government for Scotland. Bills brnn-l,t in. Supply: ('i\il S' i\iiT E:stjmates. 9. 7'!ii'.<.— SSiijiih : ( ImI .-.rvice Estimates. Home Rill- t-r Se,.tlaii-.— Adjuiirnmeiit. Motion (state of ^).-ll.■_■>^ V:. }r-''Xr,u. MIli|il^ . ' : -. ■■ Estimates. Siijai ( . . • I; I. Motion lor leave, l;,.,n,, - n-, ..... 12. f/-;. — Supply : Civil Service E.stimate.s. Motion (Public Executioner), .Sir. E. I.echmere. Supply : Report. Religious Prosecutions, &c., Bill. Mr. Bradlawjh. 2nd Reading. Division —For, 46. Against, 111. 15. Mon. — Ways and Means. Financial State- ment, Mr. Goschen. 16. Tues. — Supi^ly : Civil Service Estimates. 29. il/oft.— Ditto. Ditto. 30. rnte-.- Business of the House. Morning Sittings. Jlotion, Sir. M. II. Beach. East India Abakan Department. Motion, i/r. S. Smith. 1. Jred,— Leaseholds Enfranchisement Bill. Mr. II. jr. Lawson. 2n(l Reading. Division -For, 157. Against, ISO. 2. T/i»ri<.--Ways and Means. Budget Re- sr>lntions. Supi)lv : Civil Service Estimates. :i. /■•(•(.— liitto. Ditto. Motion (Opium Trade), Mr. S. Smith. Division — For, 88. Against, 1(55. (5. .Vo/i.— Adjournment. Motion (Ireland, Police), Mr. A. Jones. Naval Defence Bill. 2nd Reading. De- bate adjourned. 7. Tues. — Ditto. Ditto. Division — For, 277. Against, ISC). 8. »'«(?.— Theatres (London) Bill. Mr. D iron- JIartkind. 2nd Reading. Bill put off for six montlis. Corporal Punishment Bill. Mr. .Milvain. 2nd Reading. Division — P'or, 194. Against, 126. 9. Thurs.—'Vfays and Means. Budget Re- solutions. Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 10. >Vi.— Ditto. Ditto. Universities (Representation of). Mo- tion, Mr. E. liobert.ion. Division — For, 126. Against, 217. 13. jVo)i.— Customs, &c., Bill. Read 2". Naval Defence Bill. Committee. 14. 7'»e5.— Supply : Civil Service Estimates. Established Church in Wales. Motion, Mr. DilUryn. Division — Foi*, 231. Against, 284. 15. jrcrf.— Education (Wales) Bill. .1/r. S. licndd. Read 2'. 16. Thurs. — Perpetual Pensions. Motion, Mr. Bradlaugh. Division — Foi', 205. Against, 264. Cu.stoms, &c., Bill. Committee. 18S0.] SESSION OF 1889. 235 17. »)■.— Customs, &e., Bill. Coininittoe. Naval Defi'iici' Hill. 3rd Keadiiig. He- liatea^l.jniini.Ml. Hou.siMit I.mkU. .M.itidii, Mr. Laboucliere. Division - Km, I'ld. Against, 201. 20. Jl/ou.- Naval Delciice Bill. 3r(l Reading. Division— For, 1S3. Against, 101. Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 21. I'hss.— Ditto. Ditto. 22. JFcti.— Coal Duties (London) Bill. Sir J. Pease. 2nd Reading. Division— For, 264. Against, 104. 23. Thurs. —Local Government(Scotland) Bill. 2nd Reading. Debate adjourned. 24. i'ri,.— Ditto. Ditto. Penal System. Motion, Mr. Pickersgill. Division— For, 53. Against, 122. (rontin.ued). 27. Mnn . — Adjournment. Mot (Evi.'tions), .1/,-. ir. iri:. 28. Tues -^ui-i.h 29. irw?.-!'".! 1 ^) Bill. M 1-. Divisi( MM. .,i(S,-otland)Bill. DiMsinn— For, 23vi. ■•'(•('. — Local Government (Scotland) Snp- jileinentary Provisions Bill. Read Supply : Civil Service Estimates. Unccveuanted Civil Servants (India). Motion, Sir K. Lethbriihje. Division — For, 86. Against, 122. 3. jVo/;.— Light Railwavs (Ireland) Bill. Mr. A. Bal/our. Read 1°. Supply : Civil Service Estimates. Board of Agriculture Bill. Mr. IT. }[. Smith. Read 2". 4. Tues. — Supply ; Civil Service Estimates. Bimetallism. Motion, Mr. Chipliti. Debate adjourned. 17. Mon. — Supply : Army Estimates. 18. !'?(««.- Supply : Navy and Army Esti- mates. 19. ir«;.-CrueUv to Children Prevention Bill. Committee. 20. 77u(/-s. — Universities (Scotland) Bill. Read 2^. 21. /•>/.-Sup].ly: Armv Estimates. Evictions (Ivi'land). Motion, .1//-. ./. F.. Kllix. Division— For, 178. Against. 248. 24. .¥oi(.-Board of Agriculture Bill. Com- Jiiittee. Bann Drainage Bill. Second Reading. Division— For, 20.5. Against, 5!t. ■IJ. rocs.— Ailjournment. Motion, Mr. Cini inn- Universities (Scotland) Bill. Connnittee. 21-,. ircv/.-Crurlty to Children, &c., Bill. Conunittee. 2,. 77m(,x. — Universities (Scotland) Bill. Cnnniittce. 25. /■,•/. — Ditto. Ditto. Sale of Irish Estates. Motion, Mr. Lea. Moil. — An, Mr. Brooljiehl. Select Committee appointed. Moil. — Adjournment. Motion (arre.st of Mr. O'Brien), ruled out of order by Mr. Speaker. Local Government (Scotland) Bills. Committee, r-iies.— Royal Grants. Nomination of Select Committee. Local Government (Scotland) Bill. Com- mittee. irc(!. — Ciuelty to Children Bill consi- dereil. Intermediate Education (Wales) Bill. Committee. 27«ics.— Local Government (Scotland) Bill. Committer. JiYi.— Ditto. Ditto. 3/on.-Ditto. Ditto. 2'((cs.— Ditto. Ditto. ircci. — Universities (Scotland) Bill. Con- sidered, r/un-x. —Tithe RHiit-eli:ir-p, ^V-c., Bill. Aja 19. i'V/.-.\.l.i..mniiirnt. .Moi,,,,, i.Mamstrates, India I, Ur. Cameron. Light Railways (Ireland) Bill. 2nd Reading. Motion toadjourndebate(5i/'ir.I,(!ic.so»), not put by Mr. Speaker. Merchant Shipping, &e., Bill. Con- sidered. 22. .17o/(.— Local Government (Scotland) Bill. Considered. 23. Tmcs.- Ditto. Ditto. 24. irc(?.— Ditto. Ditto. 2.5. 7'7i((7'6-.— The Royal Grants. Debate on going into Committee. Ad.journed. 20. i-Yi.— Ditto. Ditto. Division on Mr. Labouchere s Amendment. For, lUi. Against, 398. 29. iVoii.— Ditto. Committee. Division on Mr. J. Morley's Amendment— Foi-, 134. Against, 353. Resolutions re- ported. 30. Tues. Royal Grants. Bill read 1°. Universities (Scotland) Bill. Considered. Post Office Sites Bill. Read 2^ 31. D'td.— Universities (Scotland) Bill. Read 3^ Infectious Diseases Notification Bill. Read 2=. 236 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isso. rhurs.^yiv. Di'imtv-Siieaker took the Chaiiini.l.-i S. (). N„. 1. Ad.jniniiiiirHt. Motion (Dr. Tanner's casu), Mr. Stxtun. Prince of Waless Chiklren Bill. Com- mittee. i-'/i.— Prince of Wales's Children Bill. Committee. Conni'il of India Bill. Read 2^ Moil.— Prince of Wales's Children Bill. Read 3''. Supply: Education Vote. Tues. — Supply : Civil Seiviee Estimates. ire*;.— Ditto. Ditto. y/Mtrs.— Ditto. Ditto. >■/•;.— Ditto. Ditto. .l/o)i. — Tithe Rcnt-char-f Bill. Com- mittee. Debate on InstriU'tions tliereto. Y'lics. — Tithe Rent-charge Bill. Com- mittee. ]Ved. — Tithe Rent-charge Bill. Com- mittee. Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 15. T7n(rs.— Supply : Civil Service E.stimates. 1(5. F/i.— Tithe Rent-charge, &c., Bill. With- drawn. Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 17. .S(.«._Ditto. Ditto. 19. ,WoH.— Light Railways (Ireland) Bill. Considered. Read 3^ Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 20. 7'((es.— Ditto. Ditto. •21. lOrf.— Ditto. Ditto. 22. 'i'/M/?-s.— Ditto. Ditto. 23. ^■;■i.— Ditto. Ditto. 24. i'««.— Supply. Report. Appro])riation Bill. Read 1°. 20. iVoH.— Technical Instruction Bill. Com- mittee. Appropriation Bill. Read 2'. 27. 2'"es.— Appropriation Bill. Committee. East India. Financial Statement. Technical Instruction Bill. Committee. 28. ir«/.— Appropriation Bill. Read 3°. Technical Instruction Bill. Considered. 30. /•>(.— Prorogation. 237 SESSION OF 180 0. CHAPTER XXII. DEATH OF MR. BIGGAR. Opening- Day — Privilege — A Stranger in the House — ]\Ir. Parncll — The Duke of Fife — The Parnell t'ommissioners' Report — ]Mr. Pyne's Watch — Death of Mr. Biggar—" What's That?"— Major O'Gorman— Mr. ParneU— The Four-hours' Speech — Reaction — Biggar plre et fils — Mr. Biggar and the Admiral. ^eb. 11 .—Open- The attendance of members of the House ot Commons on the barren ceremony of the open- ing of ParUament by Commission is gradually falling away, and to-day there was a more than usually beggarly arra}^ This was made up for two hours later, when lobby and House were crowded. Everyone was asking whether the motion on the breach of privilege would come oft", and if so in what circum- stances. It is to be moved by Sir AV. Harcourt, and charac- terises the letter published in the Thnes last April (purporting to have been wTitten by Mr. Parnell, but proved to have been forged by Pigott) " a false and scandalous libel, and a breach of privilege of the House." Thus it came to pass that, except for the crowded benches and the teeming excitement, matters progressed for a couple of hours as if nothing particular were to the fore, and as if by-and-bye the House would be lulled by the platitudes of the mover and seconder of the Address. The front Oppo- sition bench had mustered in full force, only Mr. Gladstone tarrying on the way. At live o'clock, when the dreary process of balloting for motions had been going forward for half an hour, the echo of a prolonged cheer was heard in the precincts of the House. This was from the serried multitude at the gates of Palace Yard, who had waited all the afternoon to greet Mr. Gladstone, and were rewarded by seeing him drive down in an open barouche. 238 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PABLIAMENT. [islo. ]\Ir. Pariiell was early in his place, looking much better than before the recess. Lord Randolph Clinrchill was also back, bringing his Licensing Bill with him. ^Ir. Labonchere sat watchful at the corner seat below the gangway, and there was quite a light for the opposite seat vacated by Mr. Chaplin, who presently took his seat on re-election on acceptance of office as Minister of Agriculture. Mr. William O'Brien was also in the House, but he took up a position on a back bench, and was not observed till he rose to give notice of a motion, when he was loudly cheered from below the gangwa}^ Sir "William Harcourt came and went, moving solemnly to and from his place on the front Opposition bench, but his appear- ance gave rise to no demonstration. Mr. Gladstone, on the contrary, was hailed with hearty cheers from the Opposition. On the other side Mr. Balfour is still the favourite, as was shown by the cheering that greeted his entrance. Mr. Joseph Chamberlain arrived long before four o'clock, full of pleasant reminiscences of his going down to Egypt. He and Sir Henry James solely represented the Dissentient Liberals on the front Opposition bench, and Sir Henry, coming in late, found uncomfortably little room. There is already evident a determined indisposition on the part of Mr. Gladstone's col- leagues to put themselves to any inconvenience to find room in the centre of their camp for allies of the Government. Privilege. Sir W. Harcourt's speech in moving his resolu- tion on the privilege question Avas in his more serious Parliamentary style. There was an expectation in the crowded House that he would ciilivon the debate by some of his sharp thrusts. But he was a]:)parcntly weighted by the seriousness of the occasion, and resisted the temptation that sometimes besets him to raise a laugh. He was listened to throughout with engrossed attention on the Conservative side, and was encouraged by frequent cheers from the Oppo- sition. Perhaps the most effective passage in a speech that lasted nearly three-quarters of an hour was the picture he presented to the House of the Times, instead of libelling an Irish member, having made an accusation of shnilar import against either Mr. Smith or the Chancellor of the E.\ehe(|uer, thniny its atta«'k lov the iiioi-niDg of a debate endini;- in a vote i8i.o.] .1 STB ANGER IN THE HOUSE. 239 of confidence in the Government. How, he asked, would the House of Commons have acted in such circumstances ? That shot went right home. As frequently happens when the (Tovernment are in a tight place, Sir John Gorst was put forward to deliver them. He was less successful than usual, but, as Mr. Gladstone generously said, he had done his best in a bad case. How bad it was was lestitied to by the fact that so trained and able a debater gravely argued two points : the first that the motion of Sir William Harcourt was too late, the second affirming that it was too early. Sir John moved an amend- ment, declaring that the House declined to treat as a breach of privilege the publication of the letters and the comments thereupon. A straiiger in The ^liuistcrialists listening to Sir John Gorst knew how bad a case they had, and welcomed with disproportionate hilarity a little incident that varied the gravity of the occasion. This was the appearance of a niouse, which darted from, the Bar towards the centre of the House, and then, frightened by the cries the intrusion drew forth, harked back, stundjling against Mr. Bond, the member for East Dorset, who happened to be standing by the Cross Benches. Mr. Bond is one of the most imposing figures in Parliament, and the spectacle of the hon. member jumping up into the air, affrighted at the attack made upon him, convulsed the House with laughter, and for several minutes the grave debate was interrupted by this trivial incident. Mr. Gladstone spoke with all his customary force and cogency, undaunted by the unwonted circumstance of almost empty benches. ]\rr. Parueii. After this the House emptied, not to be kept together even by Mr. Balfour's speech, which seemed to portend the sudden close of the debate. It was not till half-past eleven, when Mr. Parnell rose, that the benches once more filled. Mr. Parnell made an impressive speech, full of dramatic force, unassisted by gesture or up- lifted voice. He concluded by moving that the word " forged " should precede " letters " in the amendment of Sir John Gorst. 240 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMEXT. m>o. Mv. Siuitli, rising to the situation with quite unexpected readiness and adroitness, accepted this amendment, frankly and fully declaring the detestation of himself and his party of the tactics in which the Tinicx had so disastrously failed. The division took place just before midnight, Sir John Gorst's amendment (as amended by Parnell) being of course carried, but by a significantly reduced majority, 2(50 voting for it and 212 against. It was now too late to proceed with the Address, which for the first time in Parliamentary history stood over un- touched on the first night of the Session. Feb. 14 —The Xhc Dukc of Fife has passed an interesting, Duke of 1- if e. i i • * i iV- and more or less agreeable, evenmg. At halt- past four o'clock, robed in scarlet and ermine, he was one of a quaint procession in which the Prince of Wales played a part, whereby he was re-introduced to the House of Lords in his new dignity as Duke. An hour later he was sitting in mufti in the Peers' Gallery of the House of Commons listening to Mr. Labouchere, who, in his pecidiarly frank manner, was discussing and criticising the Duke's connection with a com- mercial undertaking in South Africa. As Earl of Fife the Duke has held a seat in the Lords since, in 1885, he was created a Peer of the United Kingdom ; but in the House of Lords there is a considerable difference between an Earl and a Duke, and, coming to his legislative duties in his new style, the Queen's grandson-in-law was received with a certain ceremony not lacking in grotesqueness. As no one knew what was in store the House of Lords was nearly empty. The first intimation of the event was the appear- ance of a little procession entering from the Par. Under their disguise of scarlet cloaks slashed with ermine were presently recognised the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Westminster, and the Duke of Norfolk. Behind them wallccd Plack Rod and Garter King-of-Arms. This august body had evidently in charge the new Duke, who was also hidden behind the folds of his jieer's cloak. The novice, Avalking between the Prince of Wales and I lie hidco of Westminster, advanced towards th(; woolsack, (»ii wliich reposed the classic and graceful figure of the Lord Chancellor. Halting a few paces off isno.] THE PABNELL COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 241 the four peers, putting on their three-cornered hats, solemnly lifted them three times in salute of the Lord Chancellor, who, with equal gravity, thrice lifted his. Not a word passed, and the procession started oft" again. This time it made a tour of the Clerk's table, reaching the bench on which dukes are privi- leged to sit. The four peers, taking their seats here, once more turned towards the Lord Chancellor, and again gravety three times raised their hats. Each time they did it the Lord Chancellor raised his, the whole procession being comicall}^ reminiscent of an essay in semaphore signalling. This done, the Prince of Wales' son-in-law, the Duke of Westminster, and the Duke of Norfolk, with Black Rod and Garter King-of-Arms still in attendance, marched forth and disappeared through the doorway. Presently the Prince of Whales, unrobed, came back, and, seating himself on the wool- sack, chatted with the Lord Chancellor, probably congratu- lating him on the graceful manner with which he had achieved his share in the ceremony. The Parneii Shortly after the House met this afternoon Mr. Commissioners' t^ ^^ i • i -r-i- Report. Parnell put the expected question to the b irst Lord of the Treasury. He asked Mr. Smith what action Her Majesty's Government intended to take with respect of the Report of the Special Commission. Mr. Smith's reply was awaited with profound interest. He briefly pointed out that the report had been placed in the hands of Ministers, only at ten o'clock last night, and that they had not had an opportunity of determining the proper course to take. There was a dead silence after this reply — an awkward pause. There was a half expectation that Mr. Glad- stone, intently listening, would break in, but after a moment's hesitation he leaned back in his seat, evidently accepting the answer as reasonable. By Monday, however. Ministers will have had full o]3portunity of considering their position, and a fresh opportunity will be afforded them of stating their intentions. It was noted that Mr. Smith, in his brief reply to Mr. Pamell, was particular in intimating that Her Majesty's Government did not occupy any privileged position in respect of early knowledge of the purport of the report. That is lite- rally true, and it is a jjleasant thing to know. The manuscript 242 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, um. of the report was sent to tlic Home Secretary, and he forthwitli despatched it to the printers. Proofs were supphed to the three judges, who were placed in direct communication with the printers. Mr. Smith was, I beheve, most punctilious in arranging that the distribution of copies of the report should be made to Ministers exactly on the same terms as to other members of the House. As a matter of fact, in the hurly- burly that took place at the door of the Vote Office last night, when at ten o'clock the first batch of Blue-books arrived, more than one Minister figured struggling for a copy. There was no more intensely interested reader of the Blue-book in the House than Mr. Smith, as he sat on the Treasury Bench a little after ten o'clock with the prized volume in his hands, eagerly looking over the pages. Feb. 17. —Mr. Bearing on the question of the manner of the death of Mr. Pyne, member for Waterford (who disappeared from the deck of the Holyhead packet-boat, and was drowned), I hear a curious story. Just before starting for Holyhead he went to a colleague in the House of Comnjons and handed him his watch, asking him to take care of it for him. The member was puzzled at this request, but accepted the commission. When news came of poor Pyne's disappear- ance, what was doubtless his original intention was carried out, and the watch was forwarded to his wife. On the dial there was roughly engraved the words : " Pay no rent." This was one of Mr. Pyne's original devices, akin to his famous exploits in his castle. Whenever in troublesome times any of his poor neighbours came to him for advice as to what they should do in face of a demand for rent, Pyne would shake his head. "I cannot give you advice on this subject," he said, " because Mr. ]>alfour says it is illegal. But Til tell you what Pll do, I will show you what time of day it is " ; and holding out his watch, the incpiiring tenant read upon it the admonitory legend. Feb. 19.— Death The announcement of the death of Mr. Biggar, which reached the House of Commons shortly after it met this afternoon, has created a deep and |)ainful 1890.] DEATH OF MB. HIGGAB. 243 sensation. Probably tliere are not more than a dozen members in tlie House whose sudden removal would have given a pro- founder shock. For sixteen years the member for Cavan has been a familiar figure at Westminster, and last year his per- aonality gained a wider circle of acquaintances through his daily appearance in the court of the Parnell Commission. There is something of surprise to find how strongly he w^as liked, and how sincerely he was respected, even by his political adversaries. There was a time when his uprising was the signal for an outburst of yells and howls. He lived that down, and had come to be regarded as doubtless oddly-mannered, but as a man of shrewd judg- ment, untiring industry, kindly heart, and unpurchasable integrit}'. It chanced that his very last appearance in the House was in a prominent position. Just on the stroke of midnight he walked up to the table as one of the tellers in the division on Mr. Parnell's amendment to the Address, and at six o'clock this morning he Avas lying dead in his bedroom at Clapham. Angina pectoris was the immediate cause of his death — a disease of which symptoms had only recently manifested them- selves. Before Parliament met, he had been staying at Bath, whither he had gone for the relief of some bronchial disorder. He Avas at the post of duty as soon as the Speaker took the chair, and stuck at it in spite of many Avarnings. Last Aveek he more than once complained of a pain in his chest — a cir- cumstance he attributed to the prevalence of east Avinds. Dr. Kenny, passing him in the lobby last night, and casting upon him a kindly professional eye, remarked hoAv ill he Avas looking. He took him oft" to a quiet room and subjected him to such examination as Avas possible. He Avarned him that he was in a bad Avay, and adA^ised him to leave London for at least a couple of months' rest. Mr. Biggar said he Avould " think about it," but Dr. Kenny subsequently saAv Mr. Parnell, and urged him to use his influence Avith Mr. Biggar to get him aAvay. It Avas quite hopeless to endeaA^our to get him to leave the House before the division. So he stayed, " told," in company Avith his friend and colleague, Dick PoAv^er, and Avent home saying he felt better. At six o'clock this morning, his landlady, hearing him 244 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [is'io. breatlio lieavil}^, went into his room, and, finding- liim very ill, ran out for help. When she came back he was dead. " What's that?" County Cavan gave Mr. Biggar to Parliament at the General Election of ^1874, and through the greater part of that year he sat silent, but observant. Rising late in the Session to put a supplementary question to a Minister, Mr. Disraeli, startled by his harsh voice and his odd Ulster accent, looked up and curiously regarded him through his eye-glass. '•' What's that ? " he drawled to Lord Barrington, with an air of affected surprise, as if he had seen seated in the Irish quarter an ourang-outang, or some other strange creature. After a while the House grew more familiar with Mr. Biggar, his voice, his manner, his ways, and his waistcoat — this last a fearsome garment, which, at a distance, might be taken for sealskin, but was understood to be of native manufacture. Later, when the member for Cavan had established his fame and position, Mr. Disraeli knew only too well what " that " was. For a whole Session Mr. Biggar flitted to and fro on the skirts of his party, nominally owning the gentle leadership of Mr. Butt, and having, as yet, no fixed policy, nor any close companion. iiajor O'Gormaii. Li the beginning of the Session of 1875 he was attracted by the potentialities that lingered around Major O'Gorman. Certainly after dinner the Major would go further than any man in the direction of defying the Speaker and flouting the fetish of Parliamentary decorum. The first manifestation of that Obstruction which has smce played so important a part in Parliamentary history was noted in the closing months of the Session of 1874. At that period a Coercion Act was thought so little of, that, being passed only for a year, it Avas included in the Exj^iring Acts Continuance Bill, an omnibus measure into which all kinds of matter-of-course Bills are annually shovelled. The first stand made by the Irish Part}^ was against this procedure, and it was thought a signal victory Avhen Mr. ])israeli gave an under- taking that in future the annual Coercion Bill should have a place all to itself, and should be brought in early in the Session. 1800.] DEATH OF MB. BIGGAB. 2i5 In accordance with this pledge, it was introduced early in the Session of 1875 and, in the month of March, (3bstruction, as an organised system, manifested itself. Its organiser was Joseph Gillis Biggar, and for a while his forces consisted chiefly of Major O'Gorman. Mr. Biggar took to challenging divisions at unexpected moments, and to see him walking up the floor of the House, co-teller with the massive major, was a picture that excelled all possible travesty. Mr. Parneii. It was uot till April, 1875, that Mr. Parnell took his seat in the House of Commons as member for Meatli. At this time the Irish Party were thoroughly roused. They had begun to feel their power, even though a hopeless minority. They were always beaten in divisions. Liberals and Conservatives joining in the majority. They were, moreover, weakened by internecine conflict. Mr. Butt, steeped in the traditions of Parliament, fretted and fumed when he saw Parliamentary usages trodden down by the elephantine Major, egged on by ]\Ir. Biggar. His authority was still acknowledged. There were meetings of the party at which he presided, and at which resolutions were submitted and agreed to. But Mr. Biggar, pulling the strings to which the Major danced, vfas slowly but surely gaining the ascendancy. He at least knew what he wanted, and how it was to be obtained. He was lacking in many of the personal qualifications that go to make a leader, and in truth he had no ambition to figure as such. He would attach himself to anyone in Avhat- ever subordinate position, if only the combination Avould work to the end of preventing the majority in a Saxon Parlia- ment from trampling on the liberties of Ireland. He associated himself with Major O'Gorman faiUe de mieux ; but wdien the tall, pale, reticent, Cambridge-bred, wholly un-Irish young man, whom Meath had sent to the support of Mr. Butt, took his seat, Mr. Biggar quickly recognised in him the long-sought instrument. It was a strange combination, odder even than that first formed between the dwarf and the sjiant. The Four-Lours' Mr. Pamell entered Parliament just in time to hear Mr. Biggar's historic four-hours' speech. This was delivered on the motion to sfo into Committee on what •J46 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY FAELIAME^T. [ism. was called the Peace Preservation (Ireland) Bill. The member for Cavan moved a hostile amendment. The motion came on at five o'clock, at the conclusion of questions. Mr. Biggar promptly rose from a seat below the gangway, presenting himself to the view of the House from behind a barricade of Blue-books. There was nothing to indicate a prospect of any- thing out of the way. By this time members had grown accus- tomed to the interposition of the member for Cavan, and when he rose they took their ordinary course of leaving the House. Looking in an hour later they found him still on his legs, with more or less coherence connecting long ex- tracts from his collec- tion of Blue-books. An hour later he was still talking ; at half-past seven he read through from preamble to sched- ule a long Act of Parlia- ment. At eight o'clock he was interrupted by a motion to count the House, If the House could be counted out that would suit his purpose as well as anything else, his object being simply to interpose de- lay in the passing of the Coercion Act. Ho had not for hours seen more than ton or twenty members in the House. Ho had no personal Ivuowledge of the impatient crowd outside. It might be a near thing. Suppose the Whips succeeded in driving in tliirty-nine members and Mr. Biggar stayed he Avould make the fortieth, and so the count would fail. As tliis tlashcJ throusrh his mind ho thrust on to his ANCIENT KNEMY. isoo.] DEATH OF MFx. BIGGAR. 247 forehead the glasses, with the assistance of which he had been laboriously reading extracts, dived down among his select library of Blue-books, tilled both arms with them, took his glass of water in one hand and his hat in the other, and made with all speed for the door. But it was of no avail. Upwards of a hundred members flocked in at sound of the bell, and Mr. Biggar had only just time to get back to his place and resume his speech, which he carried on till nine o'clock, having occupied the time of the House four hours less ten minutes. Reaction. Tliis was the beginning of a series of escapades which, wliilst they endeared him to the people of Ireland, made him fiercely hated in the House of Commons. But he grinned his way through contumely, hitting out Avhen attacked, growing to be a power by reason of his absolute contempt and disregard for the usages wdiich guided the con- duct of an ordinar}^ member of Parliament. As the Sessions rolled on, his eccentricities came, by imperceptible movements, to be regarded with indidgent eye. Members knowing him better learned that beneath his rough exterior beat a kindly heart ; that his hand, though coarsely grained, was generous ; that he was a faithful friend, an ardent lover of the nationality to the advancement of whose cause he had given up his nights and days. So it came to pass that he grew into the position of prime favourite in the alien assembly it had once been his delight studiously to insult, and wdien, to-daj^ news came of his sudden death, every member, from the Speaker to the stiffest Tory squire, mourned for the House's ancient enemy. Feb. 20.-Biggar It \^ understood Mr. Biggar has left behind perfctjih. -Ill ^T IT- !• hnn considerable property, in addition to his own income, derived from a large and prosjDerous business, his father, who died a few years ago, left him a considerable legacy. A coolness sprang up between father and son at the time when the member for Cavan was received into the fold of the Catholic Church. Mr. Biggar, senior, was a strict Presbyterian, and heard with horror of his son's apostacy. The correspondence which passed between the two was cited in the House of Commons at the time. Mr. Biggar, senior, 248 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isoo. cut out from a newspaper the paragraph announcing his son's admission to the Church, and enclosed it with the following note: " Dear Joseph, — Is this true ? — Yours, J. B." Our Mr. Biggar wrote on the fly-sheet — " Dear Father, — It is. — Yours truly, J. G. B." After this the father threatened to disinherit the son, but before he died relented, and did nothing worse than cut him off with £40,000. Feb. 21. — Mr. Reference is made in one of the numerous Biggar and the i • i • • /-at Admiral. Diogi'aphicai remmisceiices current oi Mr. Biggar to the famous waistcoat he wore in the Parliament of 1874-80, a garment that used to flash through the fray like the plumes of Henry of Navarre on another held of battle. At that time sealskin was much in vogue, and a friendly, not too inquisitive, eye might (at a distance) have thought Mr. Biggar was in the fashion. The substance, however, was, as recorded, not sealskin, but a rough imitation. Whatever it was, Mr. Biggar was very proud of it, and when he threw back his coat and got his thumbs well in the arm- holes of his waistcoat Her Majesty's Government knew very well they were in for a bad hour, peradventure a repetition of the faniQus four hours. Whilst everyone Avas susceptible to the subtle influence of this waistcoat, its generous display always had a curioush" irritating effect upon another scarcely less famous character of the Disraelian Parliament. This was Sir Wm. Edmonstone, member for Stirlingshire, better known as " The Admiral," who in those days was anchored in deep water just astern of the Treasury bench. One night in the Session of 1878, at a time when Russia was at the gates of Constantinople and the British fleet had been ordered to the Dardanelles, Mr. Biggar came very near being the death of the irascible old salt. " It's my opinion, Mr. Speaker," he said, stroking his waist- coat upwards till every hair stood forth with added aggres- siveness, " that before many days have passed we shall hear that the British fleet has struck its colours, and is being towed by a couple of Russian men-of-war through the Bosphorus." The Admiral broke forth .into a very fusilade of groans and isoo.] THE COMMONS AND THE SPECIAL COMMISSION. 2W snorts, violently fanning himself with his copy of the Orders, and tossing about from side to side, threatening every moment to break away from his anchorage, Mr. Biggar meanwhile audibly chuckling and watching him with maliciously gleam- ing eyes. CHAPTER XXIIl. THE COMMONS AND THE SPECIAL COMMISSION. The Commons and the Commission — Mr. Smith's Sermon — IMr. Gliidstone's Speech — Lawyers in the House — Sir Henry James — Mr. Asquith — Sir K, Webster — Sir W. Harcourt. March 3. — The It was half-past four when Mr. W. H. Smith Commons and ^ . , . i i • i the Commis- rose to uiovo his rcsolution declaring' that sion. Parliament having constituted a Commission to mquire into the charges and allegations made against certain Members of Parliament and other persons, and the Report of the Commissioners having been presented to Parliament, this House adopts the Report, and thanks the Commissioners for their just and impartial conduct in the matters referred to them ; and orders that the said Report be entered on the journals of this House." He had a splendid audience, the House thronged from floor to ceiling. Mr. Gladstone was early in his place, and was supported by a full muster of his colleagues. Of the Dis- sentient Liberals, only Mr. Chamberlain sat out the earlier portion of the debate. Sir Henry James, who was in his place at question-time, curiously enough withdrew when Mr. Smith rose. Other counsel engaged in the great case were in their places, the Attorne3^-General on the Treasury bench, taking notes in a sort of duet with Sir Charles Russell, who sat by Mr. Chamberlain on the front bench. Behind sat Mr. Lockwood ; and Mr. Asquith, profiting by the temporary withdrawal of Mr. Labouchere, secured for himself the favour- able position of the corner seat on the front bench below the gangway. 250 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY RARLIAMENT. v\m. Mr. Smith's Mr. Smitli, to do him iustice, is not accustomed sermon. ^ • m- ,■ V • i to put himselr forward on great occasions when speeches are to be made from the front bench. To-night his prominence was inevitable, and everybody sympathised with him in the ordeal. He had written out his speech, a tre- mendous bundle of manuscript, in foolscap sheets. On com- mencing his task it seemed physically to Aveigh him doAvn. At times his solemnity was so profound that he became inaudible. He got on better when, finally abandoning all attempt to observe the rule which forbids speeches to be read, he turned to his manuscript and read boldly on, openly turn- ing over the folios under the very nose of the Speaker. The House, though now and then it broke in upon his solemn adjuration with merry laughter, was very j)atient, sitting out the full hour with all the decorum born of the associations of the occasion. Nothing has been heard in recent years in the House of Commons so like a good country rector reading a prosy sermon as Mr. Smith's contribution to the debate on the report of the Parnell Connnission. Mr. Gladstone's Mr. Gladstone, who followed, spoke for an hour and forty minutes at the highest level of his argumentative force and matchless eloquence. The only sign of his eighty years was manifested by his voice, which midway in the discourse began to show tendency to failure. But he went on quite unmindful of what seemed to listeners a painful effort, and by-and-bye, as often happens, his voice miraculously^ came back, and he gave his glow- ing peroration with undiminished vigour. It is difficult at this time of day to say anything fresh about the Parnell Commission or its lleport. It may not appear, on a careful study of Mr. Gladstone's speech, that he had overcome this transcendent difficulty. What he did Avas — by common consent not less heartily expressed on the Con- servative than on the Libei-al benches — to put all the points in new position and marshal them with unequalled skill and power. Among the audience was Mr. Cunynghame, tlie Secretary of the Commission of Judges. He is a man Avho has heard more of the case than any human being Avho has survived its recital. He is also^iot open to tlie charge of being on the 1890.] MR. GLADSTONE'S SPEECH. 251 side whicli Mr. Gladstone to-niglit advocated. I met hini in the lobby after the speech, and asked him what he thought of it. " Mag-nificent/' he said : " I shall never forget it." Perhaps the most striking passage of a great speech was the peroration, with its subtly conceived notion of appealing to the Conservatives not as a party, but as individuals. The serried ranks sat silent as Mr. Gladstone, leaning across the table, in beseeching voice begged each man to place himself in the place of Mr. Parnell, the victim of this frightful outrage, and to give his judgment so that it might bear the scrutiny of the heart and conscience, as each man betook himself to his chamber and Avas still. The audience at this moment was solemnly silent. As Mr. Gladstone resumed his seat it roused itself with a mighty cheer and with one accord made for the doors. Amid the bustle of departure the Speaker's voice was hardly heard as he recited the terms of Mr. Gladstone's amendment, which were to leave out from Mr. Smith's resolution all the words after " House," in order to add the words, " deems it to be a duty to record its rejjrobation of the false charges of the gravest and most odious description, based on calumny and on forgery, which have been brought against members of this House, and particularly against Mr. Parnell ; and, while declaring its satisfaction at the exposure of these calumnies, this House expresses its regret for the wrong inflicted and the suffering and loss endured, through a pro- tracted period, by reason of these acts of flagrant iniquity." March 7.— Law- xhis is the fifth night of the debate on the yers in the . . ° House. Parnell L ommission Iteport, and, m accordance with the rules of ordinary dynamics, it ought to have gained increased force. On the contrary, it has grown so lifeless that before nine o'clock the House was counted out. With the exception of Mr. Asquith's speech the debate had not, through the night, reached the level of exhilaration. Sir Henry L^st uiglit tlic Attomey-Gcneral spoke for two hours. To-night Sir Henry James, not to be lacking in respect to the head of the Bar, closely imitated his learned friend in the volume of his sj)eech. Though he did not remain at the table quite so long, it is probable 252 A DIAIiY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isoo. Sir Henry exceeded in number of words the prodigious com- mentary of the Attorney-General. For one thing, Sir Richard Webster's speech partook of the character of conversation. Two hours were occupied in its dehvery, but he had not all the talking to himself Sir Charles Russell made various contributions, and the Irish members constantly interrupted, leading the Attorney- General into fresh lines of thought, or at least into new mazes of speech. Though in Sir Henry James's case interruptions were not lacking, he had, by com- parison, a fuller share of the time, and made the most of it. Some passages in his speech were delivered with a velocity that not only mocked the efforts of the shorthand writer, but made him unintelligible to the listener. At the close of Sir Charles Russell's speech yesterday — an effort which marked a new departure, and placed the great advocate in the ranks of Parliamentary orators — Sir Charles's voice faltered, and he was plainly possessed by an emotion that was communicated to his audience. Sir Henry James's speech was not lacking in evidences of solemn feeling, but the manifestations were, perhaps, a little too monotonously recurrent. There was a mechanical ebb and flow about the business that deprived it of due effect. " Sermonettes " Lord Cavan, in his extremity coining a word, calls Sir Henry James's Parliamentary dis- quisitions. The word, if it means anything, implies brevity, and that was not a quality Sir Henry thought proper to im- part to speech. Mr. Asquith. AVhen at length he concluded, and Mr. Asquith presented himself to carry on the debate, some- thing like a feeling of blank despair settled over the benches. It was lightened by the knowledge that Mr. Asquith is rising to the first rank as a Parliamentary debater. But, after all, he is a lawyer, and on this fifth night of the debate the House of Commons has begun to recognise the truth under- lying the paradox about the possibility of having too nuich of a good thing. It Avould be hard to say why, as a rule, lawyers are not successful, or at least are not popular, House of Commons debaters. It would be reasonable to expect precisely the reverse. A trained advocate endowed with natural gifts, strengthened and polished by daily training. SIB BIO HARD WEBSTEB. 253 appears to be the man of all others who should succeed in the Parliamentary arena. As a matter of common fact, daily verified, and standing forth in lurid light in connection with this debate on the Report of the Parnell Commission, what Mr. Disraeli used to call " gentlemen of the long robe " are grievously handicapped in the race for Parliamentary pre- eminence. It was said of Canning by a great living states- man, who certainly is not suspected of tendenc}^ to harsh judgment in the matter, that with all his brightness, humour, and fancy, he never said in House of Commons debate a good or a memorable thing. This kind of dual life is lived at this day by some of the principal men at the Bar. In court, eloquent, brilliant, resource- ful, and successful ; in the House of Commons, prosy, artificial, tiresome, unconvincing. sm kichakd wehstek. Sir E. "Wekster. Sir Richard Webster deservedly enjoys the personal esteem of all who know him, and has, unaided, won his way to the highest place at the Bar by sterling ability. Yet the fondest fancy of the foolishest friend could not take delight in his speech of yesterday. No one hearing Sir Henry James in days past address a jury, or listening now to his sparkling conversation, could conceive him so dull, as far as influence upon Parliamentary debate is concerned, so vapid as he was to-night. 254 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, iisoo. sir"\v. Harcourt. It is ciirioiis ill tliis comiection to note how a man drifting away from tlie practice of law succeeds witli increasing force in becoming an acceptable Parliamentary debater. Sixteen or seventeen years ago Sir William Harcourt ranked as a lawyer — was certainly appointed to the Solicitor-Generalship. In those days he and Sir Henry James hunted together, the quarry being Mr. Gladstone, the happy hunting ground, the front bench below the gang- way. When their lively opposition had been blunted by appointment to office, it seemed for a while that Sir William Harcourt might sink into a mere Solicitor-General, with prospect of promotion to the headship of the Bar, and final tranquil transference to the Bench. Had his style been in fuller accord with the vastness and profundity of his legal knowledge, that would doubtless have been his career. Brought into prominence by his brief tenure of a seat on the Treasury bench, he enjoyed opportunities of catching the Speaker's eye, of which he availed himself with increasing success. Once become an accepted favourite in Parliamentary debate, he instinctively turned aside from the shadow of the courts of law. When he took office again, it was no longer as a Law Officer of the Crown, and it is quite an age since anyone alluded to him in debate as the right honourable " and learned " gentleman. While Sir William Harcourt's career appears to prove that an acceptable House of Commons speaker does not usually possess the qualities that go to make a successful practitioner at the Bar, and while Sir Henry James's case puts the truth in another way, the thesis is further supported by the rarity of cases in which a great lawyer has been also a Parliamentary debater of the first, or even of the second, rank. In recent times the Conservative and the Liberal Party have each furnished an exception to this rule. One was Sir Hugh Cairns, the other Sir Alexander Cockburn. Lord Coleridge, whatever success he may have achieved on the Bench, is not remembered at Westminster as a great debater. Baron Dowse, on the contrary, has left behind him cherished memories. His occasional sharp, shrewd observations from the Bench, and his always sparkling humour, recall many occasions when, as the Attorney -■General for Ireland, he ilhuuined debate isoo.] A MAIDEN SPEECH IN THE LOB.DS. 255 with bright touches. In later times Lord Herschell is a rare and supreme example of the combination of the qualities which secure success at the Bar and command it in the House of Commons. Of possibly equal promise is Mr. Asquith, whose sjDeeches in the House of Commons are entirely devoid of that indefinite something that marks the address of the lawyer. CHAPTER XXIV A MAIDEN SPEECH IN THE LORDS. New Peer's Maiden Speech — Eloquent and Incomprehensible — A Rare Resolu- tion — The Premier's Strategy — Back again. March 13.— New EXACTLY a wcck ago the screuitv of the House peer s maiden ,. t i i i i speech. ol Lords was broken by a strange apparition. The business of the sitting was practically over. It had lasted fully fifteen minutes, and their lordships, like unharnessed athletes, were stretching their weary frames preparatory to retiring. The Lord Chancellor had half risen to put the question of the adjournment, when a plaintive voice was heard from the cross benches, and their lordships glancing in that direction beheld an imftimiliar figure — a white-haired gentleman, with pallid face just flushed by the unwonted excitement of oratory, a tall, swaying figure, with a quaint habit of occasionally turning his back upon the audience and addressing an imaginary friend in the recess of the strangers' gallery. Whispered inquiry at length made known the fact that the new-comer was Lord Teynham, a peer but recently inducted. The name was unfamiliar in the House, for the late holder of the title, the sixteenth baron, born before the century, had, previous to his decease, long remained in seclusion. This was evidently the new peer's maiden speech, a cir- cumstance that lent special interest to the occasion, and their lordships, always courteous, bent forward to pay due attention to the novice. It was observed that the new peer had chosen the locality for his dehut with great skill. In the Lords the cross benches stand boldly out athwart the seats on which are 256 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isdo. drawn up tlie contending hosts of Liberals and Conservatives. A member speaking thence not only has in full view the stately figure of the Lord Chancellor, but, slightly turning his head right or left, stands face to face, eye to eye, with his peers. Lord Teynham, inspired by the occasion, rose to its fullest height. In truth, the height proved so dizzy that his audience could not, with most diligent effort, follow hinr. Now and then, eagerly straining attention, they seemed to be on the very verge of catching at least the drift of his remarks, when suddenly the orator, drawing himself up to his full height, thrusting his hands into his pockets, and throwing back his head till his flashing eyes seemed to char the fretted woodwork of the roof, swiftly turned on his heel, and the con- cluding portion of his sentence was addressed to the recesses of the empty gallery at his back. Eloquent and in- Repetition of the word " Syria " favoured the comprehensible. . ^ . - . I'li impression that the speech had something to do with the Eastern Question, and this was conjecturally confirmed by his personal address of fragmentary sentences to the Prime Minister, who, like the rest of the House, sat in an attitude of troubled attention. The longer the new peer was on his legs the more eloquent and incomprehensible he grew, and the more excited in his gesticulations. Just before him sat the Prince of Wales, little dreaming how often the orator's arm swept in perilous proximity to his head. Other peers saw it and trembled. The subject was evidently growing upon the orator, and no one could say whither it would carry him. The most probable conclusion Avas that if it finally concen- trated upon Lord Salisbuiy, he Avould be landed head first on the bench where the prince sat. Every time he came back to the noble Marquis, he, sinking his voice to a tragic whisper, and grasping with both hands the rail of the bench before him, leaned over at perilous angle. Anon, drawing himself up to full height, closing his eyes, and forlornly shaking his head, Lord Teynham uplifted his voice with a weird wailing, that in a less self-possessed assembly would have made the blood curdle. This strange seen.© went forAvard for a quarter of an hour, noble lords uneasil}' moving in their seats and gazing askance is!)o.] A MAIDEN SFEECH IN THE LORDS. 257 at each other. There were times when Lord Teynham re- mained in such protracted contemplation of the recesses of the strangers' gallery that it was assumed his oration was finished. But turning with swift motion he began again, his voice rising and falling like the soughing of the wind through a leafless forest. It was evident that something must be done, but who should do it ? Lord Granville looked across at the Leader of the House. The Marquis of Salisbury gazed for a moment hopefully on the Leader of the Opposition. In the Commons the solemnity of the scene would have been broken in upon in boisterous fashion. There would have been ironical cheering, noisy laughter, cries for the division, and then the swift application of the Closure. The more courtly breeding of the Lords ])revented any such vulgar demonstration of impatience. Here and there a moderately young peer shuffled his feet, and one or two timidly coughed. But to the orator, aflame with his theme (whatever it might be), his audience seemed to sit entranced. A rare re«.iutiou. Thus cncouragcd, the oratiou might have con- tinued till Lord Teynham fell back in his seat physically exhausted, as Lord Chatham, speaking in the same assembly, had once done. The occasion was unprecedented, but happily the British race has born to it men who dare to make precedents. One of these happened to be seated on the Oppo- sition benches in close proximity to his leader. The Earl of Camperdown, in addition to being a cornet in the Warwick- shire Yeomanry Cavalry, carries in his veins the blood of Adam Duncan, who suppressed the mutiny at the Nore and destroyed the Dutch fleet at Camperdown. It is not for no- thing that he bears on his shield the proud motto, Secundis duhiisque rectus. Rising now whilst his elders hesitated, he brusquely moved that " the noble lord be not heard." Lord Teynham, resuming his seat on the interruption, sat for a moment literally gasping for breath at this quite unex- pected turn of events. The Lord Chancellor hesitated to put the question, and, after an awkward pause, Lord Teynham, probably taking up his remarks at the point where they had been left, floated ofl' once more, his voice havinsx added to it a 258 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMEXT. [isoo. tinge of deeper melancholy, in reproof of the hasty cutting-out manoeu'VTe into which Lord Camperdown had by hereditary instincts been led. Lord Camperdowii having failed, Lord Teynham seemed master of the situation, and might go on for another hour or so, impinging even on the sacred precincts of dinner-time. The Premier's From tliis dire extremity the House was de- livered by the happy strategy of the Leader. V^atching till Lord Teynham had resumed his favourite atti- tude, with his back to the wool-sack and his eyes dreamily tixed on the strangers' gallery, the Premier moved that " the House do now adjourn." The Lord Chancellor, with remark- able alacrity put the question, and when Lord Teynham, roused b}' the bustle of departure, turned round — lo ! the benches were empty, and in the doorways he caught glimpses of the fluttering garments of the hurrying peers. This was all very well ; but in spite of some drawbacks Lord Teynham had so thoroughly enjoyed himself on the oc- casion of his maiden speech, that he determmed to find opportunity for supplementing it. He accordingly placed on to-night's paper a notice of motion raising a point of order. This was eagerly turned to by noble lords, hopeful that the printed words Avould afford some clue to the myster}^ that still lay dark over the memorable speech. The expectation was only partially fulfilled. Last Friday Lord Granville, with the exquisite courtesy and ready kindness which distinguish all his acts, had endeavoured to relieve the House from embar- rassment, and let Lord Teynham down gently, by pointing out that it was not in order to bring forward a motion Avithout having given due notice. On this dictum Lord Teynham had fastened, and the motion which stood in his name for to-night proposed to add to the Standing Order some quaintly con- structed sentences more or less indirectly lioariiig on the point of giving notice. Back again. The new peer's fame had gone abroad, and when this evening he rose, entrenched behind the cross benches, he had an audience fuller than has been seen since the night the Address was moved. A))parently he began isoo.] BUDGET NIGHT. 259 where lie left oft' when interrupted by the abrupt conclusion of the proceedings last Friday. In one sudden flash of con- nected speech the strained attention of the audience was re- warded by gaining some insight into the origin of the whole aftkir. It would appear that what Lord Teynham had at heart was to encourage Lord Salisbury by expression of his approval of certain action taken by the Government in con- nection with a mission to Syria. That being all, Avhere, he asked, with scathing glare at Lord Camperdown, was the necessity for him to give notice of his intention ? " I might," he said, drawing himself up to fullest height and holding out his hands with tragic gesture towards Lord Salisbury, " have given formal notice of my intention of con- gratulating the noble lord on his recovery from influenza." The peers laughed cheerfully at this, grateful for a sentence whose drift they could wholly gather. Encouraged by this tribute of appreciation, Lord Teynham went on again, pouring forth a flood of words eloquently cadenced and illustrated by strikingly dramatic gestures. It was a pity the Bar was not crowded with members of the House of Commons, who might have learned a useful lesson by observing with what chivalrous patience a body of English gentlemen, assembled for legislative purposes, sat out this strange experience to the long-delayed conclusion. CHAPTER XXV BUDGET NIGHT. Lord E. Churchill and the Conservative Part}' — Lord Cottosloe on Budget Night — Reporters — Mr. Groschen's Dilemma— Discovery — Disaster — Mr. Disraeli's Jlauchester Speech. April 11. — Lord LoRD RANDOLPH Churchill's slashing blows at R.Churchill and -n-n i ^ ^ i the Coiiserva- the Land Purchase ±>ill have cut the last strands tive Party. ^£ ^^iq tics that bound him to his party. With good Conservatives this one-time Leader is regarded with something of the venomous personal hatred in which Mr. Glad- stone used to be held during the Jingo fever, and which was 260 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. []S90. wont to hiss and splutter round Mr. Bright, till, in the closing years of his life, he accomplished what he once declared to be an impossible feat, and " turned his back upon himself." The Conservatives hate Lord Eandolph for divers reasons. One is that his defection from their ordered ranks deprives them of a powerful force. If he would only run in harness, giving up to party what he now wastes in isolated action, he would be an immense accession of power. If he could only be de- pended upon he would be welcome to take the place that has never been filled since Disraeli died. But the dream is hope- less. As one of his old colleagues mournfully says, " One never knows where to have Eandolph. Whilst you are looking round for his assistance, it is ten to one he comes up from behind, boxes your ears or knocks you down." There is some talk of Lord Randolph moving the rejection of the Bill on the second reading. That would be another conclusion logically following on this onslaught. But because a thing is logical it does not follow that Lord Randolph will accept it. Rather the reverse. Moreover, this curiously com- plex character has been discovered upon occasion to be lacking in courage. He has come up to the attack with drums beating and colours flying, and just when another step forward would have brought him into actual conflict with his party, he has stepped back. This was Avhat happened in that memorable crisis of his political career when he was invited to contest the seat in Birmingham vacated by the death of Mr. Bright. At the very last moment he shrank back, obedient to the order that had issued from Hatfield. Had he carried out in the after- noon the resolution he had distinctly aflirmed in the morning — appropriated the Birmingham seat and been returned to the House by the mandate of a great and populous constituency — he might have dictated his own terms to his friends the Ministers. At the very last moment he yielded, beat an ignominious retreat, leaving Lord Salisbury and Mr. Chamber- lain relieved and astonished at the victory. April 17.— Lor.i (Jn somc big nights in the Commons, Avhen the Cottesloe on . , in ^ i t i liuriget night, benches on the floor are thronged and the galleries filled, the House is familiar with the cheery presence of the Trince of Wales seated over the clock 1800.1 IJJRD COTTESLOE. 261 in the Peers' Gallery. To-night, whilst Mr. Goschen was explaining his Budget scheme this favoured and prominent place was occupied by a little old gentleman, who through the longer period of Mr. Goschen's three hours' speech sat bolt upright, with pale set face turned towards the Treasury bench, intently listening. Once a year this face and figure are to be seen in the same place, drinking in, with eager, fascinated attention, the story of the Budget. When the century was still in its earliest prime Lord Cottesloe began to attend on Budget nights, though he was not then privileged to sit in the Peers' Gallery. Forty-six years ago he heard Sir Piobert Peel proudly boast, as evidence of the immeasurable wealth and limitless prosperity of England, that the im- position of a single penny on the income-tax brought into the imperial exchequer the j^i'incely sum of £800,000. To-night he heard Mr. Goschen admit that every penny added to the income-tax means an additional revenue of £2,200,000. It is a wide chasm bridged by these two epochs. To the attentive listener over the clock it was less than half a lifetime. Lord Cottesloe was born tAvo years before the century, in the very year that General Bonaparte was at Aboukir. He was quite a young man when Waterloo was fought, and has seen the coming and going of many sovereigns since the First Napoleon sat on the throne of Charlemagne. Twice Secretary to the Treasury, once Secretary of State for War, Chief Secretary for Ireland before Mr. Balfour was born, he has personally known all the great Parliament men since Canning was Prime Minister. He has heard every one of the glowing speeches in which Mr. Gladstone has from year to year dealt with the national finances. He has heard Mr. Disraeli at length and Mr. Ward Hunt in brief He plodded his way through Sir Charles Wood's Budget speech, and followed Mr. Lowe as he fumbled through his columns of figures, and, happily leaving them for a while, flashed forth into pointed speech. It is, in its way, a unique experience. Many men do odd things in search of deathless renown. Some fast for forty days ; some swoojd over Niagara in a tub ; others go up in a balloon and come down in a parachute. Only Lord Cottesloe has heard the Budget speech annuall}^ 262 A DIABY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isoo. delivered in the House of Commons throiigli a course of fifty years, not missing a single Budget night. Reporters. What to-uight Seemed to interest the noble nonagenarian more than any other incident in the prolonged scene was the manner in which Mr. Goschen did not get his port wine. In the brave days of old there was no embarrassing modesty in the matter of taking refreshment at the table of the House of Commons through the discharge of onerous duties. Mr. Disraeli's honest tumbler of brandy- and- water was plainly in evidence during his Budget speeches, and if the scheme was intricate and the exposition prolonged there was no hesitation in replenishing it. Mr. Ward Hunt, though he made the shortest speech on record in introducing his Budget had the assistance of a soda-water tumbler. Mr. Gladstone was the first Chancellor of the Exchequer who prominently truckled to conventionality in this matter. There was no secret about his sherry, with the egg beaten up. But he temporised by bringing the compound down to the House in an uncompromising vessel which at a distance was always taken for a pomatum pot. Had Lord Kandolph Churchill held office long enough to find opportunity of making a Budget speech there is nothing in his history which justifies the suspicion that he would have displayed any embarrass- ment in the matter of taking necessary refreshment during the accomplishment of his task. Mr. Goschen's Mr. Goschcu's position in this respect was, it dilemma. .^ . tt-i^i must be admitted, exceptional. His Budget turned mainly on the drink question. The financial year just closed had, as he frankly put it, been the most drunken year since the famous era of prosperity, 1874-5. Out of a surplus of thr.ee millions and a quarter, two millions and a half was directly due to drink. Some, he said, have rushed to the beer barrel, others to the spirit bottle, others to the decanter. All classes seem to have combined in toasting the prosperity of the country — " a circumstance which must be deplored by all," said Mr. Goschen in a broken voice, as he thought of his magnificent surplus. That was the keynote of his speech, cleverly struck to lead up to the concluding passages, in which he announced the re- THE BUDGET. 263 imposition of the added duty on beer and the surtax on British and foreign spirits. How was he to preserve the proper attitude if, during bursts of cheering ehcited by his appeals, he were observed refreshing himseh" out of a tumbler that obviously contained other liquid than water ? Such was the difficulty of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, a situation unparalleled in the long experience of Lord THE UUDGET. Cottesloe. But though sentiment is all very well, and self- sacrifice a commendable virtue, practical difficulties inust be met in practical ways. Fortunately there is an eminently practical man in Mr. (joschen's counsels. This is the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. Mr. Jackson knew that his chief had a three hours' speech to make, and recognised in it a task that might well test the strength of a more robust man. Knowing the purport of the Budget scheme, he recognised as keenly as anyone the pecuhar difficulties of the situation. But he resolved to face them. When the Orders of the Day were reached and scouts were out in all directions hunting up Mr. Courtney, who was 264 A DIAliY OF THE SALISBUPxY PAliLLAMENT. [is90. unaccoiintabl}^ caught napping, Mr. Jackson carelessly strolled in from behind the Speaker's chair, casually carrying a tumbler of dark liquid, which he placed on the table before himself There are, of course, degrees of responsibility in these matters. Thousfh it mioht not do for a Chancellor of the Exchequer, overweighted with a surplus swollen by the 'drink bill, full of moral reflections and stern resolutions, to be seen publicly si]3ping fruity port, the ban did not extend to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. There the glass remained for a while. Presently, when interest grew in the masterly expansion of the Chancellor's speech, and the thoughts of the crowded House were absorbed in speculation as to whether it would be Tea or the Income- tax, Mr. Jackson, leaning over and arranging the papers in front of him, accidentally, by almost imperceptible movements, moved the tumbler along till, closely nestled amid 'copies of the Orders, secure under the shadow of the brass-bound box and the imposing rows of volumes on Constitutional Law which fringe the table, it lay 2>aign that opened with the brightest assurance for the Government there is talk of forced capitulation. The reputation of Mr. Smith as Leader of the House of !S9o.] MR. SMITH. 805 Commons,- even if his term of office should close with the present Session, will certainly recover from the depressing influence of current events. The shrewdest and the fairest judge to Avhich a man could submit his character and career is the House of Commons. For four years Mr. Smith has lived under its microscopic gaze, and he may cheerfully leave his reputation in its charge. It was a bold step, savouring rather of the originality of Lord Beaconsfield than of the character of Lord Salisbury, to nominate Mr. Smith to lill the place hotly vacated by Lord Randolph Churchill. If one were a possibly good Leader of the House of Commons, it seemed an inevitable corollary that the other would never do. Mr. Smith evidently had some doubt on the subject when he modestly took his seat in the place filled in rapid succession by Lord John Russell, Lord Palmerston, Mr. ])israeli, and Mr. Gladstone. But, as everyone knows, he turned out a heaven-born Minister for the time and place. No one else could have filled it — which was, indeed, the reason he was inducted. He was essentially a safe man, whose lot in public life had hitherto been to fill up odd places vacated on sudden emergency. When in 1874 Mr. Disraeli singled him out for ofiice in the comparatively obscure but really import- ant post of Financial Secretary to the Treasury, people were good enough to say that, though this was a considerable advance for an untried man, he might do very well, and was lucky thus early in his Parliamentar}^ career to be pitchforked into what was regarded as the highest office open to him. When, in 1877, the death of Mr. Ward Hunt made a vacancy at the Admiralty, the public learned with mild surprise that Mr. Smith had been selected for promotion to Cabinet rank. When Avhat Mr. Chamberlain once called " the Stop-gap Gov- ernment " of 1885 came into power, there being some difficulty about claims to the reversion of the office of Secretary ot State for War, they were settled by Mr. Smith's taking charge of the Department, an office to which he returned when a Unionist Government was established by the General Election of 1886. He was quietly at Avork there when Lord Randolph Churchill flung all the fat in the fire by his secession, which, opening up interminable difficulties for the Government in 306 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY FARLIAMEXT. [isoo. the future, peremptorily faced them with the problem of the succession to the Leadership of the House of Commons. The situation was one calculated to appal the boldest spirit. Leader of a party that could maintain its supremacy only by the assistance of allies of strong individuality, linked by a single chain and liable to be drawn asunder by a dozen tendencies, pitted against the greatest orator and Parlia- mentarian of the age, not supported by any transcendent ability among his colleagues, Mr. Smith assumed the Leader- ship of the most critical, restive, and exacting body of men in the world. He succeeded in a manner that won for him m unprecedented degree the personal esteem of men in all parts of the House ; and he has in exceptionally trouble- some times done his party and his country a service that will be remembered when the vexatious incidents of the last two months drop into their due place in the proportions of the history of the present Parliament. ^M'^' , ^,~"'y Sir GeorfTe Campbell is momentarily under a band of devoted . ^ ^ ^ , , , ■, i i i n gorillas." cloud. For somc days ot the week he blazed forthwith an oratorical effulgence that astonished even those long familiar with his gifts. Last Saturday's sitting he had had almost entirel}^ to himself, Mr. Storey and Mr. Conybeare interposing to give him occasional breathing spaces. On Monday night he had made twenty-three speeches, and on Tuesday he had fallen only a little short of this record. It Avas on Wednesday he stumbled in a chance place. Rising to say a few last Avords on the Police Bill, he revicAved the situation Avith intent to shoAV hoAv valuable and patriotic had been his oaati services in debate. Generously desirous of including in the eulogy some other members, doubtless Mr. Storey and Mr. Conybeare, he had meant to make reference to " a band of us devoted guerillas." The Kirkcaldy accent, tempered by long familiarity Avith Hindustani, somcAvhat boggled over the Spanish Avord, and Avhat the House heard Avas a reference to " a band of us devoted gorillas." That Avas the end of this particular address. Even Sir George Campbell could not Avithstand the uproarious and })rolongcd laughter that greeted the phrase, and he was obliged to resume his seat Avithout making clearer his pro- isoo.j Sm GEORGE AND THE DRAGON. 307 iiunciation. Subsequent attempts to correct the impression conveyed Avere baulked by renewed outbursts of laughter : and for two sittings Sir George did not venture to reappear on the scene. All- 10. — Sir One gleam of surdight was cast upon this after- George and " . .' . . • 1 ti- the dragon, noon's dreary sittmg ni connection with bir George Campbell, though perhaps it need hardl}' be said it was not Sir George who dispensed the beam. He was inakmg one of his incessant series of speeches, renewing for the twenty-eighth time his protest against the use of the familiar stamp of St. George and the Dragon on the backs of sovereigns. No one rose to offer reply or observation in con- tinuance of his remarks, and the Chairman was putting the question, when Sir George hotly jumped up again and insisted upon his right to receive a reply. Mr. Smith with ponderous humour answered that, in asserting that the use of this die passed an insult upon Scotland, Sir George had brought a serious charge against the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and invited him to exhibit the articles of impeachment, so that Parliament might fully consider the serious gravity of the charge. Sir George insisting that St. George and the Dragon should not be represented upon any new coinage, Sir Wilfrid Lawson interposed, and gravely suggested, as a compromise, that a die should be cut representing Sir George and the Dragon ; at which the House laughed the more heartily as it was the last word in the conversation. Aug. 18.— Land Land is visible at last across the stormy sea of the Parliamentary Session. To-night the last vote was taken in Committee of Supply, and there now remains only the process of the Appropriation Bill. This is jealously ordered, and must run its deliberate course though the Heavens fall and the House empties. There is the first reading, the second reading. Committee, and third reading, each stage having its own particular day. When it gets to the Lords the pace is sharpened, they bundling it through all its stages at the time they take the second reading. In the Commons the safety of the Constitution demands that there shall be no undue hurry, and thus it comes to pass that 308 A DIARY OF THE SALIS'BUBY PAULIAMENT. [isoo. the prorogation is alwaj's postponed by a week after the last vote is taken in Committee of Supply. It is an old habit, going back to Stuart days, Avhen such precautions were need- ful. Till the Appropriation Bill is passed monej^ voted cannot be paid out of the Treasury for the services of the State. So the Commons keep their grasp on the neck of the purse till they have had their last word with the Ministers who repre- sent the sovereign. Aug. 14.— A new Anall-uight sitting fighting round the Light Rail- procerure. ways (Ireland) Bill. There were long stretches of dulness, as usually happens when the House sits all night, but there was one moment when the fun rose to almost screaming pitch, though the laughter was all on one side. It was about five o'clock this morning, when Mr. Conybeare moved to report progress. The Chairman declared the motion to be an abuse of the rules of the House, and put it without opportunity of discussion. Having put the question, the Chairman stated he thought the Noes had it. Upon this ruling being challenged he declared in the phraseology of the new rule, that the division Avas vexatiously claimed, and directed the Ayes to stand up in their places. Sixteen members promptly rose, and the Chairman counted them, whereupon they sat down again, believing it was all over. But this was only the beginning. Mr. Courtney, insisting upon their standing up again, sent out for the clerks to come in and take down their names. The clerks were fast asleep, and had to be wakened up. Then they had to find their cards containing the list of members, which they tick off at the wicket of the division lobby. All this while the sixteen members were standing glaring at the majority opposite, Avho, under apprehension of a rebuke from Mr. Courtney, were ineffectually trying to smother their laughter. At length the clerks were brought in, and, standing at the Bar with the large boards in their hands, began their task of ticking oft' the names of the sixteen. It unfortunately hap- pened that two of them were recent additions to the staft". They did not know the members, and consequently could not tick oft" their names. There was whispered consultation amongst the little group at the Bar, fingers pointed, and heads nodded. isoo.] LIBERAL LEADERS. 309 On this the laughter broke forth with uncontrollable force from the Ministerial benches, Mr. Healy furiously demanding whether they were there to be insulted, as well as to be counted. Mr. Courtney did his best to keep the scene within bounds, but it was irresistibly comic, and had something to do with the toning off of the opposition. There was only one more division challenged in Committee after this, and though Mr. Courtney permitted it to be taken in the usual manner, the minority did not know at what moment they might not be called upon again to stand up and go through the process of having their names ticked off by the sleepy clerks. Liberal leaders. In tlicsc last days of a Critical Session the House has been a dull place, tempered by occasional explosions. Mr. Smith has stuck gallantly to his post, though deserted by several of his colleagues who, like Mr. Raikes, have found it necessary to anticipate the recess. On the other side the flight of leaders has been a constant process, till to-day there is absolutely no one left on the front Opposition bench. That is a circumstance against which the Liberal Party is able to bear up with equanimity. Its pos- session in the way of leaders is indefinitely rich. Perhaps if it has a weakness it lies in this abundance. When Mr. Gladstone went Sir Wm. Harcourt and Mr. John Morley took turn about in leading the Opposition forces. When they departed Mr. Childers had a turn, and, sitting in Mr. Glad- stone's place, found opportunity to reflect hoAv in these later years he has been passed in the race, giving way to men who were not in the House wdien he was a Cabinet Minister, at the head of a great department, the state of his health a matter of profound public interest. Mr. Laboiichere. Mr. Childcrs has gone. But we still have Mr. Labouchere. Like the poor he is always with us. He is bound for Wiesbaden, and now is the height of the season in that charming town. But, as Mr. Labouchere puts it, his dut}^ to his Queen and country keeps him in town as long as the doors of Parliament are open and there is any chance of Her Majesty's Ministers doing mischief He was in his place to-night wdien Mr. Brookfield apostrophised Mr. 310 A BIAUY OF THE SALISBURY PABLIAMEXT. lisdo. Conybeare, and ho took up anus in behalf of the member for Camborne, bringing down on himself the attack of the enemy. It is eminently characteristic of Mr. Labouchere that he should have warmly resented an attack made on Mr. Cony- beare. But that is his way : he sticks to a political friend, however personally unpopular he may be, and no one who does not live in the House of Commons can imagine how successful Mr. Conj^beare has been in getting himself disliked. When in the dim and distant past that now (on the Tory side) eminently popular person, Mr. Bradlaugh, was an object of contumely, Mr. Labouchere stuck to him closer than a brother. Privately he would not hesitate a moment in sajdng what he thinks of Mr. Conybeare, and his opinion would doubtless be in accordance with that generally held. Publicly, when a Conservative attacks him, Mr. Labouchere promptly "goes for " the assailant, striking out as if he were resenting attacks on the most charming, inotfensive, and personally delightful member of the party. Aug. 18. Parliament prorogued. SESSION OF 1890. FEBRUARY. 11. Tues. — The Times and Mv. Paniell. Pi-ivilei^e. Motion, Sir W. Harco- Amendment, .Sir./. Oorst. Division — Ayes, 212. Noes, 260. Main Question agreed to. 12. Wed.—H.n. Speech. Address. First Debate. 13. 77Mtrs.— Ditto. Ditto. Seoond Debate. 14. Fri.— Ditto. Ditto. Aniendniont (Ire- land), Mr. r,.r„rll. Tliir.i \)r\,:,U: 17. ;1fo7i.— Ditto H;;!... f.iunli hrl.,,i,. 15. Tues.—AsU \Vr,lip-.|,,v M.iiini,. |iiw,-,i..ii — Avt-s, 2U7. .\u,-.s, lOii. il.iM.,S]i.-.-(;li. Address. Fittli Debute. Division- Ayes, 240. Noes, :i07. lit. H'erf.- Ditto. Ditto. Amendment (Scot- land), Dr. Clark. Amendment to the Amendment, Mr. Crawford. First Division — Ayes, 112. Noes, 278. Si.\th Debate. 20. Thurs. — Ditto. Ditto. Amendment, .Vi-. IVallace, made to Mr. Crawl'onrs Amendment. Division thereon — Ayes, Ul. Noes, 181. Amendment (Distrietand ParochiakCouncils), Mr. UtanKfelil. Seventh Debate. /'Vi.— H.M. Speech. Address. Division— Ave.s,lSl. Nocs,254. Amoiidinoiit(Frce Kducatiun). ,1/,. .1. .I-/,,,,,/ KiviM.ni— Avcs, 1(13. \ii.'>. ■:■:::. Kulitli H-l.atc. -'4. .1/oH.— Adjonninirht. M-ii-ii ( llxicl ions, livland), -l//. N. -/m,:. |)i\iM..ii--.\ves, \:,\. .\nrs. \-M\. II. M. >|.i.(li. A^Mrcss. Amendment (Wrlsl, si.it.' |i. I'lirtment;, Mr. Alfred ';7-M„,„.-. Wiil.^liiiwn. Amendment (Hum. (it l.iil.oiii), Mr. C. liraham. l>i\i>ioi, Am-. S7. Noes, 198. Ad- divs, :t-M,.| Im. \iuth Debate. 2.j. Tiies. I;m,iim->. \lotiuM(Sni)plvthisday and rii.i.iN imM). Mr. If. //. .Smith. Divi-iiii A\r.. j-J'.i. Noes, V.n. Snpiily ; ('nil.'~ri\ s. Snpplementary Kstimatfs. 26. JFcrf.— Poor Law Guardians (Ireland) Bill. Mr. Foley. Bill ymt ofVsix months. 27. 2'Awrs. — Siipjilv : Civil Services. Supple- ment, ii\ IMuiiiii.-. Westell- Ail' : ('niistitnti..n Bill. ;.V', ;i Coniniitted. Compaui'- (Wn..!!!,- up) Bill. Sir M. II. Ikach. Commitleil. 28. Fri. — Supply. Vote on Aecount. Mr. Labouchere's suspension. SESSION OF 18'J0. 311 Mon. — Ireland. Special Coimuission. Motion, Mr. W. H. Smith. Amend- ment, Mr. Gladstone. First Debate. THes.— Ditto. Ditto. Second Debate. IJ'ed.— Ditto. Ditto. Third Debate. 'iVwo-s.— Ditto. Ditto. Fourtli Debate. Jf?-!'.— Ditto. Ditto. (House counted out.) Fifth Debate. Mon. — Ditto. Ditto. Division on Amend- ment— For, 268. Again.st, 339. De- bate on Main Question adjourned. Sixth Debate. Tues. — Ditto. Ditto. Amendment, Mr. Caine. Division — For, 259. Against, 322. Main Question put and agreed to. ^Fetf.— Land Tenure (Ireland) Bill. Dr. Commlns. Bill put off six months. 2'hurs. — Supply : Army Services. Amend- ment (Volunteer Equipments), Sir E. Hwinhy. Agreed to. Supply con- sidereci. Fri. — Supply. Pai'liamentary Session, Motion, Sir G. Trevelyan. Division — For, 109. Against, 173. Moil.— Supply : Navy Services. Ships of War. Motion, Mr. Gourley. With- drawn. Navy Supplementary Estimates. IS. rwes.— Rights of Way (Scotland). Motion, Mr. Buchanan. Ayes, 110. Noes, 97. 19. IFeci.— Bankruptcy Bill. Sir A. RolUl. Read 2'. 20. r/Htrs.— Supply : Civil Services. Vote on Account. 21. Fri. — Hereditary Legislators. ^Motion, Mr. Laboucheie. Division — For, 1S9. Against, 201. 24. Jl/'o?!.— Purchase of Land (Ii-eland). Mr. A. J. Balfour. Bill ordered. Allotments Act Auiendnient Bill. Read 2°. 2.5. 2'i(es.— School Supply (York, &e.). Motion, Mr. Mundella. Division— Ayes, 11.5. Noes, 167. 26. PFed.— Parliamentary Elections (Scotland) Bill. Dr. Clark. Division— Ayes, 123. Noes, 136. Bill put off six mouths. 27. r/uirs. —Tithe Recovery Bill. Sir M. H. Beach. Debate on 2nd Reading. Ad- journed. 28. Fri.— Ditto. Ditto. Division on 2nd Reading — Ayes, 289. Noes, 164. 31. Mon. — Customs Department. Motion, Sir J. Colomh, negati\-ed. Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 1. Tues. — Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 14. jVo/i.— ^^upply : Civil Service Estimates. 15. i'ups.— Business. _ Report of Supply and Ways and Means. Motion, Mr. W. H. Smith. Morning Sittings appointed. Ayes, 194. Noes, 102. Post Office Telegraphists. Motion, Earl Compton. Ayes, 103. Noes, 142. 16. ircf?.- R;iting of Machinerv Bill. Mr. Winta-hotham. Bill committed. 17. T/nns. — Ways and Means. Financial Statement, Mr. Gosclien. 18. Fri. — Bimetallism. Motion, Mr. ,S'..Smitt. Division— For, 87. Again.st, 183. 21. Jlfo)!,. —Purchase of Land (Ireland) Bill. Debate on 2nd Reading Adjourned. First Debate. 22. Tues. — Ways and Means. South Indian Railway Purchase Bill. Committee. Supi)ly : Civil Services. Labour and Capital. Motion, Mr. Bartley. Withdrawn. 23. ired.— Intoxicating Liquors (Ireland) Bill. Mr. Lea. Division on 2nd Reading.— Ayes, 242. Noes, 78. 24. r7i!()-s.— Purchase of Land (Ireland) Bill. 2nd Reading. Second Debate. 25. FrL— Supply : Civil Services. 28. il/on.— Purcha.se of Land (Ireland) Bill. 2nd Reading. Third Debate. 29. ZVes.— Ditto. Ditto. Fnurth Debate. Licensing Law Aniendnu'iit Bill. Lord Randolph Churchill. Bill read V. 30. Wed. — Marriage (Deceased Wife's Sister) Bill. Mr. H. Gardner. Division on 2nd Beading — Ayes, 222. Noes, 155. 1. r7t«)-s.— Purchase of Laml (Ii-eland) Bill. Division on 2nd Reading. Fifth De- bate.— Ayes, 348. Noes, 268. 2. Fri.- Allotments, &c.. Bill. Committee. Disestablishment (Church of Scotland). Motion, Dr. Cameron. For, 218. Against, 256. 5. Mon. — Customs Bill. Division on 2nd Reading -Ayes, 197. Noes, 115. 6. Tues. — Allotments, &c.. Bill. Committee. Local Authorities (Acquisition of Land). Motion, Mr. Ueid. Amended, and agreed to. 7. IFec?.— Charitable Trusts Bill. Mr. llath- bone. Bill conmiitted. 8. T/mh-s.- Customs Bill. Committee. y. Fri.— Contagious Diseases (Animals) Bill. Committee. Education (Payment by Results). Mo- tion, Sir R. Temple. House counted out. 12. Mon. -Local Taxation (Customs) Bill. Mr. Ritchie. Amendment, yi/r. CY'-Uie. De- bate on 2nd Reading adjourned. 13. THes.- Ditto. Ditto. Second Debate. 14. ircti.- Ascension Day. Motion agreed to. Agricultural Labourers (Ireland) Bill. Dr. Fox. Bill committed. 15. r/an-s.— Local Taxation (Customs) Bill. Division on Mr. Caine's Amendment —For, 266. Against, 339. Bill com- mitted. 16. Fri.— Customs Bill. Committee. The late Sir W. Pallisei-. Motion, CoL Nolan. Division — For, 85. Against, 105. 19. Jl/on.— iCustoms Bill. Committee. House adjourned at 3.55 a.m. 20. rues.- Ditto. Ditto. 21. ired.— Ditto. Ditto. 22. IViwrs.- Ditto. Ditto. Bill considered. Supply : Further Vote on Account. 23. Fri.— Business (Priority to Government Business). Motion, Mr. W. H. Smith. Customs Bill. Read 3°. 312 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [is90. J/o?i.— Supply : Civil Services. Tnes. — Adjotirnnient. Motion, Proces- sions (Metropolis), Mr. PickersgiU. Derbv Day. Motion, Lord Ekho. Ayes, ItiO. Noes, 133. Supply : Education Votes. r/Mir*-. — Channel Tunnel Bill. Sir E. Watkiii. Division— For, 153. Against, 284. Bill put off three months. Tithe Rent-charge Bill. Instiuction, Mr. Stevenson. Division— Ayes, 197. Noes, 240. Debate on Committal adjourned. Fri.— Supply : Education Votes. Supply : Report. Mon. — Instructions. Mr. Speaker's State- ment. Adjournment. Motion (Police in Cashel, cS;c.), Mr. DiUon. Western Australia Con.stitution Bill. Committee. Tiies.—hoca\ Taxation (Customs) Bill. Committee. IFet?.— Infectious Disease Prevention Bill. Considered. Directors' Liability Bill. Considered. r;i«rs.— Local Taxation (Customs) Bill. Committee. Fri— Ditto. Ditto. ,¥o»t.— Ditto. Ditto. T-ucs. — Adjournment. Motion. State of Public Business. Mr. Labouchere. Local Taxation (Customs) Bill. Com- mittee. 18. ircri.— Directors' Liability Bill. Further considered. 19. r/i?trs.— Local Taxation (Customs) Bill. Committee. Division on Clause 1 — Ayes, 228. Noes, 224. 20. Fri.— Supply : Civil Services. 23. iVoji.-Business— Bills partly considered. Select Conmiittee, Mr. IV. H. Sviith. Local Taxation (Customs) Bill. Com- mittee. 24. 2'»C6-.— Burnley Rectory Bill. Division on 2nd Reading— Ayes, 172. Noes, 131. Mr. Speaker's Statement. Appropriation of Public Monies. Adjournment. Motion. Public Meeting (Northamptwi). Mr. Labouchere. Housing (Working Classes) Bill. Mr. I Ritchie. Read 2°. I 25. Jl'erf.— Directors' Liability Bill. Further con.sidered. I 2(i. rftims.— Barracks Bill. Committee. Western Australia Constitution Bill. Committee. . i.>i.— Police Bill. Mr. Secretary Matthews. Bill committed. I. ,Voii.— Barracks Bill. Considered. Western Australia Constitution Bill. Committee. Tues. — Western Australia Constitution Bill. Reported. Police (Scotland) Bill. The Lord Advocate. Read 2°. IFec?.— Directors' Liability Bill. Read 3°. 2'7tt(rs.— Adjournment. Motion, The Ma- harajah of Kashmir. Mr. Bradluvgh. Supply : Army Services, fri.— Western Australia Constitution Bill. Read 3°. Supply : Army Seivice. 1/on.— Supply : Civil Services. r«M.— Ditto. Ditto. jre(?.— Bankruptcy Bill. Considered. Public Health Acts Amendment Bill. Committee. TAurs.— Supply : Civil Services. Fri.— Ditto. Ditto. More.— Ditto. Ditto. Tue*.— Ditto. Ditto. JFed.— Ditto. Ditto. r7i«7-»-.— Ditto. Ditto. F)-i..— Ditto. Ditto. Mo)i.— Houses of the Woiking Classes Bill. Considered and passed. Census (England, &c.) Bill. Read 2°. Savings Banks Bill. Debate on 2nd Read- ing adjourned. Tties.— Census (England, &c.) Bill. Com- mittee. Supply : Army Services. JK^eci— Supply : Civil Services. Thnrs. — Anglo - German Agreement Bill. Debate on 2nd Re:iding adjourned. Fri. — Ditto. Ditto. Read 3°. Mon.— T>itto. Ditto. Committee. Bill passed. Local Taxation (Customs, &c.) Bill. Com- mittee. 7'ues.— Ditto. Ditto. H^ed.— Ditto. Ditto. Thnrs. —Ditto. Ditto. Supply : Civil Services. Fri.— Local Taxation (Customs, &c.) Bill. Considered. Supply : Civil Services, inf.- Police Bill. Considered. Mon. — Public Health Acts Amendment Bill. Considered. Police Bill. Further considered. 7He;i.- Ditto. Ditto. II «?.— Police (Scotland) Bill. Read 3'. Census (Ireland) Bill. Committee. Supply : Civil Services. Thnrs.- Ditto. Ditto. ;•>;.— Ditto. Navy Services. 9. ,s'a<.— Ditto. Army Services. 11. jT/oft.— Ditto. Civil Services. 12. rites.— Ditto. Ditto. 13. Jr«Z.— Ditto. Ditto. 14. r/iiirs.- Approjiriation Bill. Read 1°. East India. Financial Statement. RaiUvavs (Irehind) Bill. Committee, llnus,. a.lj.>urne,lat7a.m. l.'i. Fri.-- ApiiropriatioM Bill. Head r. 10. &(/. - Kitto. Cnnimittee. Ditto. Read 3°. 15. iVon.— Prorogation. 313 SESSION 1890-1. CHAPTER XXX. COMMITTEE ROOM No. lo. Mr. Parnell — Surprise — Depression —In the House — The Debate on the Address — Mr. Gladstone's Ultimatum — Mr. Gladstone and the Irish Members — Suspense — The Parnell Manifesto— Committee Room No. 15 — Still Fighting- — Off on a Fresh Scent — Business in the House — Mr. Parnell Scores. Nov. 25. — Mr. The ceremony of opening Parliament by Roj^al Commission, always a dull affair, to-day lacked the grace and dignity of the presence of the Speaker. The illness under which everyone regrets to know Mrs. Peel is suffering kept the Speaker at home, and his place was taken by the Chairman of Committees. The usual procession was formed with the Mace carried by the Serjeant-at-Arms in the van. But Mr. Courtney walked without wig or gown, attired in the evening dress in which, even at morning sittings, he presides over the deliberations in Committee. When at four o'clock, after a brief adjournment, he quietly stepped into the Speaker's chair the House presented a different appearance. Every seat was crowded, and there buzzed an excitement which portended more than ordinary interest in the opening of a new Session. Mr. Parnell crossed the lobby shortly after two o'clock. Doubtless accidental, his arrival was well-timed if it was designed to avoid notice. It happened that at this moment the members of the House of Commons were in the Lords listening to the Queen's Speech, and the lobby was almost empty. An hour and a half later he appeared again, the lobby now crowded and the House full. In the meantime an important .event had happened. The Irish members' meeting to consider the political situation, more especially with refer- ence to Mr. Parnell's position as leader in view of recent proceedings in the Divorce Court, had unanimously and 314 .1 DIARY OF THE SALLSinUiY PARLIAMEXT. [is;.o-i. enthiisiasticrtlly continiied him in his post, and Mr. Paniell had accepted the mandate. The news flashed through the crowded lobby before Mr. Parnell reappeared on his way to take his seat. It was at first received with increduhty, but as the Irish members w^ho had been present at the conference trooped m there was no longer room for doubt. Questioned on the subject, they, whilst declining to state the grounds on which then- decision had been arrived at, agreed on the main fact. Surprise. It would bc ditficult to exaggerate the sensa- tion created by this unexpected turn of events. Last night it w^as so confidently expected that Mr. Parnell would save the Home Rule cause at whatever personal sacri- fice, that some authorities were encouraged to put forth statements categorically affirming he had so decided, and that the business of the meeting to-day would be confined to receiving and registering the decision. To the Minis- terialists the unexpected news came as a flash of sudden light in darkness. They, too, had been led to believe that even at the last moment Mr. Parnell would hesitate to sacrifice the cause for which he has done so much. If he promptly stepped back the Home Rule position would be left intact. To learn that he had decided to stay was for them all the more joyful intelligence since it was absolutely unexpected. Mr. Chamberlain, who was in the lobby shortly after the news was made known, positively beamed with delight, and the Conservatives went about as light-hearted as if they liad ah'cady won the general election. Depression. Amoiigst Liberals the feeling is almost over- whelming in its depression, disap^^ointment, almost despair. One hears on all sides admissions of the inevitable fatal consequences of the decision. One well-known Liberal, on learning the decision, declared that Home Rule will be unattainable for the present generation. Everyone agreed that if by any chance or mano'uvre the Government could force a general election now they would obtain a majority. A Scotch member showed me a letter received this morning from a gentleman whom he described as hitherto liis principal sup[)ofter in his constituency, iiildnning him 18^0-1.] THE FATINELL (JRLSIS. 315 that if Mr. Parnell remained in alliance with the Liberal Party as leader of the Irish the writer would never again appear on the same platform as his friend the sitting member. Some members clutch at the hope that things are really not so bad as they look to-night. They have convmced themselves that Mr. Parnell, having received the mark of supreme confidence on the part of his supporters shown in the passing of the vote to-day, will find an early and con- venient opportunity of Avithdrawing himself from public affairs, delegating his office to another. In conversation with some of the Irish members who were at the meeting to-day, I find no confirmation for this expectation. In tiie House. Entering the House some minutes before Mr. Courtney took the Chair and called on notices of motion, Mr. Parnell took his accustomed seat below the gangway in token of his acceptance of the position of leader of the Irish Party, in which he had just been confirmed. No demonstration, hostile or friendly, greeted his arrival, which was not generally noted. When a whisper went round that he was there, all eyes were turned upon him. Usually he sits silent, taking no notice of his neighbours. To-day he talked almost effusively to members of his party sitting near him. Mr. * Gladstone, looking ill and distressed, was received with a mighty cheer when he arrived, a similar compliment being paid from the other side to Mr. Balfour when he came in, the third cheer of the new .Session being reserved for Mr. Smith, who looked decidedly thinner in the face than when he went off for his holidays. Lord Hartington came m late, as usual, and was evidently in restless mood, passing in and out several times. Once in skirting the front Opposition bench he stopped to shake hands with Mr. Morley, whom Mr. Chamberlain had already warndy greeted. The debate on The rapidity with Avhich the Address Avas agreed the Address. . to was not due in any measure to the mover, who threatened never to finish his elaborate oration, which was assisted to a conclusion by eloquent signs of impatience. He and Mr. Forrest Fulton, who was comparatively brief, pretty 316 A niAEY OF THE SALISBURY FABLIAMENT. [isoo-i. well succeeded in emptying the House. When the word went round that Mr. Gladstone was on his feet the benches rapidly filled up. It soon became clear that there was no tight left in the old leader. He rapidly passed over the various topics of the speech, notably declining to discuss Irish questions at the present juncture. He reserved his hostile remarks for the proposal of Mr. Smith to appropriate for Government measures all the time of the House up to Christmas, and sat down after quietly talking for three quarters of an hour. Mr. Smith took his cue from this speech, being careful to avoid controversial subjects, and readily promising to tind an opportunity for Mr. John Morley to have it out with Mr. Balfour about Tipperary. He spoke through the dinner hour to a scanty and inattentive audience. Mr. Parnell had com- menced his new term of leadership by leaving the House as soon as it approached business, not even paying Mr. Gladstone the compliment of staying to listen to his speech. This ex- ample was largely followed, and by ten o'clock the whole thing flickered out, and, to the crowning joy of the elate Ministerial- ists, the Address was agreed to. It is many Sessions since the Address was agreed to on the opening night. But it is many years since Parliament met in such queer conditions as environ parties to-day. Mr. Giadstoiie'.s Late to-niafht it was made known that Mr. ultimatum. ri^ ^ 11 • 1 • T • 1 • Gladstone had WTitten a letter mdicatmg his position in respect to Mr. Parnell and the leadership of the Irish Party. The following is the text of the communication, addressed to Mr. John Morley. 1, Carlton Gardens, November 24th, 1890. My dear Morley, — Having arrived at a certain conclusion with regard to the continuance at the present moment of Mr. Parnell's leadership of the Irish Party, I have seen Mr. McCarthy on my arrival in town, and have inquired from him whether I was likely to receive from Mr. Parnell himself any communication on the subject. Mr. McCarthy replied that he was unaljle to give me any information on the subject. T mentioned to him that in LS(S2, after the terrible uuu-der in the Phoenix Park, Mr. Parnell, although totally removed from 1890-1.] MR. GLADSTONE'S ULTIMATUM. 317 any idea of responsibility, liad spontaneously written to nie, and offered to take the Chiltern Hundreds — an otter much to his honour, but which I thought it my duty to decline. While clinging to the hope of a communication from Mr. Parnell, to whomsoever addressed, I thought it necessary, viewing the arrangements for the commencement of the Session to-morrow, to acquaint Mr. McCarthy with the conclu- sion at which, after using all the means of observation and reflection in my power, I had mj^self arrived. It was that, not- withstanding the splendid services rendered by Mr. Parnell to his country, his continuance at the present moment in the leadership would be productive of consequences disastrous in the highest degree to the cause of Ireland. I think I may be warranted in asking you so far to explain the conclusion I have given above as to add that the continuance I speak of would not only place many hearty and effective friends of the Irish cause in a position of great embarrassment, but would render my retention of the leadership of the Liberal Party, based as it has been mainly upon the prosecution of the Irish cause, almost a nullity. This explanation of my views I begged Mr. McCarthy to regard as confidential, and not intended for his colleagues if he felt that Mr. Parnell contemplated spontaneous action. But I also begged that he would make known to the Irish Party at their meeting to-morrow afternoon that such was my conclu- sion, if he should find that Mr. Parnell had not in contempla- tion any step of the nature indicated. I now write to you in case Mr. McCarthy should be unable to communicate Avith Mr. Parnell, as I understand you may possibly have an opening to-morrow through another channel. Should you have such an opening I beg you to make known to Mr. Parnell the conclusion itself which I have stated in the earlier part of this letter. I have thought it best to put it in terms simple and direct, much as I should have liked, had it lain within my power, to alleviate the personal nature of the situation. As respects the manner of conveying what my public duty has made it an obligation to say, I rely entirely on your good feeling, tact, and judgment. Believe me, sincerely j^ours, W. E. Gladstone. 318 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isoo-i. ^?T," 2(5. — Mr. Various accounts are current of the incidents (jiadstone ;uiil i-iii ^ • • i- ^t r^-i ^ the Irish mem- Avliich led Up to the issuuig 01 Mr. Cxladstone s idtiniatuni, and the subsequent history of that document. I have had the opportunity of ascertaining the facts at first hand, and am permitted to state them. Mr. ^IcCarthy received on Monday a communication from Mr. Gladstone inviting him to call. Mr. Gladstone, in the course of the conversation, entered fully into his views on Mr. Parnell's public position as affected by recent proceedings in the Divorce Gourt. He plainly declared that if Mr. Parnell did not retire, it would be fatal to Home Rule. The next general election, whenever it came, would be lost by the Liberals, and, Mr. Gladstone added, as far as he is concerned, that would be his last chance, as at his age he could not look forward to another opportunity of taking part in the straggle. He made no declaration of his determination to retire into private life if Mr. Parnell persisted in holding the leadership, nor did he make any reference to his having written a letter on the subject to Mr. John Morley. As a matter of fact, Mr. McCarthy did not know of the existence of the letter till eight o'clock last night. Consequently, the statement put forward this afternoon, to the effect that he possessed the knowledge, and whilst communicating it to Mr. Parnell withheld it from his other colleagues at yesterday's meeting of the Irish Party, is absolutely without foundation. There was evidently some lamentable bungling in dealing Avith the letter. Mr. John Morley saw Mr. McCarthy at his house yesterday some hours before the Irish Party met, but did not make any reference to the letter, which must then have been in his possession. Mr. Parnell learned of it only after the meeting. I gather the opinion from several members of the party that had the contents of the letter been within their knowledge at the time the meeting took place the result would have been different. Its influence is seen in the meeting to- day, which has been furtlicr adjourned till Monday, when it is expected Mr. Healy will be present, and means Avill have been taken to ascertain the views of the members now in the United States. Uji to to-night Mr. Parnell absolutely declines of his own free will to withdraw from the leadership. The attitude be tid -v-^ upon the proceedmgs m Committee Koom ]No. 15. I hear two versions of what happened. One is that Mr. Clancy, instigated by Mr. Parnell, submitted a resolution, by way of compromise, proposing that the leadership should remain in commission for a specified period, Mr. Parnell meanwhile with- drawing into retirement, thereafter returning to take charge of affairs. The other report is that Mr. Clancy's resolution was drawn up with the object of pledging all the Irish members to declare that no scheme of Home Rule would be satisfactory which did not hand over to the Irish Parliament the control of the police and the direction of the working of the Irish Land Act. What this has to do with Mr. Parnell's conduct brought to light in the Divorce Court, or even with the more definite question raised by the majority of the members whether Mr. Parnell shall any longer remain leader, it is difficult to see. In ordinary circumstances it would be mcredible that per- mission should be given to go off on this by-scent, but it must be remembered that Mr. Parnell is in the chair, and the pub- lished accounts of his demeanour in that capacity prepare the public for anything. Whatever be the nature of the amend- ment, it is evidently regarded by the Irish members as a new and important departure. It was arranged, upon the motion of Mr. Sexton, that an adjournment should take place shortly after four o'clock, the sittini-- beiuQ- resumed at noon to- morrow. Business in the jf the Irish members do not shortly begin House. 1 -n 1? 1 to make more rapid progress, they will find themselves sittiiio- alone at Westminster. The extraordinary 324 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMEXT. [isoo-i. progress made with public business has entirely changed the prospects of the Session. When the House met eight days ago it was expected to sit certainly up to Saturda}^ the 20'th of December, and might joossibly run into Christmas week. Matters have been so ordered that the neck of the work appointed for the Session preceding Christmas is already broken, and the adjournment for the recess cannot be far of}'. It may take place this week. It will certainly be accomplished early next week. The news which came down to the House of Commons just before six o'clock this evening, that the Irish members had unanimously adopted Mr. Clancy's resolution, was at first received with natural incredulity. It seemed impossible to believe that the able and experienced men who lead the opposition to Mr. Parnell should have permitted themselves to be thus hoodwinked. Called upon to decide the simple question whether, in the interests of Ireland, Mr. Parnell should or should not be permitted to retain the leadership, having had one division which demonstrated their numerical supremacy, and just strengthened by the support of the bishops' manifesto, they chose this very day for succumbing to Mr. Parnell's wiles, and yielding to him the victory, which must be all the more precious since it has been snatched out of the depths of what a da}- or two ago seemed hopeless defeat. Mr. I'arneii .scores. What happened this afternoon was that an offer was made on behalf of Mr. Parnell that if Mr. Gladstone, in response to a demand made upon him in the name of the Iri.sh members, should consent to include in his Home Rule Bill provisions placing the constabulary, the appointment of .the Judges, and the control of the Land Act, in the hands of the Dublin Parliament, Mr. Parnell woukl forthwith retire from the leadership of the party. Mr. Healy and Mr. Sexton permitted them- selves to be drami into this audaciously planned side issue, and in the end it was agreed that a conmiittee should be appointed, drawn from both sides of the controversy, and should wait upon- Mr. Gladstone and obtain his views. To- morrow the Irish Party Avill meet again, and will receive the 1800-1.1 ME. PABNELL SCORES. 325 report of this committee. There is a unanimous I'eeHng among influential members of the party that Mr. Gladstone is not likely to be drawn into the meshes of any such net. Even if it were reasonable to suppose that at this particular time, under the circumstances of the hour, he should with a pistol at his head deliver up pledges to a Home Rule Bill to be brought in at some indefinite period, who is to guarantee that next week, or the week after, or a month hence, Mr. Parnell may not resume the leadership ? However things turn out, it is clear Mr. Parnell has heavily scored. He poses before the Irish people as the patriot ready to sacrifice hunself and his prospects if only good terms can be made for Ireland. In the exceedingly improbable circumstance of Mr. Gladstone falhng into the trap, the Mr. Fox of the Divorce Court would temporarily retire with flags flying and drums beating. If Mr. Gladstone declines to be a party to the comedy, what will Mr. Parnell do, and in what position will the majority be who have to-day fallen into this astounding error ? These are questions put in the House to-night without answer being forthcoming to the latter one. As to the former, there is no doubt Mr. Parnell, strengthened in the popular view in Ireland by the position taken up on the coming Home Rule Bill, will sit tighter than ever, and will doubtless weary out his adversaries, retain the leadership, break up the alliance with the Liberal Party, and so indefinitely postpone the realisation of Home Rule for Ireland. 326 CHAPTER XXXT. PARALYSIS OF THE OPPOSITION. 3Ir. Gladstone and Irisli Members — The Parnell Blight— In the Absence of the Irish Members — Mr. Labouchere — Collapse — The Divided Irish Part}-. Dec. 5. — Mr There IS general approval in Liberal circles of Irishmembers. tliB attitude assumed by Mr. Gladstone in his interview this morning with the delegates of the Irish Party. That he should have consented to the inter- view is quite another thing. Sir William Harcourt in partic- ular was hotly opposed to holding any communication with the Irish members arising out of the initiative of Mr. Parnell. To use Sir WilHam's phrase, the Liberal allies of the Irish Home Rulers have eaten dirt enough in connection with Mr. Parnell, and it is time they peremptorily closed their mouths. Mr. Gladstone is above all things courteous, and when appli- cation was, in respectful terms, made to him by a number of members of the House of Commons asking for an interview he did not refuse it. But when the delegates produced Mr. Clancy's resolution, Avhich set out with a preamble referring to different versions of the conversation that took place at Hawarden between Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Parnell, he, in dignilied but resolute manner, declined to discuss the matter so introduced. The delegates, thus tirmly though courteously rebuffed, retired, and reported the result of their mission to the Irish members once more assembled in Committee Room No. 15. It was resolved that an attempt should be made to meet Mr. Gladstone's vicws^ and by eliminating the objectionable phrases induce him still to discuss the matter with them. As soon as the House met this afternoon it was known that the negotiation had reached this stage, and that the Irish delegates were at that moment endeavouring to arrange another interview with Mr. Gladstone. There is, lunongst Liberals, a strong disinclination that Mr. Gladstone should budge a step further. It is clearly seen. is;io-i.] THE PARNELL BLIGHT. 327 though the Irish members of course deny it, that up to uoW Mr. -Parnell has triumphed all along the line. He is, it is true, prepared to retire ; but he dictates the circumstances under which his withdrawal shall take place, and has so arranged matters that should Mr. Gladstone, out of desire to serve the majority of the Irish members, make any statement acceptable from their point of view on the Home Rule question, the Irish people will give all the credit to Mr. Parnell. English Liberals agree with Sir William Harcourt in asking why, after all the abuse levelled upon Mr. Gladstone, he should be called upon to deliver the majorit}^ of the Irish members from a position into which the}^ have been drawn by a momentary irresolution and lack of judgment surprising to contemplate. Dec. G. -- Tiie Jt is the unexpected that happens, especially in the House of Commons. No one, not even Zadkiel, could have foreseen the precise turn of events which have made the past fortnight in Parliament memorable amid its moving annals. Six weeks ago, when the Midlothian Campaign was in full blast, the prospects of the new Session seemed so definitely assured that precise plans of action Avere sketched on either side. It seemed certain that the Ministry would return to their labours in dejected spirits, to face an Opposition aggressive with the near prospect of final victory. Mr. Balfour's action in stirring afresh the muddy waters of Irish politics by arresting Mr. Dillon and Mr. O'Brien had been looked upon askance even in the most loyal Ministerial circles. It was openly doubted whether he had not unnecessarily gone out of his way to inflame the Irish Party on the eve of the meeting of Parliament. Whilst these things were talked of Eccles was being fought, with result that shed an effulgent light over Mr. Gladstone's pathway across Midlothian. Opposition speakers and writers could scarcely contain themselves for joy at the prospect of coming conflict in the Commons. There was high talk of a resolution, to be moved from the front bench, calling upon the Crown to dismiss a Ministry that no longer possessed the confidence of the country, and to dissolve a Parliament that successive bye-elections showed did not represent its views. Short of that there would certainly be an amendment to the Address, and a pitched 328 A DIAIiY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [is90-i. battle Avith some further reduction of the Ministerial majority. What happened on Tuesda}-, the 25th of November, when Parliament met, is already a matter of history. The mighty militant host of the Opposition shrank and shrivelled into impotent nothingness. Mr. W. H. Smith, rising up early on the morning of the intended battle, looked forth on the host of the Hawarden Sennacherib, and, behold ! they Avere all dead corpses. Never was there such SAvift, sudden, complete collapse of a political party. It had all come to pass betAveen a Saturday morning and sunset, and, as often happens in the best laid schemes of man, it Avas a Avoman who had done it. The dramatic concatenation of circumstances that fixed the open- ing of a famous divorce case so that its conclusion should take place on the very day preceding the meeting of Parliament had been vieAved Avith sublime inditterence by the party to which, as it tin-ned out, it Avas a matter of life and death. To the Liberal faith in these later days had been added a ncAv article, embodying absolute belief in the dicta of Mr. Parnell. He had been made the co-respondent in an action in the Divorce Court, and it Avas acutely percei\'ed that if he should come out of the ordeal besmirched it Avould be an exceedingly aAvkAvard thing for a party of the State Avhose foundations Avere deeply set in strata of morality and respectability. But Mr. Parnell, smilingly shaking his head, had said there Avas nothing in it. It Avas a Aveak invention of the enemy, the machination of political perfidy. "•Davitt," he had said in one of many similar conversations, " you may tell our friends in Ireland that I shall come out of this matter Avithout a stain." Honest Mr. Havitt, gloAving Avith generous triumph, had flitted about on his triumphant errand. It is at this moment curious to reflect Avhat absolute authority a simple affirmation from Mr. Parnell carried in certain circles up to ten o'clock of a day only a fortnight old this very morning. Mr. Davitt told Mr. J. Morlcy ; Mr. Morley rushed off" enthusiastically to con- vey the glad tidings to Mr. (Trladstone : an archbishop heard the ncAvs Avith ([uiet assurance of its indubitable autliority : and through the allied Home llulc camp there lai'atlicd alioly 1890-1.1 THE PABNELL BLIGHT. 329 calm, a sweet assurance that there was still another trininph in store for a persecuted man, and that the bolts of calumny, the shafts of slander, would once more rebound and strike the guilty breasts of those who had launched them. Mr. Parnell, as to-day he reviews his new position, and finds himself a pariah in the household where he was of late enshrined, must reflect with bitter feeling on the childish credulity now given place to uncompromising distrust. Dec s.-in tiie " It is ail ocUl and striking result of the i)rivato absence of the n -i tt -r-> i i i irisii members, peccadilloes 01 tlic Houie Kulc leader that during the last fortnight the country should have been privileged to watch in dual aspect the practical operation of the Home Kule scheme. Ever since Parliament met we have had working side by side an Irish Home Rule Parliament and a British House of Commons practically relieved, as it was to have been under Mr. Gladstone's Bill of 1886, of the presence of Irish members. As an object lesson the experience has been of priceless value. The Irish Parlia- ment have been discussing Avhat, if they were established at College Green, would be their first duty. They have been engaged in the choice of a President or, as he would be called in Parliamentary phrase, a Speaker. AVith what calmness of demeanour, what dignity of bearing, what interchange of courtesy, this little matter can be arranged by Irish gentlemen meeting in circumstances entirely of their own conception, arrangement, and control, all the world has been privileged to witness. How in their absence business has gone forward in the House of Commons corresponding columns of the morn- ing newspapers record." Thus a well-known Conservative member, writing to a friend. Mr. Labouchere. It has been, to tell the truth, a trifle dull. Even the spirits of Sir George Campbell have flagged, and he has delivered fewer speeches in a given space of time than the House of Commons has enjoyed in its recent histoiy. The eft'ect on Mr. Labouchere has been almost pathetic. He is a man of natural imperturbability, trained by constant care and inured by daily habit. A\'hen the storm burst and everybody was shuddering under the shocks of thunder and 330 A DIARY OF THE SALTS BUB Y PARLTAMEXT. [is90-i. sheltering their eyesight from the flashes of forked hghtning, he came up sinihng, asking in deUciously drawhng voice what was the matter ? The neAv Session, as he had not thought it necessary to hide from the knowledge of hapless Ministers, was to be for them one of tinal disaster. Hitherto they had been saved from perdition by an unaccountable hesitancy on the part of right honourable gentlemen on the front bench (who had themselves been in office) to depart from certain trim, old-fashioned, and ineffectual methods of Parliamentary warfare. Constrained by inborn reverence for authority and respect for veteran leaders, Mr. Labouchere had held his hand. The time had come when further trifling with the situation would be a crime, an act of treachery to his country. Ministers were to be smitten hip and thigh, assailed day and night, ad- mitted to no quarter, driven persistently and remorselessly to flnd refuge and escape in a dissolution. In the first hours of the new Session Mr. Labouchere Avas as good as his Avord. He began at the beginning, meeting- Mr. Balfour's motion for leave to introduce the Land Purchase Bill by a hostile amendment. But the result chilled the energy even of this undaunted soul. His words echoed through a nearly empty chamber. Behind him, where was Avont to sit the phalanx of Irish members applausive of attacks on Mr. Balfour, there yaAvned a great and dolorous gap. Mr. Glad- stone, Avho might be supposed to haA'e something to sa}' on a ncAv Irish Land Bill if time and opportunity Avere fitting, sat silent on the front bench, eloquently inert, significantly list- less. It is hard Avork for a man accustomed to set the table in a roar to look round and find a quiet, sober circle, Avith here and there an empty chair. Mr. Labouchere Avas unusually brief, and the House, grateful foi- this kindness, generously re- pressed a yawn as he resumed his seat. Sir Wilfrid LaAvson followed amid surroundings growing increasingly funereal, and AA'hen he sat down no other rose. Sir George Campbell moved uneasily on his seat, cast an agonised glance round the House, half rose to his feet, and despairingly fell back. It Avas a great opportunity, a sore temptation. To find an opening as early as five o'clock on the second day of a ncAv Session to discuss the principal measure of the (TOA^ernment Avas a joy not often within his grasp. On reflection h(> thought it Avere not Avell 1800-1.] THE DIVIDED HUH II rARTY. 331 to grasp it. So the debate flickered out, and on a division the Ministerial majority snddenly leaped up to the long un- familiar figures of one hundred and fifty-one. Collapse. Since that night Mr. Labouchere has practically effaced himself, and with his retreat has disap- peared the last trace of anything like obstruction. There has, indeed, been scarcely anything approaching debate on the various measures brought forward by the (lovernment, albeit these have included topics round which last Session con- troversy fiercely raged. The Tithes Bill, which the Welsh members were sworn to i-esist to their last gasp, was read a second time after a lifeless conversation that died before the end of a single sitting. The Land Purchase Bill, which the Government after strenuous efforts were last Session comjDelled to abandon, passed the same critical stage after debate had, for decency's sake, been carried over from Tuesday into Wednes- day's sitting. Mr. Balfour's scheme of Irish relief, involving expenditure the limit of which he judiciously declines to define, was confirmed without a division, leaving time at the same sitting to carry into Committee the Tithes Bill, and to pass through its final stages one of those Irish railway Bills which within the present year revived the memories of an all night sitting. In brief, the Government have accomplished all their appointed work, and a section of the Session expected to last up to Christmas Eve, with probably inadequate result, is already within sight of adjournment. Dec. 9. —The The sectiou of the Irish Party under the leader- dmded Irish ^ . .•-vrT-Tr/iii i party. slup of Mr. J ustiii McCarthy have promptly got into action. They held a meeting this afternoon before the assembly of the House, and took various supplementary steps to constitute themselves a jDarty absolutely distinct from Mr. Parnell's leadership and following. A committee was appointed to confer Avith Mr. McCarthy on all matters affecting the affairs of the party. It includes Mr. O'Brien and Mr. Dillon, Mr. Sexton, and Mr. Healy, and is thus specially designed to prevent a recurrence of that personal dictatorship which has shaken the party to its foundation. Another step taken was the election of a Whip to fill the 332 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [iS90-i. vacancy created by Mr. Richard Power's fidelity to Mr. Parnell. Mr. Deasy, who has lonj^ been Mr. Power's colleague, will now be the first Whip of the newly-formed party, and Sir Thomas Esmonde his assistant. Mr. Parnell has been in the neighbourhood of the House during the greater part of the day, and, as usual, no one knew what step he would be likely to take in con- nection with proceed- ings. The M6Carthyites accordingly determined to take possession of their old quarters. As soon as prayers were over they marched in, filing along and filling the second and third benches below the gangway, Avliero for many years, Avhether Liberals or Conserva- tives were in poAver, the Parnellites were ac- customed to sit. As they mustered thirty- eight, they made a goodly show, Mr. Parnell's contingent being represented solely by Colonel Nolan, who sat on the front bench, by the chair of the Serjeant-at-Arms. December Opposition ill Granville m the Leadership of the Liberal rarty tie Lords. -^ ^^^ House of Lords came as a surprise in Liberal circles. It was taken for granted that Lord Spencer would succeed, anticipating the time when he shall assume the position of Liberal Prime Minister. It is said the arrangement was come to as the result of a chivalrous contest between Lord Spencer and Lord Rosebery. There is no doubt the latter is the predestined successor to the heritage of Leader- ship of the Liberal Party, not only in the House of Lords but throughout the country. In him would be found a peculiarly worthy successor to Lord Granville. He has the lightness of touch, the sense of humour, the genial manner of the late peer, with, superadded, certain qualities of sterling statesmanship that even exceed Lord Granville's mark. But Lord Rosebery is young in years and can afford to wait a while. If he assumed the post of Leader in the Lords just now it would be difficult for Lord Spencer to supersede him when he comes into the heritage of the Premiership. It is no secret that, as far as Mr. Gladstone and the inner Council of the Liberal Leaders, as 3,t present constituted, can control future events, it is settled that Lord Spencer is to be the Liberal Premier in succession to Mr. Gladstone, leading the House of Lords Avhilst Sir William Harcourt leads in the Commons. It would seem natural that he should seize the opportunity presented by the lamented death of Lord Granville to get into training. That he should stand aside is a little unfortunate as sugorestine- undetermined counsels. no o Lord Kimberley is a much more able man than is estimated by the outside public. He possesses in peculiar degree the confidence and esteem of his colleagues. But he has none of the qualities of a popular leader, and his appearance in the seat of Lord Granville, whilst it is carefuUy announced that he does not bear the title or exercise the functions of Leader of the Opposition, is a little finesse of tactics more curious .than assuring for the future of the party. 371 CHAPTER XXXVI. DEPRESSION. A Bore from Scotland — A Budget Speech — Sir. Jackson's Device — Where the Chancellor put Tobacco — Depression — Mr. Parnell — Lord \Yarden of the Cinque Ports — Sunshine on the Treasury Bench — Visitors from afar — A Toothsome Bit — The Duke of Aro-yll — Lord Denman. April 17. --A bore Mr. Seymour Keay is oiie of the curioiis de- from Scotland. , „ , ^•n i • i f velopments of human hie which n-om time to time are sent to Westminster from remote cprners of Scotland. Elgin and Nairn combine to produce hhn as a member of the House of Com- mons, a canny arrangement which leaves the direct responsibilit}^ un- determined. Elgin may say it was Nairn. Nairn, denying the soft im- peachment, may accuse Elgin. It does not lie in the mouth of a Southron to determine the nice question. All we know is that eighteen short months ago Elgin and Nairn, called upon to till a vacancy created by the death of the sitting member, elected Mr. Sey- mour Keay. The new member lost no time in giving the House a taste of his quahty. He made his maiden speech within a few hours of taking his seat. The House of Commons, the pink of courtesy, the boke. the pearl of patience, listened for some time, regarding with curious interest the remark- able figure just added to its collection. Mr. Keay, pleased with the attention, discoursed at length, and on the following 372 A DIAllY OF THE SALISBURY PAELIAMEXT. [i890-i. night repeittecl the effort to please. He had evidently made a hit. The House of Commons, the most august assembly in the world, had sat silent, at his feet as it were, whilst he descanted on things present and to come. It evidently ex- pected more, and Mr. Keay is not the man to baulk desire when it takes that direction. Accordingly, on the earhest op- portunity, he presented himself again, and was received with such a howl of anguished derision that after struggling through a few embarrassed sentences he resumed his seat, and was silent for a full fortnight. Then Mr. Gladstone, heedless, probably unconscious, of the consequences, reckless of his doom, interposed and inflicted Mr. Seymour Keay upon the House in what promises to be a permanent form. The member for Elgin and Nairn had written a book, upon what topic no one just now remembers, except dimly that it had something to do with a statistical question. Mr. Gladstone, perhaps the greatest living authority on financial affairs, having read through the copy of " the brochure" the author had been careful to send him, had recognised in it the work of a born financier. With the generosity of genius he had acknowledged a brother, and had, in view of an envious and carping House of Commons, straightway held out to him across the gangway the right hand of fellowship. In grasping Mr. Gladstone's hand, Mr. Seymour Keay re- solved that he would, m spite of flouts, and gibes, and sneers, prove himself worthy of the notice extorted from his eminent friend, and Avould speedily advance the time when the House of Commons should hoar him. The hour struck with the Coimnittee stage of the Irish Land Bill, and behold the ]\lan ! Mr. Keay, as has been mentioned, has not been in Parhament more than eighteen months, but he has so far mastered its ways and traditions as to appreciate the value to a rising statesman of a corner seat. The time has not yet come when he could clahn one without going through the soothing, but not always convenient, exercise of prayer-time. On the Liberal side there is always what may be called " a corner " in corner seats. The Liberal Party is a volcanic orb, in its hiu-ried course ever throwing off' brilliant fragments which, so to speak, set up in business for themselves. Each independent 1890-1.] MB. SEYMOUR KEAY. 373 captain hankers after a corner seat, below the gangway by preference ; and as there are only four, and as the Irish hold one and Mr. Labouchere another, late-comers fare badly. But the flowing tide is Avith Mr. Seymour Keay. The corner seat on the second bench below the gangway was habitually through the early portion of the Session graced by the manly form of Mr. Picton. Rising from this historic quarter, where once the meek white head of Mr. Lowe gleamed under the gaslight, and whence Mr. Bright has thundered eloquent denunciation of a guilty Government, Mr. Picton, with some of Mr. Lowe's sarcasm and all of Mr. Bright's dignity, has wrestled with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and guard- edly approved the First Lord of the Treasury. If Mr. Picton were still at his post, Mr. Keay would have to remain in the obscurity of the lower end of the bench. But it chances that Mr. Picton is just now musing amid the classic ruins of ancient Rome, and so Mr. Keay, giving up the whole of the early por- tion of the day to the purpose, is enabled to be down so early for prayers that no one has the opportunity of snatching from him the coveted corner seat. Here he stood in the closing half-hour of this morning's sitting. On Clause I. of the Irish Land Bill he had crowded the paper with amendments that gave pause to the most ex- perienced debater. They look uncommonly like coherenc}', bristling with common fractions and imposing references to "the Consolidated Fund," "temporary advances," "mortgages," and " the Chancellor of the Exchequer." Mr. Keay had opened the ball with one amendment. After he had delivered several speeches recommending it to the notice of the House, Mr. Courtney gravely invited him to explain it. This would have offended some people. Mr. Keay was delighted to oblige. The House roared in despairing protest. Mr. Keay, both hands full of notes, turned, mildly expostul- atory, and reminded hon. gentlemen opposite that the Chair- man had invited him to explain what his amendment meant, and he was doing so. Mr. Gladstone happened to be on the front Opposition bench, the only incident in the proceedings that gave satisfaction. Everyone was thinking of his fatal encomium on Mr. Keay's literary effort, and all hoped that Mr. 374 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [is90-]. Gladstone had it in mind. Since Frankenstein succeeded in his task no such retribution has fallen upon presumptuous man as that which noAv Aveighs down the author of a heedless eulogy. April 24. — A To-niglit Mr. Goschen accomplished the de- Budget speech. ,. r. -, i i i i livery ot the longest speech and the presentation of the simplest Budget of modern times. The purpose of the Budget might be described in a single short sentence. Mr. Goschen occupied three hours less twenty minutes for its ex- position. In the quiet and repose of his office at the Treasury he had neatly arranged his notes in a series of volumes. One dealt with his estimates of last year, and traced their realisation. Another detailed the expenditure under the Barracks Act, the Xaval Defence Act, and the Imperial Defence Act. A third covered all that was to be said about the reduction of debt. A fourth tabled figures connected with the relief of local taxation ; and so on through the successive heads of the far-reaching subject of national finance. Each volume was neatly stitched and endorsed on the back. When Mr. Goschen had exhausted a topic he put the volume of notes on one side and took up the next from the pile that stood on his desk at the left-hand side. Close by him on the Treasury bench sat Mr. Smith, anxiously checking off the figures as they were recited. Next to Mr. Smith was Mr. Jackson, his attention divided between the duty of following his chiefs speech through its intricacies and keepmg his right hon. friend's tumbler filled with what Mr. Goschen in one passage of his speech distantly alluded to as " a minor alcoholic beverage." Mr. Jackson had not forgotten the disaster with the tumbler that thrilled the House last Budget night. But he is a man of infinite resource, and had hit upon what he justly regarded as a happy device. Mr. Goschen in the heat of his eloquence always forgets on which side of the desk his tumbler has been placed. If it is on the right side, in full view of a sympathetic House, he, in search of it, fumbles furiously on the left, upsetting ink-pots and hopelessly i-avaging stationery. If it is plainly visible on the left-hand side, he pursues his investigations in the opposite quarter. i.s!)0-i.] THE BUDGET. 375 j\ir. Jackson's , Mr. Jacksoii, kindly observant of this little device. . . ' -^ eccentricity, had conceived the notable idea that if the Chancellor of the Exchequer whilst delivering his Budget speech had a tumbler on either side of his desk all would be well, and there would be no possible complication of circumstances. Accordingly, before the speech commenced, he, with kindly forethought, placed a big tumbler, brimming Avith minor alcoholic beverage, on the right-hand side of the desk, and another on the left. Then he took his seat close by to watch the result. At lirst it threatened to have disastrous consequences. Mr. Goschen, after explaining in a thrilling passage how " tea, too, plays a happy part in the history of the last year," hastily brought his hand down on the right- hand side of the desk and found the tumbler. Refreshed by a mighty draught of its contents, he calculated that every ounce of tobacco tills twelve pipes ; duty was paid last year on nearly three million ounces of tobacco more than in the year before ; argal, under a Government whose first sacred duty is the preservation of the Union, the working man had been able to smoke thirty-six million more pipes of tobacco in twelve months than he had ever before clone in a similar period. Amid the outburst of genuine applause elicited by this calculation, Mr. Goschen came down on the left-hand side, and, behold ! there was the tumbler out of which, as it seemed, he had lately drunk, full to the brim. He visibly started, and half raising the glass put it down again untasted. AMiere the ciian- Jt ^yas on looking at the clock and discovering cellor P^it 1 . 1 " tobacco. how time had sped and how much there yet remained to be done that the duality of the tumblers operated with fatal effect. In one of his hurried movements Mr. Goschen had unconsciously got both the tumblers on the left-hand side of the desk, close by his pile of still unused notes. Turning from the clock to look at his notes, his eye fell on the two tumblers where only one had been before. Intending to readjust matters, and put one of the tumblers on the other side, he in the flurry of the moment seized the top volume of his notes and placed that on the right-hand side of the desk. It was the volume containing the figures of the detailed estimates for certain sources of 376 A DIArxY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMEXT. [isoo-i. revenue, and came next in the exposition of his plan. But, being removed under the misapprehension described, Mr. Goschen took up the next vohime in order and began his catalogue. " I now," he said, " proceed to give the figiu'es of my estimate of the revenue for the coming year. I have said that I put the Income-tax at £13,750,000 ; I put tobacco," he went on, opening his volume of notes and glancing hurriedly up and down the pages, " I put tobacco " he continued, furiously turning over the leaves — " I put tobacco " he re- peated in tones tremulous with excitement, w^hilst the House looked sympathetically on. Evidently he had put tobacco where he could not find it. Mr. Smith, his kindly face furrowed with anxiety, bent over his column of figures, hoping peradventure that he might find at what the Chancellor of the Exchequer had put tobacco. Mr. Jackson hurriedly poked about among the volumes still piled to the left of the box. Mr. Goschen, with the Avrong note-book held close to his nose, violently turned over the leaves. In one of his anguished movements his eye fell on the growing heap of note-books on the right, and grasping in despair at the top one he discovered himself on the right tack. Opening the book he found all his figures fairly set forth. " I put tobacco," he cried, triumphantly, " at two per cent, above the present figure." The House boisterously cheered ; but Mr. Goschen never got over this accident, floundering on through morasses of figures till, at length, looking up at the patient but puzzled House, he said, " I hope my figures will be understood when you see them in the morning " — surely the most pathetic aspiration ever uttered by a Chancellor of the Exchequer on Budget night. June 5. — Do- There is no withstanding the reproach that the House of Commons has degenerated into deepest dulness. The octopus of the Irish Land Purchase Bill has through the week enveloped it in its folds, and small AV'onder if on the fifth night of the almost unintermitted embrace the hopeless subject is in a state of coma. Scarcely any of the men accustomed to take a prominent part in debate now show themselves. Mr. Gladstone's absence through the week has been accidental, but when he is in ordinary attendance he is isPO-1.] MB. PABNELL. 'ill never seen after the dinner hour, and up to that time is content for the most part to sit silent, though watchful. Lord Hartington sometimes looks in midway through the questions, sits for a while, peradventure sleeps, goes his way, and is seen no more through the sitting. Mr. Chamberlain has effaced himself with almost equal completeness, though occasionally this Session — generally on some comparatively small measure in which he is personally interested — he has interposed, and new" members learn what a loss the House suffers from the temporary withdrawal from its conferences of this keen intellectual force, this perfect master of lucid speech. Even Sir Richard Temple neglects to confer the grace of his presence on the scene. If he would only sit in his usual place and go to sleep with his customary animation, it would help to people the void. But the trained endurance of the Chairman of the London School Board cannot withstand the soul-sapping influence of the kind of debate that takes place on this measure, and Sir Richard withdraws to toy with Amaryllis in the shade, and shoAv Neaera over the corridors, the library, the terrace, and other precincts of the House of Commons open to the fair stranger. Mr. raraeii. Oddly enougli, at this time, in these circum- stances, Mr. Parnell comes back and sits by the hour attentive to the debate. He is punctilious in claiming the very seat in which he sat through the years Avhen he was still the leader of a united party. Its precise situation makes it peculiarly embarrassing. It lies in what is now the centre of the camp of the enemy, and there being no room for any of Mr. Parnell's scanty following, he sits there with Mr. Healy and Mr. Justin McCarthy on one side, and on the other Mr. Sexton. No Avord or sign of recognition passes between He- Who-Was-Once-Obeyed and the old colleagues who have cast off their allegiance. He sits there in haughty silence ; and they, scorning to be embarrassed by his presence, talk to each other and across him as if he were, as in truth he looks, a stone figure. It would be so easy for him to arrange it otherwise. He might sit on the front bench between the robustious Colonel Nolan and the finctuous Sir Joseph McKenna. These, still faithful among the faithless found, 378 ,1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isoo-i. would pay him the deference that once he coldly accepted from the whole party. To do that would be to admit a change in circumstances and in his personal relations thereto. As Leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, imcrowned King of Ireland, he always sat in this particular seat. Nothing has altered nor anything suffered sea change. Certain " gutter sparrows " have turned and pecked at the hand that fed them. There have been secessions from his party which, regarded upon ordinary arithmetical principles, leave "him in a miserable and impotent minority. Once the arbiter between the two great British parties, holding the fate of Ministries and measures in the hollow of his hand, he is now angrily flouted by one side and used for their own purposes by the other. His position is shattered, his prosj)ects blighted. Since Lucifer fell there has been no such abrupt, complete, appalling destruction of a career. That is how it may strike the outsider. Mr. Parnell, with whatever secret anguish of mind, affects to know no change. He is exactly the same man he was this time last year, and at whatever cost he will not abate one shade of his former custom or habit. .June 8. —Lord ^ happv chaucc lias temporarily delivered Mr. Warden of the r. . } '' i -, ^ i • t Cinque Ports. Smith trom attendance on this dreary scene. The House of Commons, which delights in its J^eader, and by some curious twist of mind insists upon regard- ing him fi-om a humorous pomt of view, Avas overjoyed to dis- cover him suddenly and unexpectedly withdrawn from its midst. Only on Wednesday he was in his place suffusing the Treasury bench with a subtle sense of solidarity and safety for the British Constitution. He had moved a resolution in his capacity as Leader of the House, and was even prepared to take part in the consequent division. Then a warning voice of authority reached him, and he learned, with a start of surprise, that though he was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports he was no longer member for the Strand. When he rose from the Treasury bench to move the pious provision which would permit members serving on Committees to attend church on. Ascension Day he Avas an intruder. The Serjeant-at-Arms would have been justified in gently, but 1890-1.] MR. SMITH. 379 tirnily, leading liiiii fortli and barring further entrance to the chamber. A Httle iiction has been invented which post-dates his formal acceptance of otHce under the Crown, and so left him free through Wednesday to exercise the functions of a member of the House. What is quite certain is that, immediately after submitting his motion, Mr. Smith, with scared face, stole forth on tiptoe behind the Speaker's chair, and his place on the Treasury bench knows him no more. June 10.— Sun- Opposition is iust now effaced, the question shine on the , ^^ . , '' , t • i ti Treasury hour IS reduccd to the narrowest Inmts, and all bench. ^j^^ ^^^^j work of succcssive sittings takes place in Committee, which is fortunate, since it brings Mr. Balfour to the front, and leaves in his strong hand the actual direction of affairs. There was a time, not far gone, when the question of the devolution of the Leadership seemed urgent, and the merits of certain assumed candidates for the office were frankly discussed. Mr. Smith's retirement and admission within the serene atmosphere of the House of Lords Avere spoken of as a contingency that might any day arise. He was ill and worried, and, having weathered the storm with a skill not fully recognised because it is unobtrusive, it seemed only reasonable that he should find his haven of rest. Happily Mr. Smith's health has improved, whilst Ministerial prospects, at least within the House, have steadily brightened. The alliance w^ith the Liberal Unionist wing has proved to be so firmly welded as to w^ithstand any force brought to bear against it. Ireland is quiet ; the country is prosperous ; the Parnellites are riven in tw^ain ; and Lord Randolph Churchill has set out for Mashonaland. It is doubtless true that all the old fires in the House of Commons are latent ; but the furnace is banked up, and emits only that stream of thick yellow smoke dignified by the name of debate in Committee on the Land Bill. There is no pressure on the Treasury bench, nor any reason why Mr. Smith should not through the full term of Parliament remain in the position of Leader. The House rejoices in his new advancement, and thinks kindly of him standing resolute on the Kentish rampart, scanning the horizon in search now of a possible invader, anon of any flotsam and jetsam in the w^ay of wreckage that, in accordance with ancient law and 380 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMEXT. [i*!.o-i. usage, may be claimed as the perquisite of the Constable of Dover Castle, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. ors from afar. „ t-. t ... • i i i 01 our rarnamentary institutions acquired by the two dusky visitors who to-night stared forth at the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Halulula was the almost familiar name of the elder, and L^mfete his companion. The}- were emissaries of the musically named South African King Gungunhana, hither bent on a mission to the Great Mother, hoping, after the fashion of African and Eastern princelings, that she would order up her redoubtable warriors to cut off some- one's head, so that her humble petitioner might reign in his stead. The Zulu envoys had learned that in the strange country they visited there was a power behind the Throne stronger than the Great Mother herself. This Avas Parliament, and if only they could get round Parliament all would be well with their Sovereign (temporarily deposed) Lord the King. So the}' engaged a four-wheeler, and, in company with the interpreter, who is to them, as they say, for the time both ear and mouth, betook themselves to Westminster. Halulula is a man advanced in years, with grey hairs bristling on his sunken cheeks. He looked round the bustling scene in the lobby of the House of Commons with startled, wondering gaze. His companion, Umfete, a younger, stronger, somewhat bull-necked Zulu, also surveyed the scene, but with more rapid, eager glance. As he watched Sir Richard Temple crossing the lobby escorting two fair ladies, his right hand twitched, and one who has seen the assegai hurled seemed to divine his hidden thoughts. Both Avere luxuriously attired in Western clothing, evidently bought ready-made in the district of Whitechapel. Apparently they had revolted against the crowning grace of the tall cylindrical hat, and had accepted as a compromise a broad-brimmed soft felt head-covering, which Umfete set a little on one side, thereby assuming a comically rakish air. When Halulula bared his head to salute a new acquaintance, lo ! there gleamed from under the Whitechajjel wideawake the shining coil, " the Zulu ring," our men saw amid smoke of rifles and shower of assegais at Isandula and Rorke's Drift. 1S90-1.] VISITORS FROM AFAR. 381 A curious concatenation of circumstances when we come to think of it — this Whitechapel wideawake and the Zuhi head-dress. A toothsome bit. Uiiifete was no more abashed in the House of Lords than he had been in the lobby of the House of Commons. His bold eyes roved round the almost empty chamber, till, resting on the figure of the Lord Chan- cellor, seated in wig and gown on the Woolsack— a perilously plump and tempting target — once again the fingers of his right hand twitched, as they had done when, all unconsciously. Sir Richard Temple had passed him by. Halulula looked forth out of his soft dark eyes with the same troubled, anxious, wondering gaze. Was this the Imperial House of Parliament, this almost empty chamber, with here and there an elderly gentleman sitting at ease on the red benches ? Was this the power that launched a thousand ships and burned the top- less towers of Cetewayo ^ "•"lie Diike of It was almost a pity the envoys had lin- gered so long in the lobby across the corridor. Had they entered the Lords half an hour earlier they would have carried back to their waiting King — the " Mr. G." of their South African territory — a very different impression of Parlia- mentary force. Hardly as they entered had the echoes of the voice of the McCallum More died away through the awed rafters of the chamber. It is not often in these degenerate days the Duke of Argyll condescends to impart counsel to his peers. To-night he was on his feet for upwards of an hour, thoroughly enjoying himself with a disquisition on the lament- able condition of the heedless population of the Isle of Lewis " a people characterised," as he said in a fine passage, " by the lowest condition of ignorance and absolute impecuniosity," and yet so profoundly steeped in indifference to economic laws and all sense of propriety that they persisted not only in having families, but in rearing them. If the gentle spirit of Halulula had been reticent on the subject, Umfete would not have had the slightest hesitation in telling the Duke of Argyll how the trouble of congested dis- tricts would be met, supposing they were situate in the land over which King Gungunhana desires to rule. 382 A DIAEY OF THE SALTS BUEY FAULT AMEXT. [isoo-i. But the Duke of Arg}^!! had finished, his great oration when the African envoys looked in on the Lords, and they did not hear the tone of hopeless despair and withering indigna- tion Avith which his Grace recorded the damning fact that, whilst in 1818 the population of LeAvis was onl}' 25,487, the census just completed showed that this shameless population noAV numbered 27,486 ! The lessened unit showed some glim- mering of proper feeling, some sense of what was due to their betters. But it was a mere flicker, hopelessty excluded by the increase m the thousands. Also Halulula and Unifete were spared the pain that must have wrung even the savage breast at the Duke's disclosure of Wordsworth's lamentable, almost incredible ignorance. One day the Duke was, with the courtly condescension that makes him charming in all relations of life, walking through he fair scener}^ of Westmorland in company with the some- what overrated poetaster. WordsAvorth Avas m deep reverie possibly thinkmg of the mighty city on the Thames, Avhich he once looked at in the early morning from Westminster Bridge, Avhen the A'ery houses seemed asleep. Peradventure, his thoughts nearer home, he Avas ruminating on Peter Bell and his incomprehensible indifference to the particularity of the primrose. The Duke, breaking in on his reA'erie, and pointing to a hill, abruptly asked — " Whose land is that ? " The poor poet made answer that he noA'er heard it was anybody's land. " And this," cried the Duke of Argyll, throAving back his head Avdth familiar gesture, and fixing his flaming eye on Lord Lothian, Avhose official position in connection Avith Scotch ad- ministrative aflairs made him in some remote connection responsible for the dead poet's hetise, " this is the man Avho, Avith reference to sheep and shepherds, Avrote beautiful lines, probably knoAvn to some of your lordships." Lord Denman. It was quitc another scene on Avhich the dusky envoys gazed, Avith the sheen from the sunlit windows gleaming on the Zulu ring. The Duke of Argyll, flushed Avith his neA\\oratorical triumph, that eclipsed the fame of Lord Chatham's most loudl}' trumpeted effort, had carefully 1S90-1.] WRD DENMAX. 383 rearranged his voluminous manuscript, and marched forth. The audience, witched by his eloquence, had melted away. Only half a dozen peers remained, the murnuir of their con- versation mingling with the sound of a deep though broken voice that filled the chamber as with a wail of pitiful entreaty. Standing in the very place at the table where lately through a long hour had swayed the figure of the McC'allum jMore, surging Avith the stream of his own eloquence, Avas seen a ver}- different figure — an old man, with pale, furrowed face, scanty hair, bent shoulders, arrayed in garb whose seediness contrasted with the brand-new clothing of the Zulus. An ancient, ill- fitting, sun-faded, grey overcoat hung loosely on his shoulders ; in his right hand — brim upper- most, in the way a beggarman extends his hat for alms — he grasped an old white hat with a narrow band that had once been black. In the other hand was a crumpled handkerchief that had once been white, and with it he held a stick. It was difiicult to catch the full meaning of the words in- toned as the rich voice rose iokd dexmax. and fell. Tiie tones seemed full of tears, and were well attuned to the pathetic figure standing there in the proudest assembly in the land, with inalienable right to speak and vote, and yet with none to pay the defer- ence of even seeming to listen. Some Bill had been introduced, dealing, as far as could be understood, with the status of sheriffs. The peer in the rusty grey coat was opposing its in- troduction ; one of the sentences, caught amid the confused murmur of his speech, invoked the memory of his father, a famous laAvj'er and statesman, champion of (^ueen Caroline in her distress, and, nevertheless, in later time Lord Chief Justice 384 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isoo-i. of the King's Bench. Suddenly, the voice rising to impassioned heights, the peer, drawing himself up to his full height, and waving his white hat, declaimed the pathetic lines from Horace — " Vixere fortes ante Agamemnonu Miilti ; sed omnes illacrymabiles Urgentur, ignotique longa Nocte carent quia vate sacro." Then, sinking his voice to a whisper, the old man, feebly sitting down, in humble voice begged their lordships to excuse him if he had unduly occupied their time. The Lord Chan- cellor adroitly seized the ojDportunity to put the question that the Bill be read a first time, and, there being no more business before the House, it forthwith adjourned, the Zulus watching with glistening eyes the stately procession of the Lord Chan- cellor, preceded by the Pursebearer and Mace, going forth to disrobe. CHAPTER XXXVII. IX COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY "Jemmy" Lowther again — Some Chief Secretaries — The Latest — The Wool- wich Infant — A Fall of Snow — Mr. Morton — A Civic Guard of Honour — Colonel Hughes's Plan — The O'Gorman Mahon — Choosing a Diplomatist — A Model Under Secretary — The Premier's Son — The Son of Jesse. June 19. — Even to this day the House of Connnons has Lowther uot mastered the thrill that runs through it agam. when Mr. James Lowther interposes in debate. It is not a matter of frequent occurrence, Avhich probably adds to its effect. It is — as happened to-night — always sudden and unexpected. There sits the right hon. gentleman who once presided over a judicial inquiry instituted by the Jockey Club, and was, earlier. Chief Secretary for Ireland. It is so long since he entered the House that it is almost permissible to imagine him to be getting up in years. He is, at least as the almanack counts, past the first flush of headlong youth ; and 1890-1.] COCK-CBOW. 385 yet there is ever about him a boyishness with difficulty over- come even when he presided over the important judicial tribunal referred. Nevertheless, it is a quality of almost supernatural gravity that makes him a kind of Mystery-Man to members whose ex- perience of House of Commons life commences with the date of the present Parliament. Wild traditions linger round the name of the right hon. gentleman whom to day it seems almost sacrilege to allude to as " Jemmy " Lowther. The memory of some goes back to the far-off night when Sir Charles Dilke, seconded by Mr. Auberon Herbert, presumed to call in ques- tion the provisions of the Civil List. Whilst Mr. Auberon Herbert was struggling vainly against the uproar Avliich for- bade him to speak, someone " spied strangers," and, the galleries cleared, the struggle went forward for another hour undisturbed by the presence of onlookers. Mr. James Lowther, jealous for the dignity of the Crown, led the riot, being ably seconded by the late Mr. Cavendish-Bentinck. Indeed, it was reported at the time that the latter right hon. gentleman at a critical period of the fray went out behind the Speaker's chair and crowed thrice. This he has publicly denied, and it is evident that in the mental disturbance arising out of the riot misapprehension arose. Cock-crow was certainly heard at an untimely hour, and in an unusual place ; but it was due to the vocal ettbrt of some other Royalist. A great deal has happened since then. Mr. Cavendish- Bentinck has passed away, and current advertisements announce the dispersal of the treasure- trove of a long life. Mr. Auberon Herbert, the Radical, almost the Republican of the early '70's, now writes good Tory letters to the Times. " Jemmy " Lowther has become the Right Honourable James, and sits at the corner seat below the gangway, a little distrust- ful of gentlemen on the Treasury bench, who are prone, under pressure of circumstances, to introduce Radical measures with Conservative labels. Some Chief Sec- In the meantime, Mr. Lowther has travelled far retanes. and undergone many vicissitudes. The election of 1885 left him high and dry, and it seemed through several 386 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY TARLIAMENT. [is90-i. Sessions that the House of Comuions would know him no more. But the Isle of Thanet, which had supplied a resting-place for the foot of poor King-Harman, hinited out of Ireland, was hos- pitable also to Mr. James Lowther. He has come back to the scene of his lusty young Parliamentary life and of his later Ministerial labours. But it would seem that ambition is satiated, the springs of political desire sapped. "Jemmy" Lowther, the buccaneer of the 1868 Parliament, has become a staid, almost elderly, gentleman, who now and then rises, and in an unfamiliar tone and manner checks the headlong pace of modern Conservatives like Mr. W. H. Smith. His very style of speech is unfamiliar to the present generation. It has a quaint, old-fashioned, somewhat pedantic stiffness that arrests attention. All his life long Mr. Lowther has been in antag- onism with Mr. Gladstone, and now in these days they have this 23oint in common, that both may claim to be historical monuments. It was in 1878 that Mr. Disraeli, who had a keen eye for capacity, however environed, made " Jemmy " Chief Secretar}^ for Ireland. He did not hold the office long, but whilst there he achieved a measure of success forbidden to men of higher standing in political life. Mr. Forster's life and career were shattered at the Irish Office. Sir George Trevelyan visibly grew grey under the eyes of the House as night after night he battled with the Irish members. Only two men holding the office of Chief Secretary since Home Rule reared its head have left it without, as Mr. Lowther might say, turning a hair. One is the right hon. gentleman who has now found a haven of refuge in the Isle of Thanet, the other is Mr. Campbell Bannerman. Round them, as round predecessors and suc- cessors, the stream of vituperation and contumely surged. But, thanks to a peculiar temperament, they sat smiling and unmoved, minding it no more than Dungeness cares for the , raving of the English Channel when storms rise and ships are Avreckcd. The latest. In time the Irish members, quick-witted and sympathetic with i)luck and sangfroid, aban- doned their hostile attitude, and Mr. Lowther and ]\[r. Camp- bell Bannerman had a moderately comfortable time during LS90-1.] THE CHIEF SEGBETARY. 387 their incumbency of office. Mr. Arthur Balfour is left out of the enumeration of Chief Secretaries who have not turned a hair whilst in office, since the description would not be literally accurate. He differs from Mr. Lowther and Mr. Campbell Bannerman, inasmuch as they were passively in- different, whilst he, upon occasion, is actively aggressive. They sat smiling on the bench whilst Mr. Parnell hissed hate at them, Mr. Biggar jibed, and Mr. Healy brought his ready shillelagh into play. They were to all appearances as much amused and personally quite as indifferent as the lookers-on. That is not Mr. Balfour's way. If coats are trailed before him, he treads on them. Something like a truce reigns now. He and the Irish members have often measured swords, and they have learned to respect his skill and strength of wrist. But at the end of a fifth year this fighting habit tells upon a man. It is still possible to find Mr. Balfour's face lighted up by the swift gleam of an almost boyish smile. But when he sits on the Treasury bench in charge of a Government measure his face is both hardened and aged compared with the day when, amid doubtful smiles among friends and open jeers from enemies, he tripped up to the Treasury bench to take charge of Ireland. Doubtless he will renew his youth like the eagle, when, in the time now not far distant, he will find himself temporarily relieved of the cares of office, and may take up that discourse on the " Life and Work of John Stuart Mill," the notes for which he cherishes in the pigeon-hole of his private desk. It was pretty to see him on Tuesday night lounging far forward on the Treasury bench, with his shoulders brought so low that he coidd just rest his head on the top of the bench. That is an attitude familiar enough at one time, but into which he has not dropped since the Land Purchase BiU was introduced. It meant that as far as this Session is concerned his work is done, his long labour finished. To sit and listen to Sir Wm. Harcourt discreetly discussing Manipur must be an intense luxury for a Minister who for more than thirty nights, wrestling with a manifold Opposition, has piloted through narrow and tortuous channels a Bill Avhich, like the maid who dwelt beside the banks of Dove, there were tew to like and none at all to love. 388 A DIAUY OF THE SALISBURY PABLIAMEXT. [isoo-i. June 26.— The Coloiiel Huo'liGS has sat for Woolwich tlirouo'li Woolwich '^ . . * Infant. two Parliaments, and there is soinethmg about his build and generally warlike appearance that has suggested for him. the bye-name of the Woolwich Infant. This arbitrary connection with a famous piece of armament and his title of Colonel seem to be his only connection with war- like pursuits. Looking down from the Strangers' Gallery upon his massive presence, and hearing him addressed as " Colonel," a German visitor might think with envy of an army whereof the member for Woolwich is probably an average specimen. But though the Colonel's foible may be war when practised by the 2nd Kent Artillery Volunteers, his professional pursuits are essentially peaceful, not to say prosaic. As he informed the House to-night, he has for thirty years Ijeen a vestryman — nay, he holds office in vestry administration, being at this moment Vestry Clerk of Plumstead and Solicitor to the Woolwich Local Board of Health. Had he been born in France he would have been idolised by the Parisians as a model of le hon Pomj^ier. Born at Droitwich in the year of the Reform Bill, he was in earl}^ manhood drawn by matri- monial relations into some sort of relations with Woolwich Arsenal. These fired his mind with martial aspirations, and slowly, but irresistibly, he Avon his wa}^ to the front in the rank of England's soldier sons, and the Vestry Clerk of Plumstead fastened on his burly shoulders the epaulettes of the Colonel of the 2nd Kent Artillery Volunteers. No one but a gentleman enjoying Colonel Hughes's varied experience could have made the speech with which to-night he delighted a jaded House. Any section of party can pro- duce, and any constituency may return, a colonel, and any other may, if it please, be represented in Liiperial Parliament by a Vestry Clerk. But to Woolwich alone it is given to produce the phenomenon that combines both. TTndoubtedly the particular question that happened to be before the House to-night supplied the member for Woolwich with a rare opportunity. How to grapple with a fall of six inches of snoAV impartially distributed over the area of the metropolis ! That was the question with which the business branch of the Imperial Legislature was on this midsummer night posed. lSOO-1.] ALPHEUS CLEOFHAS. 389 A fall of snow. ]\Xr. Bai'tle}' , who the other night gallantly led a storming party of ten against the entrenchments of the Government, did not regard this subject as unworthy of his consideration. He had, he said, made a calculation which led him to the appalling conclusion that in order to deliver London from such an incubus there would be required the services of carts, horses, and men sufficient to remove twenty- live million loads. Mr. Ritchie, who had for some hours been piloting the Public Health (London) Bill through this critical stage with that honhomie Avhich only partially disguises rare Parliamentary skill, collapsed in presence of this stupendous fact. For idle members, able to enjoy discussions on the sub- ject merely as an intellectual treat, this procession of twenty- live million cartloads of snow was a luxurious contemplation with the thermometer at ninety in the shade and not a breath of wind stirring. It was a differ- ent matter for the President of the Local Government Board, at whose door, so to speak, this vast accumulation of snow actually lay. :Mr. Morton. From the corner seat below the gangway, where once the tall figure of Mr. Newdegate was wont sadly to rise, and whence a solemn voice echoed through the House some new story of Jesuitical device, Mr. Morton grimly looked on. For him in these later years life takes on a new access of pleasure. There is, perhaps, no human comfort so enviable as that possessed by a man who in the closing hours of a Friday night can look back on a well-spent week. For most .vLruEL s cleophas. of us this pleasure is limited by opportunity. "We have not all the diA'erse channels through 390 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMEXT. [isoo-i. which the energy of Colonel Hughes expends itself. Mr. Morton has not the gallant Colonel's especial wealth and variety of official position. Bnt he is favoured by one fortuitous circum- stance of which he has keen appreciation. The Corporation of the City of London meet in the daytime ; the House of Com- mons, assembling in the late afternoon, sits till midnight. Alpheus Cleophas Morton, being a member of both, can step hghtly from Guildhall to Westminster, taking up, with light, firm touch, the tangled threads of business in either supreme assembly. A civic guard of It Avas Only the other day he compassed within a period of twelve hours a triumph unique ui the history of famous Englishmen. At the meeting of the City Council in the morning he had genially twitted his colleagues with going on their knees to the County Council in order to secure their goodwill and favour. A mere passing observation, but somehoAv it grated on the sensibilities of the City Fathers. They howled at Mr. Morton till he might have thought he was in the House of Commons hinting dark things about the Duke of Cambridge. To that he was used : but the scene that followed was not lacking in freshness. When business Avas concluded and the Lord Mayor rose to retire, the (-'ity Fathers, regarding him as the representative of Corporate dignity just outraged and insulted, • rose to their feet and accompanied him with tumultuous cheering to his carriage. Returning, they came upon Mr. Morton, umbrella under his arm, making his way out. Him they conducted to the door- way with jeers and groans and hisses, and so saw him oft' on his way to Westminster, Arrived there, he found himself just in time to put one or two disagreeable questions to Ministers, and before the sitting closed had the House yelling at him for ten minutes whilst he stood on his feet attempting to show that in his dealings with the volunteer service the Secretary of State for War, suborned by Royal influence, was misleading the House of Commons, and was traitorous to the country. The memory of a glorious day like that should be sufficient to mellow a man, and make him accessible to tender influence and kindly thought. For the ordinary Londoner the place to spend a ha])})v day in Rosherville. Mr. Morton is distraught 1890-1.] THE O'GOrxMAN MAliON. 391 between the counter attractions of Guildhall and the House of Commons, and diligently endeavours to make the best of both. Now was his opportunity, with the hapless President of the Local Government Board under this twenty- live million cartloads of snow which Mr. Bartley's fecund fancy had conjured up. Colonel Hughes's Ho rosc quickly to his feet, and had begun to say something pleasant, when from the other side of the House came a thunderous voice, a noise like to the rolling of many drums, or to the waters coming down at Lodore. It was Colonel and Vestry Clerk Hughes, who had something to say about the snow, and was disposed to say it without reference to any intention cherished by Mr. Morton. The member for Peterborough continued through a sentence or two, but finding that no one, least of all Colonel Hughes, took any notice of him, he sat down, and the Colonel had the field to himself The Colonel's proposal was, as might have been expected from him, soldierty and business-like. Suppose, he said in effect, London goes to bed at night and wakes in the morning to find six inches of snow on the streets. The block was too enormous to be dealt with either by the Vestries (of which he spoke with all respect) or by any other sanitary authority. But there was one way out of it. Let a bell ring, a drum beat, or a trumpet sound. Then let every family, from the head to the boy or girl who had passed the sixth standard, muster in the hall, march forth, shovel and brush in hand, and clear away the snow before their own door and window ways. " Why," said the Colonel, glancing triumphantly round his rapt audience, "in an hour the pavements would be clean as a billiard board." Then the Colonel sat down, Mr. Morton got his chance, and a few strangers in the gallery were more than ever pleased with their privilege of being present at deliber- ation in the High Court of Parliament. '^^o^ a^'~^^^ ^ picturesque personality is removed from the Mahon. Housc of Commous by the death of The O'Gor- man Mahon. As a matter of fact, it has been withdrawn from a date shortly after his return to the House, 392 .1 DIABY OF THE SALISBURY FAULIAMENT. [isoo-i. upon the vacancy for Carlow created by the death of Mr. Blake. The O'Gorman, as he was usually called, had reached a patriarchal age, and, though his constitution was singularly robust, he was not equal to the stress of Parliamentary duties. It was the custom of his colleagues to entertain him at dinner on his birthday. Last year the party Avas held as usual, but the principal guest's seat was vacant. The O'Gorman Mahon sent word to say he was not quite well enough to turn up on that particular night, but he promised the "bhoys " that he would be with them on his next birthday. Now he is dead, and the present House of Commons, which had few opportun- ities of becoming acquainted with his personal appearance, will know him no more. He was one of the few men living last week who had a seat in the unreformed Parliament, and it was characteristic of him that he was unseated on petition. He passed a roving hfe in Chili, fighting indifferently on sea or land, and, Mr. Butt used to say, with equal indifference on either side of a quarrel. Mr. Gladstone took a strong interest in the old warrior, who had a cheerful little custom of sitting on the front bench whenever he found Mr. Gladstone there, and chatting with him at length. June 28.— Choos- ]\f j._ Labouchore is a man of wide sympathies and ing a diplo- . . . •^. ^ matist. smguiar experience. it omniscience be his foible, diplomacy is his forte. As he has not in- frequently mentioned in the House of Commons, he was him- self at one time in the diplomatic service. There is hardly any phase of foreign politics which does not suggest to him a draft upon his reminiscences. In the discussion initiated to- night on the Foreign Office vote he told a comparatively new story illustrative of how the service he once adorned is re- cruited. A young gentleman, who the Committee was given to understand now occupies the first rank in diplomacy, sub- mitted himself for examination for the earliest appointment. He knew absolutely nothing of the themes submitted to him, and appears, with the lightheartedness peculiar to Mr. Labou- chere's contemporaries in diplomatic career, to have gone in for his examination merely for the fun of the thing — a kind of process whereby a dull hour between breakfast and luncheon might be whiled awiiy. To liis unbounded surj)rise he found 18P0-1.] SIB JAMES FERGUSSON. 393 himself not only passed, but placed at the head of the list. A day or two later he met the examiner, and, with the freedom apparently permissible in these early days of diplomacy, asked him upon what possible consideration he had been passed, seeing that he was absolutely ignorant on the points on which he was examined. " That is just it, my dear fellow," said the great man ; " we saw you knew nothing, but your manner was so free from con- straint under what to some people woidd have been peculiarly embarrassing circumstances, that we said to each other : ' That's the very man to make a diplomatist ' ; and so we gave you a start on your career.' A model Under The little story was introduced to Sir James Fergusson's notice by way of prelude to Mr. Labouchere's genial declaration of personal belief that Under Secretaries for Foreign Affairs, and members of the diplomatic body generally, are of all men the most ignorant. This is a discipline Sir James Fergusson is able to bear with provoking equanimity. If he were Mr. Labouchere's sole audience even the irrepressible spirits of that gentleman would flag. For all immediate effect observable, the member for Northampton might as well go out to Egypt, sit down before the Sphinx, tweak its nose, pull its ears, and attempt to dis- turb the equanimity of centuries by quips and cranks. Sir James Fergusson has not succeeded in impressing the House of Commons with conviction of singular ability, or even of ordinary capacity, as it is looked for in one of Her Majesty's Ministers. But as Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs he is heaven-born. His stolid imperturbability is of greater value to his chief and his colleagues than would be any measure of scintillating brillianc}^ Under existing circumstances, with a strong and capable man holding the threads of Government and of Foreign Affairs from his place in the House of Lords, what is wanted in the House of Commons is the equivalent of a telephone. Doubtless, in other conditions, Sir James Fergusson could command the admiration of the House by lightness of touch, wealth of fancy, and flexibility of fence. He is content to sink all considerations of personal prominence 394 A DTABY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [i890-i. in obedience to that sense of duty to his (^)iieen and country of which the great exemplar sits on his right-hand side on the Treasury bench. It is easy to understand the embarrassment that would disturb social and business life if a telephone engaged by the half-hour or five minutes were to vary an interview by inter- posing casual observations of its own. Sir James Fergusson laiows better than that. When Mr. Labouchere, Mr. Picton, or Mr. Morton, places on the paper addressed to him questions affecting foreign policy, he rises slowly, deliberately selects a document properly labelled, and with stolid manner and un- ruffled voice reads out w^hat is written for him. In early stages of his Parliamentary career he was apt to be entrapped by persistent interrogators, who sprang upon him supplementary questions. That is a course of procedure much to be deplored. When a question is written down and circul- ated with the votes, it is easy enough for a chief clerk, in the leisurely retirement of the Foreign Office, to write out an answer on foolscap. It is obviously impossible to foresee con- tingent questions and prepare suitable answers. Suddenly assailed by a supplementary question, Sir James Fergusson, new to the office, was wont to rise, gasp out a sentence of clouded meaning, and, whilst the baffled inquirer w^as endeav- ouring to master its intricac}^ the Speaker came to the Minister's rescue by calling on the next question. Sir James does better than that now. The other day, to the delight of an unexpecting House, he neatly floored Mr. Labouchere, who had put to him a carefully constructed question about the Triple Alliance. Sir James read to him an answer full of sonorous words signifying nothing. " Am I," asked Mr. Labouchere in his most insinuating- voice, " to understand that the right lion, gentleman means so-and-so ? " "The hon. member," said the Under Secretary, moment- arily rising to the height of his great chief, " is not to under- stand me to mean anything more than I have said." Sir James Fergusson is not always as good as that. Put his average value to Her Majesty's Government, his beneficent agency in saving the time of the House of Commons, and maintaining the peace of Knropo, is incalculable. im-1.] LOBB GBANBOTiNE'S Oh'ATOTlY. 395 June 20— The Lord Cranbome is in many respects the very reverse of his father. He has nothing of the massive, black-bearded visage of the Premier, being, on the contrary, sKght in figure and boyish-looking in the face, making only the mildest attempt at cultivating a moustache, and that up to the present time not a full success. Although he has been in the House for some years, he still is aifected by Parlia- mentary fright. Last night, when he naively proposed the adjournment of the debate at a quarter to twelve, and, the motion being resisted from the Treasury bench, he learned from the Speaker that he was imperilhng his chance of subse- quently taking part in the discussion, he was so overcome that he could hardly si3eak. Addressing the House this evening his nervousness was almost painful to the onlookers. He rubs his right hand up and down his ribs and chest even more per- sistently than does Mr. Goschen when he is withdrawing a Bill or explaining away a portion of his Budget scheme. He loses all command of his voice, and sometimes leads to out- bursts of laughter by declaiming a truism or a common- place in tragic tones. This evening, when in thunderous accents he announced the familiar and incontrovertible fact that " after the second reading there comes committee," he could not understand why the House should laugh. As an oratorical effort the speech Avas not a triumph, but the House recognised in it an independent and painstaking efitort to grapple with an important question, and cheered him accordingly. June 30.-T]ie There is a pretty story current in the House son of Jesse. ., ^ "^ , ' ^ ,. n n,r to-night, repeated on the authority of Mr. Chamberlain. A lady, examining her Sunday-school class at Highbury, asked a promising little girl, " Who was David ? " "Please, ma'am," said the child, "he Avas the son of Jesse Collino-s." CHAPTER X X X Y 1 1 1. THE ABSENT LEADER. A Pitcher that went too often to the Well— A Prophecy— The Irish Leaders— Mr. McCarthy — Mr. O'Brien — Boulogne— Mr. Sexton — "Tim" Healy — John Dillon — Mr. Chamberlain — Mr. Atkinson — Mr. Seymour Keay — Mr. Caldwell — His Great Speech — No Answer I July 14. — A ]\[r. Smith was a^ain absent from liis place in pitcher that , ^, ^ i ■ . ti i went too often tlie Commons to-day, and is not iikeiy to return to the we 1. -^inless Special occasion demand his presence, wliich is not likely. He lias made a gallant light against ill- ness, faithful even to his own detriment in his performance of his duty to his Queen and country. A fortnight ago, in rarely hot weather, when summer coats and light waistcoats were de rigueiLV, Mr. Smith brought in his carriage rug, and path- etically sat on the Treasury bench with this protection round his knees. One of Lord Salisbury's guests who sat near him at Hatfield yesterday tells me he looked more like a corpse than a living man. There is no doubt he would be well content to retire at the end of the present Session, satisfied with the high position he has won for himself by his Leadership in the House of Com- mons. But next Session is positively the last that even the present Government can hope to stretch the existing Parlia- ment into. It would be exceedingly awkward to be faced by the necessity of changing the Leader at such a junc- ture. It is no secret that Mr. Smith Avanted to retire last year, and even the year before. Each time he was asked to defer his decision, and being to a considerable extent brought round by the rest acquired during the recess, he again under- took the task. But, as he is reported to have said to Lord Salisbury a fortnight ago when his health began to shoAV signs of again breaking down, " A pitcher that goes often to the well will be broken at last," and he may Avitli just reason demand the rest and (juietiido lie has well earned. isoo-1.] THE TUISH LEADERS. 397 A prophecy. j^ vIgav of tliG possibility of a vacancy in the Leadership it is noticed that during Mr. Smith's teniporar}^ withdrawal Mr. Goschen takes his place, which Avonld seem to imply a settlement of the succession to the Leadership. That is an assumption, however, that goes too far, as disposing of the claims of Mr. Arthur Balfour. The Chan- cellor of the Exchequer is a Minister who, except at certain times or when the Budget is in preparation, has less work to do than any other of similar rank. That is why in ordinary circumstances the functions of Leader of the House are usually joined to the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr. Balfour, with Ireland on his hands, could scarcely under- take the duty of being in his place from question-time till the Speaker leaves the Chair, as is expected from the Leader. Whenever the time comes for final decision as to the Leader- ship to be made, Mr. Balfour will come to the front, impelled by the support of the vast majority of the Conservative mem- bers. These are willing enough to use Mr. Goschen, but they do not like him, and would never willingly follow him. July 22. - The Mr. Johu Dillou and Mr. William O'Brien, Irish leatlers. . • i i t • c i i having seized the earliest opportunity oi clearly detining their attitude towards their formerly revered chief, have temporarily withdrawn from the political arena. Mr, Dillon has retired to a watering-place to recruit, and Mr. O'Brien has settled down in the Lish county which, it is announced, is to be the scene of his next novel. His first was scarcely so good or so successful as to suggest an early return to the field. It was marked by the failings which handicap his platform and Parliamentary eloquence. It was occasionally turgid, often dull or utterly devoid of per- spective. All his minnows (supposing they were on the right side of the Irish Question) disported themselves as whales, and the thread of the story, attenuated at best, was apt to be lost, while Mr. O'Brien talked political parables. People bought and read the book because the author was just out of prison or just going to prison, or had just baffled Mr. Balfour's myrmidons and got safely away to Havre, after a perilous passage in an inadequate barque. At the time Mr. O'Brien was a personage, and so his novel was asked 398 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isoo-i. for at Mudie's, and some people, it is said, read it through. But the piibUc is very fickle in these matters, and Mr. O'Brien's next novel will have this disadvantage, among others, that its author has fallen from his high estate in the political world. Mr. McCarthy. Mr. O'Brien's personal decadence will have its effect upon a tar more important problem than the success or failure of a three- volume novel. Mr. Justin McCarthy, as everyone knows, is Mr. Parnell's successor only jy'fo tern. No one unfamiliar with his personality and with the circumstances of his daily life knows what a sacrifice he made when he accepted the invitation to set up as leader of the majority of Irish members who preferred patriotism to Parnellism. He was nominated for the office, not because he is a heaven-born leader, but because he would least divide the party. That arrangement was always understood to be a temporary one, and when, next Session, the Irish members foregather, it will be with a new captain, whose appointment, it is intended, shall be permanent. Mr. O'Brien. Wlio sliall it be ? If tlic qucstiou had arisen a year ago, or Mr. O'Brien had been available as a candidate when, last November, the vacancy was created, there is no doubt the choice would have fallen on him. Under Mr. Parnell's leadership he took a more prominent part in Parliamentary debate than did Mr. Dillon, nor was the proportion disturbed in their little tours through Ireland. They often hunted in couples, but it was note- worthy, and seemed natural, that when they appeared on the platform Mr. O'Brien should speak first, Mr. Dillon ialhng into the second line. It was the same in the House of Commons, though with that audience, whose judgment of men is never at fault, Mr. Dillon, from the first, carried the greater weight in debate. Boulogne. The crash that overwhelmed Mr. Parnoll tbimd Mr. O'lh'ien in America, and he came honu> rni J>()ulogne. That was the I'atal step in his career from which he has not yet recovered and probably never will. His isoo-1.] MB. SEXTON. 399 hysterical sobs transmitted by cable under the melancholy ocean, his waving of a tear-stained handkerchief in assurance that, faithful as Mrs Micawber, he would " never desert " his old chief, presented his character in a new light. He had always been regarded as emotional ; this was maudlin. When at length he reached Boulogne, he arranged a series of interviews and congratulations with stealthy comings and goings, stage whispers and blue lights that better fitted a two- penny theatre than the stage of real life. The farce was redeemed from puerility only by the pale, set face, the im- passive figure, and the cool, calculating gaze of Mr. Parnell. Before Mr. O'Brien appeared on the scene the member for Cork had seemed to be utterly defeated. Now, by the opera- tion of motives which puzzled the public, he was set up again with another chance, and with consummate skill made so much of it that for a while, even in what had seemed the hour of assured victory, the fate of Ireland again trembled in the balance, and the enemies of Home Rule, looking on, audibl}' chuckled at this unexpected diversion in their favour. 3ir. Sexton. Apart from Mr. Dillon and Islv. O'Brien there are two members of the Irish Parliamentar}' Party who might well be considered in running for the leadership. One is Mr. Sexton, the other Mr. Tim Healy. The former, owing to the absence of other prominent members of the party, enjoyed last Session unusual opportunities of coming to the front, and he certainly made the most of them. In the debate on the Land Purchase Bill he displayed a mastery of details second only to that of Mr. Balfour. He was assiduous in attendance through the Committee stage, unwearying in his efforts to introduce amendments, some accepted by the Chief Secretary as improvements on the Bill, If he were only gifted wdth a modicum of modesty, his position in Parliament would be a very different one, and there is no reason why he should not be Mr. Parnell's successor. Mr. Sexton is unhappily afflicted with a mor- bid, exorbitant self-conceit, which makes him personally unpopular with his colleagues, and inflicts sore sufl'ering on the House of Commons. He is so in love w^ith the sound of his own voice that when once he falls under its seductive 400 A DIARY OF THE SALISBUBY FABLIAMEXT. [isgo-i. influence time and space are annihilated, and no one can say when he will give others a chance of being heard. His speeches all run to seed for lack of timely cropping. An able debater, occasionally capable of rising to the height of eloquence, this fatal facility of word-spinning has been his ruin, and there is no sign in recent times of any determmed effort to manfully grapple Avith the weakness. " Tim " Heaiy. For quite Other reasons Mr. Tim Healy is passed over when the question of Mr. Parnell's successor is discussed. Since the Irish Party are chronically in Opposi- tion, " Tim " would, if it suited his circumstances, make a model leader. With Sir William Har- court leading from the Treasury bench, Mr. Balfour in charge on the front Opposition bench, and Tim Healy below the gang- way, captain of the Irish contin- gent, there would be no more room for the complaint of dul- ness in party proceedings. Mr. Healy has other qualifications for the post than that of com- bativeness. He is singularl}- well acquainted with the forms and precedents of the House, as ^Ir. Goschen learned last year when he upset his Budget scheme on a point of order arising out of the proposed dis- tribution of the grant in aid of publicans. He is an agile de- bater, with a wonderfully quick eye for a flaw in a Government measure. He knows the Irish Question au fond, and in spite of a manner occasionally, and, I believe, deliberately, coarse, he is liked and respected on both sides of the House. People may, and the great majority do, diflcr from him on matters of opinion. No one except Mr. Parnell, 1S90-1.] JOHN DILLON. 401 whose standard of honour is uuworkably high, ever threw a doubt on " Tim's " honesty of purpose. But Mr. Healy has other claims upon him. He has within a few years estab- Hshed a hu-ge and growing practice at the Bar, and though he never shirks his duty as a member of Parhament, often with- drawing from hicrative business for weeks at a time in order to watch an important Irish measure through, he is not dis- posed to abandon his profession and devote himself to political life with the completeness that would be necessary for anyone but Mr. Parnell in the office that gentleman lately held. Joiui Dillon. In these circumstances Ireland is happy, and the House of Commons will be fortunate in the possession of the services of Mr. John Dillon. For eleven years, with intervals occasioned by ill-health and residence in jail, Mr. Dillon has lent to the Irish Parliamentary Party a character and dignity sorely needed in view of the personal standing and public eccentricities of some of the late Mr. Biggar's " lambs." He has gone as far as any of his colleagues in his defiance of authority in the House of Commons and elsewhere. On a memorable occasion he stood with folded arms and flashing eyes angrily denying the Speaker's right to interrupt him, for which unprecedented breach of order he was presently " named " and suspended from further attend- ance till purged of his offence. But the House of Commons will forgive anything to a man in whose honesty of purpose it believes, and it never for long quarrelled with John Dillon. His succession to Mr. Parnell would be a tower of strength for a sorely badgered party. July 24. — Mr. Mr. Chamberlain's absence from the Prince of Chamberlain. i , t i • i i i W ales s dnnier party last night was due to the fact that he has set out on a visit to Germany and the Tyrol. He will have opportunity in the course of his holiday to reflect with satisfaction on the position he holds in public life. He, though the cherished companion of nianpiises, dukes, and a' that, is still plain Mr. Chamberlain, a private member in the House of Commons, where once he stood a powerful ^Minister, with the succession to the leadership of the party apparently assured. He has this year taken little part in 40:: .1 DIARY OF TEE SALISBUIiY PARLIAMENT. [i8i>o- political warfare, wlietlier in the House of Commons or on the platform. If he has phmged anywhere, it has been into the vortex of social life. Amongst the various phases of his remarkable and interesting career none has been so striking as his success in the social world. In reaching the position Mr. Chamberlain now commands \KTY DECAY!- he had to battle with personal opposition in high places that at one time reached the force of frenzy. Up to the summer of 1885 he Avas the mark for the especial obloquy of those gentlemen of England amongst whom he now ranges himself, and with whom he is almost as acceptable as if his grand- father had been a duke. At that period even the bitter personal hatred of j\Ir. Gladstone existing amongst the Conservatives ^yielded to the height and depth of the isoo-1.] 3/7?. CHAifBEELAIX. 403 abhorrence in which Mr. Chamberlain was held. The very process by which Mr. Chamberlain's political aspect Avas metamorphosed atoned for his former obnoxiousness, and straightway endeared him to what were wont to be regarded as his hereditary and natnral foes. At a siidden crisis he turned sharply on Mr. Gladstone, became his bitterest and most powerful adversary, and thereby endeared himself to the Conservative mind. Mr. Chamberlain is personally a more potent influence in political life to-day than he has been at any earlier period of a busy and prosperous life. The political principle he avows is every day loosening its hold on the section of the countr}- that once avowed it. Bye-election after bye-election has dealt him and his party a series of heavy blows. Such demonstration of public opinion taking practical etfect in cutting off his following would seem to point to the gradual weakening and final decay of the power of the principal personage in the party. As long as he could command some seventy votes he was, naturally, a power in the House of Commons ; with the party diminished in numbers, it would be reasonable to look for some lowering of the leader's crest, some indication of the undermining of his power. Mr. Chamberlain's person- ality is so strong, his ability so conspicuous, and his generalship so brilliant, that his influence accumulates though his party decays. It has been shown this Session in the fact that, in spite of the deeply-rooted dislike of the Conservative Part3% and in face of the desperate struggle of ^Vlr. Goschen, he has imposed upon the Conservative Government the task of introducing and carrying so thoroughly Radical a measure as the Free Education Bill. J^^iy r-5-— ^i»'- Mr. Atkinson, in a Avhite waistcoat and a volu- minous, carelessly-tied neckcloth of palest salmon colour, gave quite a summer aspect to the House to- night. He had a breezy way of suddenly turning up in various quarters of the House Avhich lent a new charm to his presence. When he rose to make his earhest objection to the Railway Rates and Charges Bill he presented himself from his accustomed seat immediately behind Ministers, a position usually indicative of exceptionally close adhesion to the 404 .1 DIARY OF THE SALL'^FJriiY PARLIAMEXT. [is Government of the day. Anon the pale sahiion necktie flamed from below the gangway, and presently it was seen streaming forth as Mr. Atkinson flashed through the doorway on one of his numerous retreats 2Mur mieux sauter. The member for Boston has led through the week a somewhat tumultuous life. For months he disappeared from Parliamentary ken, and just at the time when people had forgotten his existence he was discovered sitting in consolatory contiguity to his leaders on the Treasury bench. Taking into account the interval of his absence, it seemed to have occurred to him that it was his duty N ATKIXSOX. to make up the average, and in these closing days of the Session he has set himself to the task with an energy that has already succeeded. Mr. Seymour It is a happy Coincidence, illustrative of the resources of the House of Connnons, that Avhilst the Opposition have their Alpheus Cleophas Morton, the Ministerialists should have their Henry John Atkinson. It is true the Opposition can also boast their Seymour Keay, for whom there is no parallel on the Ministerial benches, or indeed elsewhere. IJnt M r.~ K'oay, after a promising opening, has, so to 1S90-1.] SEYMOVn KEAY AGATX. 405 speak, gone under. In the Committee stage of the Land Pur- chase Bill, whilst Mr. Atkinson was at Prague, and Alpheus ( 'leophas was comparatively quiescent, Mr. Seymour Keay was a leading personage in debate. He was vaguely credited with having discovered some serious default in the financial arrangements of the Bill. He had privately called on Mr. Gladstone and explained the whole matter. Some authorities went so far as to say that Mr. Gladstone understood it. Hoav- ever it be, Mr. Keay summed up his criticism in the form of an amendment, which possibly might have presented some glimmering of sense and ordered purpose if, unhappily, he had not undertaken to explain it. This he did in quite a series of speeches, which under- mined even Mr. Gladstone's belief that he had grasped the hon. member's main intention. After a while Mr. Keay Avas stricken with influenza, and temporarily withdrew from the Parliamentary arena. When he came back the Land Bill was through Committee ; and though he brought up his amend- ment again on the report stage, and spent some fresh hours in explaining it, the bloom had gone off it, and Mr, Keay could not fail to be aware that the House of C'ommons was indiffer- ent to the prolongation of his remarks. On Thursday the Land Bill came once more before the House of Commons for consideration of the Lords' amend- ments. Mr. Keay, who had observed with secret chagrin Mr. Morton's prominence in debate, and had more openly resented the volatile manner of Mr. Atkinson, saw his opportunity and prepared to seize it. He was down early, and secured the corner seat below the gangway, bringing with him a pile of papers, including notes made for the series of speeches in Com- mittee, closured by the influenza. The point in the Bill to which — at least to coinmence with — he desired to call atten- tion had reference to the automatic action of the Sinking Fund and the "cancellation of stock." Mr. Keay looked linger- ingly at the vacant seat that had been filled by the member for Mid-Lothian when last he delighted the House with those evidences of financial ability which indicate where a Chancellor of the Exchequer may be found Avhen the country is ripe for a successor worthy of Mr. Gladstone. Sir William Harcourt was in his place, but Mr. Keay is not 406 J DIARY OF THE SALISBURY I'AULIAMENT. [isw-i. without suspicion that the right hon. gentleman regards him, if not with impatience, at least with a lack of full appreciation. Indeed, though Sir AVilliam Harcourt has for a brief period filled the post of Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Seymour Keay shares Mr. Goschen's scepticism as to his complete mastery of the science of finance. However, he might learn something now if he would give up his engagement to dine at Marlborough House and listen to Mr. Keay on the Sinking Fund, and the provisions of the Bill as to holdings subject to purchase annuity. When Mr. Keay rose Sir William Harcourt rose also and left the House, regardless of the opportunity provided for him. There remained at least eight other members, and to these, and to the world listening at the doorway, Mr. Keay proceeded to present his views. He got along very well till the accident of Mr. Balfour's looking in reminded him of something the right hon. gentleman had said seven or eight weeks ago, which, whatever may have been the intent, was not laudatory of the member for Elgin and Nairn, This was " the attack on me by the Chief Secretary " to which many refer- ences had been made in the pre-infiuenza period. Now Mr. Keay thought it would be convenient to go into the matter thoroughly, presently returning to take up the thread of his discourse on the Sinking Fund. Putting on his pince-nez, the more fully to enjoy the writhing of the Chief Secretary under the lash, he proceeded to administer it. He had not got through many sentences when the Speaker interposed with a threatening cry of " Order ! " Mr. Keay thereupon adroitly harked back to the Sinking Fund ; but after a wdiile something remmdcd him again of the Chief Secretary's attack, and he again proposed to answer it. Once more the Speaker interposed with increasing severity, and Seymour, with incredible rapidity, shunted him- self on to the purchase of annuity line. When, a third time, the Speaker had occasion to interpose, Mr. Henniker Hcaton was encouraged to throw out the suggestion that motion should be made to the effect that the member for Elgin and Nairn be not hoard for the remainder of the Session. The House, waking up, cheered this enthusiastically ; and the Speaker, whilst ruling it out of order, adopted a tone and isoo-1.] MB. CALDWELL. 407 inanncr that indicated the possible approach of a time when such a motion might be made. Under this portentous threat Mr. Keay subsided, hstening with a ghastly smile to the Chan- cellor of the Exchequer, who alluded to his erudite speech as " a long rigmarole." That he knew was mere jealousy. •July 31.— :Mr. Xlic closiuo' davs of a memorable and useful Caldwell. ~ . ^ '' Session were shadowed to-night by an unto^\'ard incident. The Scotch votes at length reached, the Scotch members were determined to show that, with opportunity given, they did not fall short of the Irish members in oratorical gifts. The vote had. indeed, been approached at an early hour this morning, and Mr. Caldwell had been notified by the Chairman of his opportunity. But the member for St. Rollox is not the kind of man to tempt Providence by such flinging away of opportunit}^ There was no use disguising the fact that he had come doAvn prepared to deliver his oration. He had the notes for it actually in his possession, in proof whereof he tugged out of his pocket a small bale of goods which at first sight members were inclined to surmise con- tained a sample of the art of calico printing, which, when not engaged in Parliamentary duties, Mr. Caldwell carries on at sweetly-named Milton of Campsie. These were truly the notes of his speech, and as he waved them to and fro he carried conviction to the mind of hon. members that, seeing it was already half-past two in the morning, it would be well to postpone delivery of the oration. Mr. Caldwell had occasion this afternoon to congratulate himself on the success of his early morning ruse. As he sat and surveyed the benches at question-time, his face beaming with satisfaction and his pocket bulging with notes, he contrasted the appearance of the House with that pre- sented at the hour when the unsympathetic Chairman ot Committees had called upon him. Then the Chamber was more than half empty, and the audience altogether weary. Now, considering the lateness of the Session, there was a brimming House, probably brought together by the expecta- tion of hearing a carefully-prepared lecture on the Educational Condition of Scotland. 408 A DIARY OF THE S A LIS RUBY PABLIAMENT. [isno-i. Everything comes to an end, even questions in the House of Commons, and. when the last had been disposed of, Mr. Caldwell beheld his opportunity within reach. The House went into Committee of Suppl}*, and the Lord Advocate ex- plained, in one of his lucid and compendious speeches, how Scotland stood in the matter of education. His statement bristled with figures and information. It roamed over the whole field, and those who cared to listen were placed in pos- session of full information on the subject. The number was not inconveniently great. ( ^)uestions over, the audience had swiftly melted away. Still there were a score or two listening with intelhgent interest to the unvarnished tale of the Lord Advocate, which took exactly twenty minutes to tell. That was brief for a Scotch member cognisant of the existence of special wires in connection with the local papers. It is only in Scotland that the dwindling practice of Parha- mentary reporting exists in its ancient ruthless vigour. The Scotch are a " dour " race, capable of reading six or even seven columns of a day's ordinary proceedings in Parliament. Even if some weaker brethren do not really enjoy the exercise, they remember that, in many cases, before they obtain a news- paper bang goes a penny, and they like to have a pennyworth provided. The House of Commons suffers from this national characteristic, inasmuch as it leads to ruthless competition among Scotch members for the lengthiest speech of the night. In the painful scene which followed later on the deliver}^ of Mr. Caldwell's oration he pointedly alluded to the fact that at that moment rej)resentatives of the Scotch papers — a curiously short-lived race — were diligently plying pen or pencil taking full notes of the speeches, and that they would all appear in print on the following day. Ruthless and remorseless, in memory of the slight passed upon him, Mr. Caldwell hinted that his own speech would, in addition, be reprinted and circulated in con- venient pamphlet form, suitable for sale on excursion steamers cruising about the Kyles of Bute, and at other places of holiday resort. Mr. Caldwell, however, at this tinu; unconscious of his doom, recognised in the brevit}' of the Lord Advocate a gracious and appropriate tribute to himself. Whilst Scotia and the isles and continents there adjacent were awaiting his iS'jo-1.1 MR. CALDWELL. 409 deliverance, why should a mere Lord Advocate occupy the time of the House ? His great speech. It was closo upoii tivo o'clock wlicii the Loi'd Advocate resumed his seat. Mr. Caldwell rose, and, steadying himself on his legs, once more produced the bale of notes. Its reappearance had an effect not less marked than was observed in the dead of the previous night. In all parts of the House members rose and hurriedly fled, till by the time Mr. Caldwell had settled down into a level pace the audience dispersed over the benches before him consisted of one Lord Advocate, one Scotch member below the gangway awake, and one Scotch member above it asleep. This was inexplicable : but Mr. Caldwell presently grcAv so interested in his disquisition that he seemed hardly to notice it, being probabl}' buoyed up by expectation of a verbatim report in the Scofsmav, to be followed by the reprint that Avould i^resently fall like sunshine on the watering-places of Scotland. Quarter of an hour stole on after quarter, and still Mr. Caldwell went on. The Scotch member who was awake rose and guiltily stole forth. His hon. friend above the gangway slept on. The Lord Advocate nodded approval with sus- picious regularity. Six o'clock struckj and still the impress- ive figure stood behind the empty front Opposition bench, and the monotonous voice filled the hapless chamber. It was like printing so manj^ miles of calico at Milton of Campsie. Steam was up, and the engine would go round till the last yard of material was stamped. At last this was done. The engine stopped with a jerk, and the Scotch member above the gangway opposite, awaking, discovered Mr. Caldwell re-seated and collecting the folios of his notes preparatory to re-baling them. Many a man after such an eftbrt would retire for some refreshment or a walk on the terrace. Mr. Caldwell knew the Lord Advocate would reply, and felt that since the greater part of his rejoinder must have reference to his speech it was only courteous to remain to hear it. So he sat expectant — and when the Lord Advocate attempted to wind up the debate the right hon. gentleman, replymg lightly but effectively to other 410 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLLUIEXT. [isoo-i. speakers, said never a word about Mr. Caldwell and tlie oration ! Xo answer! That was nioro than flesh and blood could stand. Mr. Caldwell sat gasping for a moment, and then clutching the rail of the bench before him, drew himself up, and in tones more of sorrow than anger bewailed this act of contumacy. It was nothing to him. The newspaper reports would revenge him, and afterAvards Avould come the pamphlet. But Mr. Caldwell, as a patriotic Scotchman, mourned with infinite pathos the action of a Lord Advocate who, replying on the debate, had utterly ignored his speech. " There is," he said, with a ring of triumph rising above the notes of lamentation, " only one explanation. The right lion, gentleman did not answer my speech because he found he could not." CHAPTER XXXIX. MINISTERS IJV ESSE AND 7.V POSSE. The Long Session — Shattered Hopes — " Lahby " — Diplomatist — Journalist — Politician — Minister? — Leaders in the Commons — "Old Morality" — Mr. Goschen. Aug. 1. — Tiie The Parliamentary Session now drawing to a long Session. , . . , "^ ^ i i t^ close IS m several respects a memorable one. it began as an experiment in the readjustment of long familiar arrangements of the sittings. Through the present century it has been customary for Parliament to meet on an early da\- in February and sit into August, with brief recesses at Whitsuntide and Easter. Up to the birth of the Home Rule Party in 1874 there was a certain pleasing regularity in the working of this scheme. Parliament was sununoned on February 3rd or 5th, and, though the heavens fell, it adjourned in time for the opening of the other Session on the moors. When the Irish members, first under the leadership of Mr. Butt, more effectively under that of Mr. Parnell, took possession of the House, Parliament met early in the year, sat far past the once saCi'ed 1 2th of August, and occasionally had 1890-1.] THE LONG SESSION. 411 ii Winter Session. Tlio custom of sitting in London throiigli the siiinnier months and going off for the long recess in the coohiess of autumn has ever troubled a section of members. They recall the fact that it was not always so. In the time of the Georges, Parliament met in November, sat into May or June, and had a fair share of sunnner-time for its holiday. Last year Sir George Trevelyan, whose historical studies peculiarly impressed him with the absurdity and inconvenience of the arrangement, moved a resolution proposing to return to the old order of things. He was defeated, but by so narrow a majority that the Government, after their familiar manner, resolved to capitulate before they were actually beaten. It was decided that the present Session should commence in November, resume after a brief Christmas holida}^ and wind up as early as possible m July. Shattered iiopes. The rcsult lias uot bceii such as to encourage a repetition of the experiment. The movement is crushed in its infancy, and Parliament will certainl}' go back to its old habit of sAveltering in London through the summer-time, and making holiday at a period when most holiday resorts are putting up their shutters. Of the proposed arrangement everything has been carried out except the prorogation in July. LTp to a fortnight ago the hope was fondly cherished that at least it would take place on this the last day of July, and so the promise might be kept to the ear. But the House is sitting to-day, and will certainly sit through next week. The best now hoped for is that the prorogation may be accomplished on August 8, which is pretty much as it used to be, save that legislators have been on duty since November. What makes the situation the more hopeless is knowledge of the fact that if this year the Session might not be closed early, there is nothing to be hoped for in the future. Never since the Session of 1874, when Mr. Disraeli came in Avith a large majority, and the political world craved for rest after the turmoil of Mr. Gladstone's protracted reign, have Ministers found themselves in such favourable circumstances as far as the conduct of public business is concerned. In the November Session Irish opposition was effaced, knocked to pieces, in the historical struggle in Committee Room No. 15. Two Bills <;ramnied with explosive material — the Tithes Bill and the 412 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isr-o-i. Land Purchase Bill — passed their most critical stage within the space of a fortnight; when the Session was resumed on January 7, not onl}^ did no tedious debate on the Address block the way, but the two principal measures in the Ministerial programme were advanced as far as the committee stage. Since then circumstances have combined to favour Ministers. The Irish Party, though slowly consolidating after the blow dealt it by Mr. Parnell, has not been in a position to revive its ancient glories of obstruction, whilst the Liberal Opposition, restrained by the authority of Mr. Gladstone, has been singularly docile. Aug.3.— "Labby." One of the minor but not least interesting questions discussed in view of the formation of a Liberal Ministry is — What will be done with Mr. Labouchere ? There is no doubt he is in the House of Commons and out of it one of the most active agents of Liberalism, and Conservative authorities (for purposes of their own easil}^ recognisable) take it as a matter of course that when Mr. Cladstone forms his Ministry some place must be found for the guerilla chief. That such speculation should form part of the ordinary political conversation of the day would, ten years ago, have seemed impossible. Mr. Labouchere—" Labby," to quote his more familiar cognomen — has for a quarter of a century filled a peculiar and increasingly prominent place in English life. But only within the last two or three years has he come to be regarded in a serious light as a politician. From earliest boyhood he has been connected with public affairs. He entered the diplomatic service during the Crimean War, a youth of twenty-three. He managed to see a good deal of life, and must have brought his immediate superiors into keen sympathy with the frame of mind described in Ecclesiastes, " when the grasshopper shall be a burden." After ten years' experience of diplomatic life he retired. But the memories of the period dwell with him, and furnish him in Connuittee of Supply on the Civil Service Estimates with many quaint, if occasionally apocryphal, stories and illustrations. Dii.ioinati.st. One of the best known is of his journe}' from Dresden to Constantinople, which he quotes as illustrating the inoperative niggardliness which rules at the 1S90-1.] -'LABBY" 413 Foreign Office in contrast with the wealth hxvished on the official residences of British Ambassadors. The young attache not putting in an appearance at Constantinople at the appointed period, formal inquiry was made as to the reason for the delay. After much trouble and considerable expense the missive reached his hands, and in due course a letter arrived at the Foreign Office stating that as inadequate provision had been made for his travelling expenses, and as his private means were limited, Mr. Labouchere was walking, and would in due time reach the shores of the Bosphorus. Another legend of his diplomatic career has its locality fixed at Washington, where he was for some time stationed. One day an aggressively irate countryman presented himself at the office, and demanded to see the British Minister. He was shown into Mr. Labouchere's room, who, with the suavity which never deserts him in the most pressing moiiients, explained that his Excellency was not in. " AVell," said the visitor, evidently suspecting subterfuge, " I must see him, and will wait till he comes." " A'ery good," said Mr. Labouchere, " pray take a chair," and he resumed his writing. At the end of an hour the Britisher, still fretting and fuming, asked when the Minister would be back. " I really cannot say exactly," the attache answered. " But you expect him back ? " the visitor insisted. " Oh, certainly," said Mr. Labouchere, and went on writing, as Madame Defarge, on a famous occasion, went on knitting. At the end of another hour the irate visitor, bouncing up, insisted on knowing what were the habits of the Minister at that period of the day. Was he likely to be in in another hour ? " I think not," said Mr. Labouchere, with increased bland- ness ; " the fact is, he sailed for Europe on Wednesday, and can hardly yet have reached (^ueenstown. But, you know, you said you would wait till he came in, so I offered you a chair.'" Journalist. It was in 18G4 that Mr. Labouchere retired from the diplomatic service, and promptly turned his attention to political life. By an odd coincidence, this extremest of Radicals entered the House of Commons as member for the 4U J DTARY OF THE SALrSBmY FAELIAMENT. [isno-i. Royal boroiigli of Windsor, an anomaly promptly adjusted by his being unseated on petition, bribery and corruption being alleged against the blameless Senator. That was in 18G6. In the following year he successfully contested Middlesex, but his tenure of the seat was equally brief. In the following year came the General Election, and though all over the country Liberals were returned in swarms, Middlesex left Mr. Labouchere out in the cold. Up to this period he had not secured wide recognition outside Parliament and club circles. The breaking out of the Franco-German war gave him the opportunity he has always been swift to seize. When the Germans closed around Paris, Mr. Labouchere voluntarily submitted to be shut up in the capital, and all the world, reading the Daily JVeius, profited by the letters from " A Besieged Resident " who photographed with merciless severity and cynical humour daily life in the beleaguered city. Probably it was this episode that turned Mr. Labouehere's attention to journalism. When a year or two later Mr. Edmund Yates established the World, he contributed to it a series of City articles which did much to concentrate public attention on the vigorous newcomer to weekly journalism. In 1876 Mr. Labouchere established Truth, which, instinct in every page with his brilliant individuality, was a success from the first, and now is a potent factor both in political and social life. Politician. At the (General Election of 1880 Mr. Labouchere foimd an ideal constituency to represent in the House of Commons. Politically, he was made for Northanipt(m and Northampton for him. The accident of his having Mr. Bradlaugh for colleague served to bring him into prominence in the earliest days of the new Parliament. The Bradlaugh incident overshadowed everything, and Mr. Labouchere rode on the whirlwind, though, thanks to the defection of a number of Liberals who supported the CV)nserva- tive Opposition in a course they have since done their best to retrace, he did not control the storm. Full justice has never been done to the 103'alty of his conduct toward a colleague who possibly was not ]iers()nally attractive. It is Mr. Labouehere's own "fault that he is never taken seriously. 1S90-1.] " LABBY:' 41.5 He was serious enough in the dogged, resourceful, implacable tight he made for Bradlaugh, a fight which ended in final victory only Avhen the junior member for Northampton was on his death-bed. Mr. Labouchere found in Parliamentary life, combined with the editing of Truth, precisely the outlet for his energy sought in various directions during a period of twenty-six years. When he first entered the House he was disappoint- ing as a speaker. It is true he was handicapped by the often fatal condition that the House expected much from him. His writing was familiar to all ; his brilliant conversa- tional powers were widely known. When he rose on the dull flood of debate, people expected him to sparkle, and he failed, partly perhaps because, conscious of what was expected from him, he tried to live up to the standard. His speeches were too long and his impromptus bore evident marks of cogitation. There was a time, dangerously' prolonged, when he threatened to be a Parliamentar}^ failure. He improved as the Parliament of 1880 went on ; but had his career closed in 1885 it could not have been regarded as strikingly successful. Minister? It is in the present Parliament that Mr. Labou- chere has found his opportunity, and has won for himself a place not only in the House, but in the country, which makes it natural for everyone to be asking what post he shall have when the long fight is over and the battle won ? Like Lord Randolph Churchill and Sir William Harcourt, his native air is that breathed on the Opposition benches. With his own political friends in office, his area of attack is limited, though to do him justice the limitation is not drawn at in- convenient points. In any circumstances he will have his joke, even if it contributes to the adversary acquiring his friend's estate. This is a natural and irresistible disposition it would be well to take into account in any speculation as to Mr. Labouchere's future in connection Avith the return of Mr. Gladstone to power. It is probable enough that office will be offered to him ; but will he take it ? It is not well to prophesy with respect to so versatile a personage, but I venture to think he will decline to sell his birthright for whatever alluring mess of pottage may be proffered. He has not lived 416 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [i890-i. through five years with the awful example of Mr. Ashniead Bartlett before his eyes without profiting by it. There is no point of comparison between the two save this : that when the Conservatives were in Opposition, Mr. Ashmead Bartlett was an incessant participator in debate, a rough and irresponsible critic of things in general and the action of Mr. Gladstone in particular. Tempted by the offer of a minor post in the Ministry Avith a salary of £1,000 a year, he consented to be gagged, and has during the existence of the present Par- liament honourably observed the conditions of his bargain. It would be impossible in any circumstances to gag Mr. Labouchere. But office must necessarily impose conditions that would be unbearably irksome. He has nothing to gain and much to lose by donning the livery of the Treasury bench, and has always displayed so shreAvd an appreciation of his own well-being that he may be expected safely to pass through the coming temptation. Aug. .5.— Leaders The Housc of Commons Avas prorogued to-day ommons. ^^^^j^^^^^ seeing again the face of its old leader, and in some quarters there is doubt whether ever again his kindly face will beam from the Treasury bench. It is no new thing at the end of a Session to hear that Mr. Smith is about to retire, and seek in the House of Lords his well- earned rest. The report was current last year, and was not unknown the Session before. It has this material support in fact, that he is in very bad health, and would warmly welcome any opportunity of honourably retiring from the drudgery of leadership. But, as he says, with less frequency now, though people smile at the familiar phrase, " Duty to his Queen and country," is ever his lodestar. His appointment to the Leadership of the House of Connnons was a desperate, despairing move, taken amid the cataclysm that followed on the resignation of Lord Randolph Churchill on the eve of Christmas, 188G. It turned out to be one of the happiest and most successful moves made by Lord Salisbury, in some respects recalling Disraeli's famous appointment of Lord Mayo to the Viceroyalty of India. There is no post in Knglish polities more important or more difiiciilt to WW than that of Leader of the House of is'.o-i.] "OLD MOrxALlTYr 417 Commons. Mr. (xladstone, with all his transcendent powers and heaven-born genius, never shone in it. He is too highly strung, too emotional, for the position. Disraeli was more successful, and Lord Palmerston better still. Six years ago ^[r. Smith would have been much surprised to find his name bracketed in this list. Yet his enemies (if he has any) would readily admit that his leadership has been a tower of strength to his colleagues and his party. This is proved by the fact that; yielding to urgent solicitations, he has from time to time put oft" his retirement, being assured on all sides that the step would be followed by embarrassment, not to say calamity, to the Conservative Party. "Old Morality." It would be difficult to define in a word, or even a sentence, the secret of Mr. Smith's astonishing success. Simplicity of manner has something to do with it, the more so, perhaps, as there is a growing conviction in the House of Commons that behind the innocence of the dove lurks some of the guile of the serpent. He is essentiall}^ of hoitrgeois standing, in looks, character, modes of thought, and even name. If he had chanced to be born with any other name than Smith there would have been something distinctly lacking in the symmetry of his individualism. He began by being exceedingly modest, almost suing in forma pau2Jeris for the forbearance of the House. " Here I am," he seemed to say " by no fault of my own placed in a position where I come into comparison with my late lamented chief, Mr. Disraeli, and with the right hon. gentleman opposite. For goodness sake make the best of me whilst I am here, which is not likely to be very long." The House of Commons, always generous to weakness, responded to this mute appeal. It is, after all, human, and it was pleased at being approached in this very .proper manner. Then Mr. Smith amused it with his seriousness, his impressive utterance of commonplaces, and a disposition to cite little tags reminiscent of copybook heading literature, which earned for him the friendly nickname " Old Moralit}*." The critical audience which came to laugh has re- mained to praise. Mr. Smith is no genius, but he is a man of business habits, and is gifted Avith a certain shrewd insight 418 .1 DIABY OF THE SALISBURY PABLIAMEKT. [isoo-i. into public afi'airs, which, in his position, is worth more than eloquence. He has a way of conciliating opposition and slipping through Government business not excelled by any of his more famous predecessors since the days of Peel. How astute in his management, and how considerable his personal influence, was not perceived till nearly a month ago he Avas obliged to take to his bed. Then Mr. Goschen took his seat on the Treasury- bench, and everything began to go wrong. Mr. Goschen. It luis always been understood that part of the price exacted by Mr. Goschen Avhen, on Lord Randolph ( 'hurchill's retirement, he Avent over to the Con- servative ranks Avas that he should have the succession of the leadership. This story receives confirmation from the fact that on all Mr. Smith's occasional absences from his post the Chancellor of the Exchequer has been nominated to fill it. A belated Premier ma}' in secret conclave propose, but in such a matter as the leadership it is the House of Commons that disposes. Mr. Goschen's chance of succeeding Mr. Smith would have been much brighter if he had not had forced upon him opportunities of shoAving Avhat he Avould do Avith it. He has had rather a long spell of late, and it has absolutel}- con- firmed the groAA^ng conviction that he Avill neA'er do. It is a familiar saying, attributed to the Duke of Wellington, that " Peel has no manners." Mr. Goschen has manners, but the}- are all bad. It is a high tribute to his sterling ability that a man so feebly equipped by the Graces should liaA'e attained so prominent a place in public life. AAA'kAvard in manner, not goodly in appearance, nearly blind, and Avith a disagreeable snuffle in his A'oice, he nevertheless fought his way to a front place in the House of Couunons Avithout adventitious aid from famih- or fortune. CHAPTER XL MEX OF THE SALISBURY PAP.LIAMEN'l'. Lord Salisbury — Born out of Duo Season — A Crisis in the Lords —His Parlia- mentary Presence — Mr. Arthur Balfour — Rapier and Bludgeon — Horoscope — Lord Randolph Churchill — A Leader in Opposition. Lord Salisbury. The premier man in the Parliament which, under curious, though not unprecedented, cir- cumstances, brought Lord SaHsbury into power in 1886 is, happily, the Prime Minister. Since Lord Beaconsfield died the Marquis of Salisbury has had no compeer, much less a rival, in the Conservative ranks. It is doubtful whether, for force of character and sheer ability, he was overtopped by his old enemy and later ally. That is a nice question which future historians, having the supreme advantage of perspective view, may be left to decide. It is enough for the present Parliament to reflect with satisfaction that the Premier of to- day holds his position not alone by title. In recent times both Houses have known the incon- venience that pertains to the situation when we have had at the head of affairs men placed there rather as a matter of con- venience than in submission to personal pre-eminence. The Lords had for a while their Duke of Piichmond and the Com- mons their Stafford Northcote, both amiable and, in degree, capable men, but neither a born leader. To Lord Salisbury's pre-eminence everyone gladly pays homage, not the least readily his opponents, for there is nothing more embarrassing in political warfare than that the captain of the opposing host should be other than a man Avho is not only capable of con- ceiving a definite line of action, but strong enough to lead his united forces along it. Lord Salisbury's misfortune in finally coming into a peerage was tempered by his experiences before, by unforeseen chance, he became heir-apparent to the marquisate. If he had been born eldest son, he Avould have lost distinct advantages bj^ which he has long profited. A younger son, with no reason- able hope of reversion of the title, and, if report be true, not 420 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isoo-i. too richly endowed with pocket-money, he at the outset was faced by the necessity of carving out his own career. It is no secret that at one time he Avas a working member of that dail}" press for which he is now accustomed to spare some flashes of his inimitable scorn. Like another keen fighting man, to-da}^ disguised under the title Lord Sherbrooke, he wrote articles for the papers, and was glad of the concomitant remuneration. He entered the House of Commons a comparative youth, and even as Lord Robert Cecil made his mark. AVhen he be- came Lord Cranborne, he spoke with the added weight of the heir to an historic marquisate. But I have heard old Jiahitues of the House of Commons say that for freshness and barb the irresponsible Lord Robert Cecil beat the graver Vis- count Cranborne. Whether fighting under one name or the other, his pet aversion was Mr. Disraeli, then pushing his wa}^ into recog- nised position in the Tory ranks, under the patronage of the late Lord Derby. The young man hated Mr. Gladstone with the bitter feeling with which a Tory of long lineage regards a champion of the masses ; he despised Mr. Disraeli with the lofty scorn of a patrician for an adventurer. When from his seat in the House of Commons he used to assail Mr. Disraeli Avith " flouts and gibes and sneers " — his mastery of which arms that statesman on a memorable occasion pointedly acknoAv- ledged — he little dreamt that the time Avould come Avhen he should share his enemy's homcAvard journey from Berlin, bringing Peace AAdth Honour ; still less that he should sit by his side on the Ministerial bench in the House of Lords, an apparently docile, certainly a faithful lieutenant. ]]oni out of due Lord Saljsbui'v's position in English political season. ,. ". ,, '^. , ^-^ ^ f t i • life, and especially m the House oi Lords, is a peculiar one. He is a statesman born out of due season, and tliat he Avith increasing skill and success adapts himself to cir- cumstances is croAvning proof of his consummate ability. He should have lived in those spacious times Avhen another Cecil Avas at the head of English aft airs. He Avould have done much more as Minister to Queen Elizabeth than he is permitted to accomplish as Minister for (v)ueen Victoria. AVith an almost total absence of sympathy Avith the people, he has fallen upon isoo-i.] LOBD SALISBURY. 421 a time when the people are more and more, and the CroAvn and its appanages less and less. He is obliged in these days to take into account the House of Commons and what he regards as its vagaries and its prejudices. But lie is never at pains to disguise his dislike of it and all it represents. This is a point on which Mr. Disraeli, Avith his keen in- tuition of popular impulses, had the advantage over the friend of his declining years. There is a story of Lord Melbourne which is probably apocryphal, but if anything like it in analogous circumstances were told of Lord Salisbury, it would readily be believed. It was at the time of the Corn-Law struggle, one of the phases of which had been discussed at a Cabinet meeting, other topics intervening before the Council broke up. As his colleagues were going away, Lord Melbourne (according to the current story) leaned over the banisters of the staircase and called out : " Is bread to go up or down. ? I don't care which it is, you know, but we must all say the same thing in the House." A crisis in the Ji^ist bcforo the first Session of 1890 closed, Lord Lords. -, T 1 -11 • • (• 1 Salisbury, with characteristic contempt lor sub- terfuge, made in the House of Lords a speech conceived in the very spirit of this off-hand remark over the banisters. A Bill dealing with local rates, promoted by the Corporation of Dublin, had come up from the Commons. It was a measure in charge of the Chief Secretary, and in carrying the Bill through the Commons Mr. Balfour had had the unwonted assistance of the Irish members. That was sufficient to excite the ire of noble lords like the Duke of Westminster, the Marquis of Waterford, and Lord AVemyss. At the last moment they broke into open revolt. The Bill had actually been read a third time, and it was on the formal stage " that the Bill do pass " Lord Wemyss moved an amendment which, if carried, would have thrown out the measure. There was a strong whip out, and the malcontent Lords mustered in numbers which surely pre- saged a Goyernment defeat. Lord Salisbury, sitting in his favourite attitude, with his elbow on the back of the bench, his head resting on his hand, and his back turned to the bishops, listened to the impassioned debate. Members of the Commons, leaving their own chamber, crowded at the Bar and in the 4-22 A BIAUY OF THE SALISBURY PAELIAMEXT. n^m-i. galleries over the pens where ladies sit, such of them as were Privy (councillors availing themselves of their privilege to stand on the steps of the throne. Among these Avas Mr. Balfour, smiling genially, whilst Lord Wemyss declaimed, and Lord Waterford, remaining seated in token of a terrible fall from his horse on the hunting-field, demonstrated how all was up with the Union if this iniquitous Bill passed. To the Commons looking on its fate seemed sealed, and there was animated talk as to Avhat line Mr. Balfour would take if he were thus openly and studiously flouted. When there appeared nothing left Init the division, Lord Salisbury stirred his vast bulk and lounged up to the table. He did not trouble himself with any elaborate defence of the Bill. To him it Avas plainly a ludicrously insignilicant thing Avhether rates were collected in Dublin under one system or another. What he had to point out was that here was an incidental feature in the Irish policy of the Government as carried out by Mr. Balfour. Did noble Lords approve that policy as a whole or did they not ? If they did — and the cheer that resounded through the House gave clear assurance of their feelinof in the matter — they must take it as a whole. " You cannot," Lord Salisbury said, " be allowed to pick out a bit here and there, and say you Avon't liave it." Here Avas the imconscious echo of Lord Melbourne's remark dropped over the banister. " Are we," Lord Salisbury said, in effect, " to support Mr. Balfour's policy in Ireland, or are Ave to desert him and let in Home Rule and Mr. Gladstone ? I don't care Avhich it is, you knoAv, but Ave must stick to a definite line of action." It is an axiom cynically accepted in Parliament that a speech rarely, if ever, affects votes. On this occasion Lord Salisbury triumphantly proA^ed the exception. Had he been accidentally absent, or, being present, had he refrained from taking part in the debate, the Bill vvoidd indubitably have been lost. As it Avas, the carefully marshalled majority silently melted aAvay, and Avhen the tellers returned from the division lobby the Bill Avas carried. Hi8 Parliament- The (Iclivcrv of this memorable speech afforded ary presence. . • . ^ . . . . , to those fortunate enough to hear it a fan- idea of Lord Salisbury's oratorical style. Unlike Mr. Gladstone, the 1S!)0-1.] LORD SALISBURY. 423 f ^r: f/ I DON T CAKE WHICH IT IS, Vol" KNOW. Premier but slightly varies in the level excellence of his speech. Never striking at the high flights at which Mr. Gladstone is 424 J DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isoo-i. accustomed to soar, there is not the opportimit}' for compara- tive faikire. Lord SaHsbury, in addressing the Peers, does not make speeches to them. He just talks, but with what clearness of perception, what command of his subject, what vigorous and well-ordered sentences, what irresistible argu- ment, and now and then with what delicate, refreshing rain of cynicism ! Doubtless a Minister in his position must carefully prepare his speeches on public aft'airs, but Lord Salisbury has in peculiar degree the art of concealing his art. He rarely uses manuscript notes even for the exposition of the most delicate and important announcements. Just before Parliament rose last Session he had occasion to explain the detai"ls of the ar- rangement concluded with Portusfal for the settlement of con- tending claims Avith Africa. It was an exceedingly intricate affair, the story involving an historical review and the adjust- ment of nice points of latitude and longitude, not to mention the recital of barbarous and unfamiliar geographical terms. It was precisely the case in which the most practised speaker Avould gratefully have taken refuge in a sheaf of notes. The Premier had not a scrap of paper in his hand as he un- wove the tangled skein, and when he sat down, after talkmg for twelve minutes, he had made the whole case clear to the perception of the dullest lord in the assembly. Mr. Arthur Ncxt to the Premier in the quickly-exhausted BalfoTir. ,. „ - , n 1 • 1 • 1 list 01 men who have made their mark m the Salisbury Parliament stands Mr. Balfour. If any member who had sat through a Session or iwo of the Parliament of 1880 had fallen asleep in the library and had, on any night when the present House of Commons is sitting, returned to his old place, he would not know this still slim young gentleman Avho in Mr. Gladstone's Parliament was member for Hertford. Not that in personal appearance Mr. Balfour is greatly altered. He has at whiles the same languorous air, the same boyish smile swiftly illumining his countenance, the same disposition to discover how nearly he can sit on his shoulder-blades when occupying a place on the front bench listening to Mr. Gladstone or an Irish member. In other respects the met- amorphosis is complete. The dilettante stripling that used to lounge about the House, moved to what seemed the Lsoo-1.] Mli. BALVOUU. 425 just suffering the boredom of being interested when Lord Randolph Churchill was attacking somebody, has grown into the hardest-worked Minister of the Crown, the deviser and stern executer of an Irish policy as nearly Cromwellian as the prejudices of the nineteenth century will permit. AVhen, on the retirement of Sir Michael Beach in LSHT, Mr. Balfour was appointed to the office of Chief Secretary, the arrangement was generally regarded as one of those tem- porary dispositions of a difficult post which mark the move- ment of a bewildered Premier. Though he had already a seat in the Cabinet as Secretary lor Scotland, he had not yet developed an}^ qualities that gave promise of his im- mediate future. The Irish members laughed at his pretty ways, inclined to regard his appointment as something like an echo of Mr. Disraeli's practical joke when he placed Mr. James Lowther at the same post. But before the Session closed members were fain to admit that there were unsuspected depths in the character of the young Minister. He trod gently as yet, but through the ordeal of the badgering to which Chief Secretaries are submitted at the question hour he passed with a skill and strength that extorted admiration. There is no instance in English political life of a still young- man making such rapid advance to a premier place. Lord Randolph Churchill had a meteoric flight, but he had been for several Sessions steadily forcing himself into prominence before he blossomed into Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons. Up to the day when all the world wondered to hear that Mr. Balfour had been ap- pointed Chief Secretary for Ireland he was a person of no consequence. His rising evoked no interest in the House, and his name would not have drawn a full audience in St. James's Hall. Within twelve months, and in rapidly increasing degree within two years, he had gained for himself one of four principal places in debate in the House of Commons, and his name was one to conjure with in Conservative centres through- out the United Kingdom. Rapier and j^ personal appearance and in manner no one bludgeon. , ii/-< ni ^ could less resemble Cromwell than the present ruler of Ireland. To look at Mr. Balfour as he alides with 426 J DrABY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [iS90-i. imduloiis stride to his place in the House of Coiiniions one would imagine rather he had just dropped in from an ex- ercise on the guitar than from the pursuit of his grim game with the Nationalist forces in Ireland. His movements are of almost womanly grace and his face is fair to look upon. Even when making the bitterest retorts to the enemy opposite he preserves an outward bearing of almost deferential courtesy. Irish members may, if they please, use the bludgeon of Parlia- mentary conflict ; for him the polished, lightly-poised rapier suffices for all occasions. The very contrast of his unruffled mien presented to furious onslaughts of excitable persons like Mr. W. O'Brien adds to the bitterness of the wormwood and gall his presence on the Treasury bench mixes for Irish members. But if he is hated by the men some of whom he has put in prison, he is feared and, in some sense, respected. In him is recognised the most perfect living example of the mailed hand under the silken glove. Horoscope. As Mr. Balfour's earliest appearance on the Parliamentary scene was influenced by Lord Randolph Churchill, it is possible that future stages of his career may be constrained, if not controlled, from the same quarter. If Lord Randolph did not exist, it would not be difficult to cast the pohtical horoscope of the Chief Secretary. He has no other rival in the succession to the leadership of a party who have had in distant succession two such chiefs as Peel and Disraeli. He is strong in something else than his Parliamentary position. The Conservative Party believe in him with a fulness of conviction withheld from Mr. Disraeli even after he had been received into the sanctified company of the House of Lords. Mr. Balfour at least knows what he means and what he intends to do, a great com- fort to the large majority of a party who only Avant to be led. His succession to the Leadership on the retirement of Mr. W. H. Smith — an event which cannot long be postponed — would be hailed with approval by nine-tenths of the party in the House of Commons, and with a roar of acclamation by the party throughout the country. That the problem has not already been solved in this direction is due partly to the diffi- culty of finding a successor capable of continuing his ])()licy in 1800-1. 1 LOUD h'ANDOLPE CHURCHILL. 427 Ireland, and partly to the apprehension of revolt in certain qnarters on the Treasury bench if other claims were over- looked in favour of the brilliant nephew of the Prime Minister. Lord KaiKioiph If },li'_ Balfour is to obtain this well-deserved promotion over the heads of his colleagues in the Cabinet as at present constituted, it will be necessary for the arrangement to be completed during the existence of the present Parliament. As far as its term is concerned. Lord Randolph Churchill's chance is played out. He is, as recent chapters in his history have proved, prone to hasty decisions. But it is too nmch even for his most sanguine enemy to hope that he will be so ill advised as to yoke himself with the ■falling fortunes of the present Ministry. If, indeed, he were invited to resume the Leadership of the House of Commons, with promise of free hand, the invitation might prove irresist- ible, and its acceptance would be well advised. He could not hope to avert the impending doom, but he would at least make a ffood tiffht, and niio-ht succeed in easing the fall. To take anything less than the Leadership at the present juncture would be an act of self-abasement no one has a right to expect at his hands. Lord Randolph Churchill is not a man of the Salisbury Parliament in the sense that Mr. Balfour has won that dis- tinction. His position was made in the Parliament of 1880, and was lost in that now nearing its close. During the past vSession he has, even ostentatiously, withdrawn himself from Parliamentary affairs. He has given up to Newmarket what was meant for mankind. But no one with even elementary- knowledge of political affairs, or the slightest acquaintance with his character, imagines he is finally out of the running. Though he has flung away Ministerial position and withdrawn himself from the councils of his party, his personal weight and influence in debate are not materially im- paired. His connnand over the House, when he chooses to exercise it, is as complete as ever, and his influence in the country may be regained whenever he thinks it worth Avhile to set himself the task. His time will come again when the present Covernment go into opposition and look around them for a Leader. 428 A DIAEY OF THE SALISBURY FARLIAMEXT. [is?o-i. A Leader in Op- Loi'd Randolijli ( liurcliill is a model leader of position. . . ^ . . . Opposition; ready, resolute, inventive, audacious, and, if need be, unscrupulous. If it were only possible for Mr. Balfour to work with liim in unity, Mr. Gladstone's next Ministry would have a sore time, whatever might be their numerical majority. The House of Commons likes to be shown sport, as one of its most successful Leaders said. Lord Randolph Churchill and Mr. Balfour working together in har- mony on the front Opposition bench would show excellent sport. Whether such a combination be possible or not is one of the problems the near future will be called upon to solve. It does not in present circumstances appear probable, but adversity makes one acquainted with strange bedfellows, and in the gloom of Opposition these two old friends may come " together again. Two things are, however, already certain. One is that Lord Randolph Churchill will be finally indispens- able to the Conservative Party ; the other, that he cannot hold a second place. AVhilst the SaHsbury Parliament has not, with the curiously contrasted exceptions of Mr. Arthur Balfour and Mr. W. H. Smith, brought men from secondary positions into the very tirst rank, it has not been more productive in the direction of bringing out new men. One who has perhaps more than others advanced his position during the present Parliament is Mr. Henry Fowler. He has not onl}^ something useful to say on most topics that come up for discussion, but he has finally succeeded in the not less important task of catching the House-of-Commons-way of saying it. A man of wide inform- ation and business habits, he is a lucid speaker and an effective debater. When Mr. Gladstone's last Government came to an abrupt end, Mr. Fowler was Financial Secretary to the Treasury — a post, the importance of which is not appre- ciated outside the House of Commons. It, nevertheless, almost invariably leads to high cabinet office, and the pre- cedent is not likely to be varied in the case of Mr. Fowler. The present Government were fortunate in obtaining a successor to Mr. Fowler at the Treasury. When, on the formation of Lord Salisbury's Government in 1886, Mr. Jackson was appointed Fmancial Secretary, he was a dark horse. In 1S90-1.] PROMINENT MEN. 429 business he is a tanner, wliicli does not seem to lead natural!}' to the charge of Ministerial business in the House of Commons. Probably Mr. Jackson's primary recommendation in the e3'es of Lord Salisbury was that he had won a seat for the Con- servatives in an important centre of commerce. The appoint- ment has, however, been amply justified on quite other grounds. Mr. Jackson has turned out as great a success as did Mr. W. H. Smith, when, sixteen years ago, he, also having won an important seat, was made Financial Secretary, and seemed to have reached with one bound the full height of his reasonable ambition. In a more prominent position than Mr. Jackson, Mr. Ritchie has been the most successful Minister. Appointed President of the Local Government Board at a time when a Local Government Bill was the principal Ministerial measure, he displayed an ability, an energy, and a tact which quickly won for him a high position in the House and enabled him to carry to happy issue the complex measure committed to his charge. In Mr. Ritchie's hands the Local Government Bill passed so smoothly that it seemed quite an easy thing to do. The credit due to Mr. Ritchie will, however, become apparent if we consider the probable fate of the measure had it been entrusted to another Minister — say to Mr. Goschen. Another member of official position, though not in Minis- terial office, who has come to the front during the Salisbur}' Parliament, is Mr. Courtney, who, by the way, also with great credit, passed the honourable and exacting apprenticeship of Financial Secretary to the Treasury. On the Home Rule question Mr. Courtney, who once ranked as an uncompro- mising Radical, separated himself from the great body of the Liberal Party and became a supporter of the Conservative Government. Elected Chairman of Committees, he has by counnon consent discharged the duties of that onerous position with unfaltering judgment and unimpeachable im- partiality. Always a post of extremest difficulty, Mr. Court- ney's occupancy has been embarrassed by peculiar personal circumstances. To a man of his political antecedents it could not be agreeable to hold his office by favour of the Tory vote, whilst he could not expect to be regarded with extreme favour by the party whose ranks he had, on a question of conscience. ^30 A DIARY OF THE SAUSBUBY PABLIAMEXT. [isfio-i. temporarily but effectively quitted. He has surmounted these various difficuUies, and has been so successful as Chairman of Committees that his promotion in due time to the Speaker's ("hair may be regarded as a certainty. The names of new members who have made a mark in the present Parliament may be counted on the fingers of one hapd. Mr. Louis Jennings has succeeded in commanding the attention of the House whilst performing the useful, but in other hands forbidding, task of discussing the details of administrative expend iture. Mr. Asquith, in more than one admirable speech, has established on the broader basis of the Parliamentary stage a reputation gained in the Law Courts. Mr. T. W. Russell has developed conspicuous debating power, and has sometimes risen to the height of eloquent declamation. On the other side, Colonel Saunderson has earned the grati- tude of the House by relieving it from the apprehension that the peculiar humour which once endeared Irish members to a delighted senate is not finally extinct. One of the most remarkable successes of the Salisbury Parliament is undoubtedly the First Lord of the Treasury, the r^eader of the House of ( *ommons. It does not disparage, but rather enhances, the merit disclosed by Mr. W. H. Smith in his high position, to remember that he was called to it not be- cause he Avas regarded as the best man for the place, but be- cause he was the best possible at the moment. He was Leader of the House faute de mieux. Lord Salisbury, stunned by the sudden resignation of Lord Randolph Churchill, and shrinking from determining the rival claims of colleagues who felt they were predestined for the place, luu-riedly thrust Mr. Smith into it. It seemed a grim kind of jest to place in the seat lately vacated by Mr. (Iladstonc, once held in succession by Peel, Palmerston, John Russell, and Disraeli, the plain, unassuming, commonplace, hoiirgeois gentleman, Avith his admirably assorted plebeian name. It was not believed that the arrangement Avould last, and possibly it Avas not, in the first instance, designed as more than a temporary ex- pedient. It has turned out to be one of the happiest e])isodcs in the history of Lord Sahsbury's Government. .Mr. Smith has proA'ed himself the A^ery man for the place and hour. His kindly, hours} naturo, his trained business habits, his MR. SMITH. 431 shrewd common sense, liis modest}' of mien, and even some grave comicalities of manner, have made him a personal favourite in the House, and have enabled him to do a price- less service to his party. Thus has the stone which builders in a less pertiu'bed frame of mind would have rejected, be- come the head stone of the corner. Aug. Prorogation. SESSION OF 1890-91. . Titet!. — H.M. Speech. Addre.ss agreed to. . H'crf.— Intruduction of Bills. &c.,Bin. Sir ■27. Thurs.— Tithe Rent-chan M. H. Beach. Read NOVEMBER, 1S90. Puifliase of Land, &c. (Ireland), Bill. Mr. A. J. Balfour. Read 1°. iS. i<'/-i.--Business of the House. Motion, i\fr. W. H. Smith. Perpetual Pensions. Motion, Mr. Brad- laufjh. 1. .l/-j».-Titlie Rent-c-harge, kc, Bill. coniniitted. •2. 7'hcs. —Purcliase of Land, &c. (Ireland), Bill. 2nd Reading. First Debate. 3. ired-Ditto. Ditto. Second Debate. Bill committed. 4. Thurs. — Supply : Civil Ser\ices. Supple- mentary " DECEMBER. Bill JANUARY, ■2. Thii cs.— Pri\ate Bill Procedure (Scotland) Bill. Committed to a Select Com- mittee. 23. Fri,. — Railway Servants (Hours of Labour). Motion, Mr. Channing. ■26. JlfoH.- Tithe Rent-charge, &c., Bill. Com- mittee: First Sitting. •2". Tifcs.— Parliamentary Oath (Mr. Brad- laugh). Motion, Mr. Hunter. Order I Tithe Rent-charge, &(>., Bill. Committee : First Sitting. F/(.— Purchase of Land, &c. (Ireland), Bill. Conimittee : First Sitting. Jl/oK.— Land Department (Ireland) Bill. Committed. Tif^.s.— Adjournment till 22nd .January. Motion, ilfr. H'. //. Smith. Sill. that Resolution of 22nd June, 1S80, be expunged from the Journal. 28. IfVrf.— Road and Streets, kc. (Scotland), Bill. Mr. H. Elliot. Committed. Conspiracy Law AmcmlnitMit 15ill. Mr. R. Robertson. Put ntt six months. 2!i. 'i7»r;-s. — Tithe Rent-charge, &c., Bill. Committee : Second Sitting. 30. fri.— Land Tenure (Ireland). Motion. Mr. Shaw-Lefevre. Negatived. Ki-ut-cliarge, &c.,Bill. Con.- Tliiid flitting. Bill reported. F.iHe. Motion, Mr. 2. M,n,.-Ti mittrr : '_ 3. Tues. — .\la-a M:'rinril,„i,l.s. 4. IFcd.— Religious Disaliilities Removal Bill. Mr. Gladstone. Bill put otf six months. 5. Thurs. — Case of Walter Hargan. Adjourn- ment. Motion, Mr. J. LoiHher. Tithe Rent-charge, &c., BiU. Considered: First Sitting. a. i^'ci.— Liverymen (City of London). Mo- tion, Mr. ./. llovlands. 0. ilfoH.— Titli,' Heiit-eliarge, &c., Bill. Con- Sidfliij : Srr.,lHl Sitting. 10. ri(es.— liitt.i. Dilt... To be Read 3'. 11. Jl'crf.— Muniagu uitli a Deceased Wife's Sister Bill. Committed. Division on 2iid Reading — For, 202. Against, 155. 12. r;i7(re. — Tithe Rent-charge, &c.. Bill. Read 3 . For, 250. Against, 101. 13. /•■/•/. —Government Contracts. Motion, Mr. ,S. lUijton. 16. .Von.— Administration of the Law (Ire- land). Motion, Mr. J. Morley. 17. 'i'((P>-.— East India (Financial Statement). Motion, Sir .J. Flowden. IS. irerf.— Factory, &c.. Bill. Sir H. -James. Committed, lit. 77Mn-s.— Supplv : Army Estimates. 20. Fri.— Church in Wales. Motion, Mr. I'. Morcian. For, 203. Against, 235. 23. Jl/ow.- Supply : Army Estimates. 24. r^ies.— Income Tax. Motion, Mr. BartUy. 25. JKed.— Parochial Boards (Scotland) Bill. Dr. Cameron. Bill put off six months. 20. r/iMr.?.— Factories, &c.. Bill. Mr. Mat- thcirs. Committed. 27. /•>(.— Taxation of Lanil. Motion, Mr Provund. 432 A DIARY OF THE SALrSBURY FARLIA^^IENT. [is-jo-i. Mon. Tues. Bil Navy Estimates. ■iitarv Franchise. Motion, '■'. iiciiiL', &c., Ameiidinciit 7. //. i:nll,„i. C.iiiiinitlc-.l. •t ottl.rl'ulirr(SilksU-nrtll). lit. \lMli.„l. .1//. Stn,r,l. 5. r/iwrs.— C'onil Ad.iourni Supi'ly : Army Kslii nates. G. Fri. -Local Government. 3Iitting. 1. r»«. — Ditto. Ditto. Foiu-th Sittin.c:. 2. IJ'«i.— Places of Worship, &c.. Bill. Com- mitted. 3. Thurs. — Ways and Means. Financial Statement. Mr. Goschen. i. F?i.— Purchase of Land (Ireland) Bill. Committee. Fifth Sitting. Deer Forests. Motion, .1/r. ,4. Sutherland. 7. Mon. — Ways and Means. Committee. 8. r»fs.— Purchase of Land (Ireland) Bill. Ciimmittee. Sixth Sitting. Intoxicating Liquors' Licences. Mr. Lea. it. ITcrf. — Leaseholders' Enfranchisement Bill. Division on 2nd Reading— For, liis. Against, 181. 0. r/(?()'s.— Purchase of Land (Ireland) Bill. Committee. Seventh Sitting. Fci.— Purchase of Committee. Bi{ ii/o)i.- Ditto. Ditto, 'i'Mfts.— Ditto. Ditto, Wed.— Ditto. Ditto 2'7iws.— Ditto. Ditto. Fri.— Ditto. Ditto, Jlfoii.— Ditto. Ditto, rt/es.— Ditto. Ditto Il'erf. —Ditto. Ditto. Thurs.— Ditto. Ditto. Fri.— Ditto. Ditto, Land (Ireland) Bill. ?hth Sitting. . Ninth Sitting. . Tenth Sitting. . Eleventh Sitting. . Twelfth Sitting. . Thiit.'cnth Sifting. FiricciiUi Sitliiig. . Sixteenth Sitting. Seventeenth Sitting . Eighteenth Sitting. 21. r;»(r.';.— Purchase of Land (Ireland) Bill. Committee. Nineteenth Sitting. 22. Fri.— Ditto. Ditto. Twentieth Sitting. Bill reporlfd. 2.j. MoiK- Siipi.h : \iitc on Account. 26. Tires.- Ciistniiis, \-e., Bill. Adjourned Ii,li,i1r Ml, -J, I, I Heading. C(iniit\ Coiiiieils (i:K'etion of Women). M.illnll, 1/r >t.n,rt. 2S. Thins. Neu In, iiHllaii. I Fisheries Bill. 2nd Kea>lin- )in( oil': Hesi.Iution agreed to. Supply : Civil Ser\-ice Estimates. 2'.». F/'i.— Customs Bill. Connnittee. First Sitting. 1/f,),..— Seal Fishcrv Hill. Coniniittcd. Pur(li:i>e ,,r l,;in^l (Ireland) Hill. Con- siilcii-l. I'li-i Sitting. rxes.— I'lii'i. I Ml to. Second Sitting. IFerf.- l!,tliii- "t Machinery Bill. Com- mittee. r/mrs.— Purcliase of Land (Ireland) Hill. Considered. Third Sitting. Pri.— Ditto. Ditto. Fourth Sitting. Moil. — Elementary Education (Free Grant). Committee. Tnes. — Elementary Education Bill. Read 1". Purchase of Land (Ireland) Hill. Cnn- sidered. Fifth Sitting. JUNE. ; 10. ire(?.— Marriage with a Deceased Wife's Sister Bill. Committee. 11 Thurs. -Purcliase of Land (Ireland) Bill. Considered. Sixth Sitting. 12. Fri.— Purcliase of Land (Ireland) Bill. CniLsidered. Seventh Sitting. 1,^. Mfui. liiUn. Hilt... Keel 3°. 10. Turs. M-.auyuv. .\1. .t i..n. >'//■ II'. Karcoxrt. 17. IlV-'.-Sni.plv : Xav> K.st i mates. IS. 7'/u(c.s.— Factories, iVc, Hill. Considered. First Sitting. IS). Fri.— Ditto. Ditto. Second Sitting. Read 3\ 22. .VoH.— Elementary Education Bill. 2nd Reading. First Sitting. SESSION OF 1890-1. 433 23. Tu ' JUYL {continued). -Ditto. Ditto. Second Sitting. | 26. Fri.- —Public Heultli (Lomloii) Bill. Cou- 1 sidered. ■2i. Il'cf/.— Ditto. Ditto. Third Sitting. 29. J/oft.— Elementary Education Bill. Coni- I mittee. Instruction, Mr. II. Fowler. 25. r/t((/s. — Supply: Army Estimate.s. ; :iO. r»es.— Ditto. Ditto. First Sitting. [ULV. nV(7.— Elementary Education Bill. mittee. Second Sitting, r/ufr*.— Ditto. Ditto. Third Sittii fri.— Ditto. Ditto. Fourtli Sitt Mon. — Redemption of Rent (Irelaml Read 2°. County Councils Elections Bill. mittee. Tues. — Elementary Education Bill. sidered. ircrf.— Ditto. Read 3°. Thurs. — Supply : Civil Service Es Fi-i.—mtto. Ditto. ,Vo?i.— Ditto. Ditto. rues.- Ditto. Ditto. IFn?. —Ditto. Ditto. O.m- Ui. 77(u,-.s.-Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 17. Fri.— Ditto. Ditto. ng. 20. ,Vo/i.— Ditto. Ditto. tiug. 21. 2'Mes.— Ditto. Ditto. 1) Bill. Post Office Acts Amendments Bill. Read 3°. Corn- 22. ir^rf.- Supplv : Civil Service Estimates. TAmj-s. —Purchase of Land (Ireland) Bill. '£i. Con - Lords' Amendments considered. 24. F,;.— Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 3/(M(.- Ditto. Ditto. mates. 2S. 2'»rs. -Ditto. Ditto. .)i| Il-fJ.— Ditto. Ditto. '60. Thurs. — Elementary Education Bill Lords' Amendments considered. 31 Fri. —Supply : Civil Service Estimates. 1. 5c(?.— Supply : Report considered. 3. -Vo/i.— Appropriation Bill. Read r»c^^.— East India (Revenue Accounts) Comuiittee. Wed. — Prorogation. 434 CHAPTER XLI. THE RECREATIONS OF STATESMEN. Lord .Salisbuiy — Mr. Giadstone — Mr. Balfour's Day's Work -" Vastly Im- proved" — A Change — Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports — An Anniversary at Balmoral. Aug. i!t. After a long and laborious Session, the brunt of which he has personally borne, and following- close upon a couple of brilliant speeches delivered in the provinces, Mr. Arthur Balfour to-day set forth for Bayreuth to be present at the Wagner Festival. The concatenation of circumstances is certainly without political design- The Chief Secretary's holiday has come at last, and the Bayreuth Festival happening contemporaneously he has gone thither, as being the place where he is likely to find most pleasure. At the same tune, there is no question that this particular holiday move has struck the public fancy and increased the personal interest in Mr. Balfour, which has grown apace within the last few years. That, after all he has gone through at Westminster, he should, with a light heart, voluntarily set out to spend a Aveek with AVagner, passes the comprehension of some -folk Avho have quite other vieAvs of the possible rest and joy of a holiday. The British people ahvays take a 'keen personal interest in the private recreations of their public men. Lord Palmerston's popularity A\^as deeply built upon his fondness for field sports, including boxing, Avhich does not strictly come under that head. The late Lord Derby oAvned racehorses and ran them. Mr. Disraeli Avas something of a failure in this direction, though that Avas not due to the lack of earnest endeavour to cope Avith accidental disad\-antages. He did not ride, nor hunt, nor shoot, nor fish. He Avrote novels, but in this <;onnection the gift is not helpful. As early as circumstances permitted he made up as a country squire, had his place at Hughenden, Avhere he greAv peacocks, and Avhence he occasion- ally emerged in top-boots to attend farmers' ordinaries and talk learnedly about '" crossing SoutliAvolds." 1S91.] THE RECREATIONS OF STATESMEN. 435 Lord Salisbury. Lord Salisbury lias a Jaboratory at Hattield and an engineer's Avorkshop, where he planned and directed the lighting by electricity of the old mansion in which Queen Elizabeth was a guest. He is said to be much prouder of his electric-light arrangements than of the Berlin Treaty he helped to frame, or of the approach to settlement of the Newfoundland Fisheries (^^)ucstion he has brought about. Jir. Gladstone. Mr. (Iladstoue, as all the world knows, wields the woodman's axe and cuts down upas-trees in Hawarden Park with a success not excelled by his earlier exploits in Ireland. He could not in any circumstances of private life fail to till a large place in the admiration and esteem of his countrymen. But it would be difficult to exaggerate, as it would be hard coolly to explain, the influence his wood-cutting has had in endearing him to the people. There is many a little cottage in Britain which counts as its chiefest treasure a chip of wood guaranteed to have fallen under the stroke of Mr, Gladstone's hatchet. If only it happens that the head of the household, making rare holiday, has joined one of the frequent excursions to Hawarden, and has with his own eyes seen Mr. Gladstone with bared arms and conveniently-disposed braces (vide one of the most popular of his photographs) assail the tree to which the chip once belonged, gold weighed out against it in the balance would not purchase the treasure. Mr. Arthur Balfour, in his lean leisure time, plays golf; well enough in its way, but not, to the popular mind, an adequate set-off against Mr. Gladstone's wood-cutting. Golf, like Wagner, is certainly growing in favour, but to the average person it is too much like Wagner to create a general wave of enthusiasm round any one of its votaries. Amid much that is vague in popular information relating to the game, it is generally believed that the Chief Secretary is a crack player. Mr. Balfour says he is not, and I have found men accustomed to play with him too polite to contradict. However it be, he never loses an opportunity of retiring to some favoured spot where golf may be played, and indulging his fanc}^. But it appears, on this first opportunity when golf and Wagner compete for his presence, the minstrel wins. 436 A niAHY OF THE SALISBURY FARLIAMEXT. [isoi. Mr. Balfour's EvGii Mr. Balfoui's enemies — a circle that lias distinctly and significantly contracted within the last six months — will admit he has earned his holiday, in whatever form he may care to take it. He has toiled terribly through the Session, but his appearances in the House and his participation in its business are merely parts of his day's work. Before, at half-past three in the afternoon, he strolls into the House, he has already accomplished a day's Avork that would cause to stand aghast the labourer clamouring for an eight hour limit. He is Minister for Ireland, and he personally administers the affairs of Ireland. The Irish Office is a mean building, once a private house, almost within bowshot of the Houses of Parliament. Mr. Balfour is in his room at an hour in the morning as early as the average city merchant appears at his desk. Till he goes off' to the House of Commons to begin a fresh phase of difficult and delicate work that Avill certainly not close before the stroke of mifhiight, ho is grappling with an interminable series of problems, a mistake in dealing with anj^ one being fraught with danger to the Ministry and possible disaster to the coimtry. This tall, graceful stripling, with a face sometimes soft and beautiful as a woman's, is ruler of Ireland in a com- plete sense unknown in English history since the days of Cromwell. If anything is done in Ireland, it must be worked through him ; and to him, as long as the doors of the Irish Office are open, repair representatives of the manifold interests struggling for predominance. He listens to all with engaging courtesy, but the ])olish of his manner is found to be developed upon a stratum of adamantine will. He is not to be cozened by political supporters any more than he is to be intimidated by the Irish Nationalists. ' "Vastly Ln- Thc bcst sigu disccmiblc about tlic Chief Sccrc- ^'™^'^' ■ tary just now, the one most hopeful for his future, is his development of a readiness to learn. This has been a slow process, and its accretion is accountable for the remarkable scenes witnessed in the House towards the close of the Session, when Mr. Tim Healy, Seagreen Incorruptible, admitted that Mr._ Balfour's administration of the Relief Fund had been well planned and carefully carried out, and that, on 1S91.] MR. BALFOUR CHANGED. 4-37 the whole, he had " vastly improved " since he tirst went to the Irish Office. That is true, but it is not a truth expected to be volunteered from the Irish camp, and that the tribute was extorted is striking evidence to the weight of conviction. When Mr. Balfour first became Chief Secretary the limit of his duties was to his vision bounded by the resolve to put down the Land League, and, to adopt his own formula, to re-establish the reign of Law and Order. With his eye fixed on this goal, he strode straight forward, caring nothing for any who might chance to stumble under his iron heel. He began by system- aticall}^ ignoring the right of Mr. Parnell and his then solid phalanx to represent Ireland. "L'etat, c'est moi" was his motto in all that related to the administration of the affairs of that country. It is very much his motto to-day, but it works with less friction because he knows more. When he took office he was naturally in the hands of the permanent officials at Dublin Castle. It was they Avho were the Estate, not he. In the four years during which he has had to answer for Ireland he has incidentally enjoyed the opportunity of learning some- thing about the country, and in proportion as his knowledge has increased, his relentless attitude toward the Parnell re- presentatives of the masses of the people has softened. A change. There was a time when he went the length of practically declining to hold personal communica- tion witli them across the floor of the House. Hapless Colonel King-Harman had an office especially created for him, and to him was left the daily duty of reading the manuscript containing the answers jjrepared at Dublin Castle to questions put by the National Party. That was a contemptuous proceeding, bitterly resented by the men at whom it was flung. Night after night there Avere stormy scenes at question time. " Balfour ! Balfour ! " the Irish members shouted Avhen King-Harman appeared at the table to reply to a question addressed to the Chief Secretary. Sometimes when the storm had raged for nearly an hour Mr. Balfour strolled in, pale, defiant, contemptuous, and presentl}' descending into the arena whence his squire had gratefully retired, he, single-handed, met the onrush of the maddened enemy. It was more or less magnificent ; it certainly was not business ; and when, presentl}', it helped to 433 A DIARY OF THE. SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isoi. liiirry j)ooi' King-Hannan into his grave, Mr. Balfour abandoned an unfortunate attitude and condescended to answer questions much as other Ministers did. Those days have passed, and something liice the Millennium has dawned. Mr. Balfour now pays the keenest attention to arguments advanced by the Irish members. Frequently in Committee on the Land Purchase Bill he accepted amend- ments submitted by them, and when he tirst made public promise of an Irish Local Government Bill for next year he paused and pointedly expressed the hope that he would have Mr. Healy's assistance in making it a really useful measure. The erstwhile truculent Tim, not to be outdone in chivalry, graciously intimated assent. This is a state of affairs calcu- lated to make Mr. Biggar turn in his grave. But it is all to the good of Ireland. ^"f; ?'^--^°r^ Mr. W. H. Smith, who succeeded Lord Gran- \V arden ot the -n • t ■ i- t -i -itt ^ ,■ i Cinque Ports, viilc m the ancicut post 01 Lord Warden oi the Cinque Ports, has taken up his residence at Walmer Castle. Announcement of the event appears in a modest paragraph in the newspapers just such as might chronicle his temporary retirement to his villa at Henley-on- Thames. It is really an epoch-making event, honourable alike to Mr. Smith and to English public life. It is only twenty- three 3^ears since Mr. Smith entered public life, winnmg a seat at AVestminster even when the floAving tide brought Mr. Gladstone into power in 18G8 Avith a mission to disestablish the Irish Church. His name was then familiar in connection with the lirm of newspaper agents Avhose flag flies over nearly every railway bookstall in the kingdom. Even at this day, in the latest edition of " Dod's Parliamentary Guide," he is de- scribed as " head of the tirm of Messrs. WiUiam Henry Smith & Son, the Avell-know newspaper agents, etc." As a matter of fact, he is living retired from the active direction of the firm's business, content with drawing the princel}'' revenues which keep up his house in Grosvenor Place, his j^acht, and his riverside retreat. But the scent of the bookstall clings to him still, and now there is talk as to what title he shall take there comes tripping to the tongue the suggestion "Baron Bookstall of the Slraiid." 1S91.] AN ANNIVERSARY AT BALMORAL. 439 The House of Coinmons has long grown accustomed to see him sitting in the seat where Mr. Gladstone sat of late, and round which linger the shades of Peel and Palmerston, Lord John Russell and Mr. Disraeli. Nevertheless there is some- thing almost startling in finding him installed in the historic castle on whose ramparts Pitt used to stand looking out for the fleet that never sailed from Boulogne, where the Duke of Wellington later lived, and was followed by Lord Palmerston and Earl Granville. No salary is attached to the office of Lord Warden, and the Castle is something of a white elephant in the way of keeping up, as Lord Granville found to his cost. But the post is one of the oldest and most honourable within the gift of the Crown, its associations going back to Plantagenet days. One of the pleasant things in connection with the new incumbency is that no one grudges its bestowal upon plain Mr. Smith or cavils at the honour done to him. This is largely due to the personal popularity that has grown up around his sterling worth and modest mien. Aug. 29. —An Mr. Balfour arrived at Balmoral iust too late anniversary at . . , . Balmoral. to bc prcscut at a quaint ceremony in which the (^ueen takes keen personal interest. Shortly after the Prince Consort died the tenants on the Balmoral, Birkhall, and Abergeldie estates raised a stone cairn to his memory. It stands on the hill above the castle, a huge pyramid of stone, perpetuating his name and recording the date of his death. There are other initials cut on the stone, including the Queen's, and nearly all the members of the Royal Family. The temptation to 'Arry to add his honoured monogram has been irresistible ; but the Obelisk, as it is called, is jealously guarded, and only once did 'Arry, who has cut his initials on all the historical buildings of the world from the Pyramids to the innermost recesses of the Mammoth Caves, succeed in getting his hand in, the inscription being promptly and contuineliously erased. Thursday Avas the seventy-second anniversary of Prince Albert's birth, and in accordance with custom observed for nearly thirty years, a procession wound its way up the hill to the Obelisk. First came the gentlemen of Her Majesty's Household in attendance. Then the principal tenants on the royal estates, with a troop 440 .1 DIAEY OF THE SALISBUEY PAELIAMEXT. iim. of the upper servants closing in the rear. The strange company formed a circle round the Obelisk ; tumblers Avere produced, a generous jar of whiskey was fortuitously discovered in con- venient proximity, bumpers were filled, and as noon clanged from the castle clock,- the group silently drank to the memory of the long-dead Master. CHAPTER XLII. TWO DEAD MEN. Mr. W. H. Smith— Mr. Parnell— His Short AViiy with Letters— His Aloofness — How the "Work of Leadership was done — Dictator — Learning to Speak. r. ,, ,.. Ox Monday afternoon the town was suddenlv H. Smith'. deeply stirred by news that the flag was flying at half-mast on Walmer Castle, for the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports lay dead. Whilst this theme was on every tongue came news that Mr. Parnell had died at Brighton. It is impossible to conceive in English public life a coincidence more striking. Each man held a fore- most place in Parliamentary life and English politics, and yet in all circumstances of position, character, and capacity they Avere wide as the poles asunder. There Avas something grimly characteristic in the time of Parnell's taking-offi All his political life — and it Avas only sixteen years long — he had been battling Avith staid respectability in politics, outraging Parlia- mentary usages, and defying constitutional authority. Of all these things ^Ir. W. H. Smith Avas the fleshly embodiment. He had, according to his chastened lights, so borne himself in public life as to have endeared himself to friend and political adversary. He died in Avhat, according to the longevity of statesmen, may be regarded as the prime of life. The sorrow his sudden cutting-off created in the public mind Avas pro- found and sincere. At least a full Avcek might Avell have been given up to his mourning and to the extolling of his sterling qualities. At such a time, suddenly and unexpectedly, Avhen no one Avas thinking of liiui, Parnell, obstructionist to the last, dies in Mh'. HMITH. 441 the evening of the very day Mr. Smith breathed his last, and in the newspaper press the cohnnns of appreciation and criticism of the stormy career of the Irish chief jostle into comparative obscurity the decent lamentation over the bier of the amiable First Lord of the Treasury. Abroad and at home it is the same. The foreign newspapers teem with articles discussing the disgraced and discarded Irish leader, and there " OLD MOKALITY. is room only for a paragraph here and there about the First Lord of the Treasury, Leader of the House of Commons, whom the generality of men liked and applauded in much the same degree that, in these latter days, Parnell was hated and contenmed. iMr. Parnell. Tliis is, in its way, very sad. But there is no doubt that histor}?- will justify contemporary action in this matter. Years after dear " Old Morality " is quite U2 A DIARY OF THE SALI8BUBY PARLIAMENT, [isni. forgotten, the name of Charles Stewart Parnell will be familiar in schoolbooks, and his tall figure and pale, haggard face will stand out distinct in the portrait gal- lery of statesmen of the Victorian age. Parnell was not personally in- teresting in the sense that Dis- raeli was, and that Mr. Gladstone and Lord Randolph Churchill, in widely different fashion, remain. But there was about him that fascination which pertains to strong- characters whom the public feel they do not thoroughly understand. Disraeli, at one epoch of his career, was known as the Mystery Man , of Politics. That w^as a mocking phrase, used in a sense that implied full in- sight into the strings and motives of his double shuf- fling. About Parnell there really brooded an air of mystery that, in some subtle way, added to his power. One of his peculiarities was that he habitually con- cealed his address. Some- times, as was disclosed in the proceedings in the Divorce Court, he assumed a false name, beinq- known in one place as "Mr. Fox," in another as " Mr. Preston." During mn.] Mil. PJRNELL. 443 the most troublesome times of the cam2)aign in the House of Commons his colleagues were sorely hampered by not knowing- how to communicate with their chief. It is a matter of fact that for ten years his most intimate colleagues did not know where a letter would tind him in or near London. When, after the judgment in the Divorce Court, Mr. John Morley was charged with delivery of a message from Mr. Gladstone to Mr. Parnell, he spent many precious hours in trying to reach him. Neither Justin McCarthy nor any other of his colleagues, not even Mr. Campbell, his private secretary, knew where a tele- gram would find him. Thus it came to pass that Parnell entered Conmiittee Room No. 15 without having had Mr. Gladstone's message delivered to him, a circumstance that had momentous effect upon his future career and the con- stitution of the Irish party. His short way Often at important crises in Parliamentarv with letter.s. "- „ i i i events I have seen Parnell suddenly enter the lobby of the House of Commons, walk with long stride to the Post Office, take his huge bundle of letters, and disappear towards the library, speaking to no one on the way, aj^parently seeing no one in his path. As for the letters, they might be, and probably were, the accumulation of a week or a fortnight. Many of them would not be opened, most of them would not be answered. " It saves time," Parnell once said to a friend who re- monstrated with him on this habit of dealing with his corre- spondence, a procedure which had at the moment led to some serious embarrassment. It is remarkable how many letters answer themselves in the space of a fortnight. Having dealt with his letters, Parnell might or might not enter the House. Most often he did not, disappearing as rapidly and suddenly as he had arrived, neither coming nor going b}^ the broad staircase with swinging brass-bound doors, through which the throng of legislators pass. There is another passage to the lobby, by a winding back staircase, used by messengers, policemen, and others having access. This Parnell always used, not from any more occult reason than that he was certain thereby to avoid meeting anyone who might speak to him, or would expect to be spoken to. 4U A DIABY OF THE SALLSBTTBY PABLIAMENT. [isdi. His aloofness. He was essentially non-gregarious. He shrank with equal solicitude from large crowds and small coteries. In the plenitude of his power he rarely visited Ireland to take part in public proceedings. It was one of the most striking alterations wrought by his fall that there- after he immediately began to cultivate the populace. Nemesis was alert, and it was at a public meeting he w^as struck by the chill that brought on his death. On Sunday next he had an en- gagement to speak at Cork — Sunday, the day he will be laid to rest at Glasnevin Cemetery, at a spot not far distant from where O'Connell sleeps. During his last campaign in Ireland he amazed, even appalled, his associates by developing a jollity in public and a familiarity in private almost hys- terical. Just as in the days of his prosperity he shrank from taking part in public meetings, so he shunned social gatherings. In the Parliamentary season London is given to abundant hospitality. The art of dining is cultivated in political circles with infinite solicitude. Parnell might, if he pleased, have dined out every night in company not lacking any of the delights, personal or material, of the dinner-table. If for sternly patriotic reasons he declined to join a party sure to be largely leavened by men who had voted against him, he might have met his own colleagues at their table in the dining-room of the House of Commons. In early days of his Parliamentary life, days that sometimes lengthened into all-night sittings, he used to dine frugally at the House. ])Ut it is years since he was seen at the table; where he dined, and how, being among the minor mysteries that brooded over his strange daily life. How the work of How, with tlicsc liabits, he manaijed to conduct leadeisliip was , , • ,. , . , ^ . iione. the busmess oi an cxceedmgly active party is a puzzle that affords only one solution. He did not conduct its business. That was settled in all its details by the lieutenants Avho bore the heat and burden of the day through the Parliamentary Session. Mr. Tim Healy, in one of his angry speeches, let some light upon this dark place by the assertion that for several years Parnell had practically withdrawn from the active direction of affairs, and that Avliat- ever luul been done lor Ireland had been accomplished by a 1S91.] MR. VARXELL. 44-5 small committee, consisting of himself, Mr. Dillon, Mr. O'Brien, and Mr. Sexton. He even added that when on rare occasions Mr. Parnell appeared on the scene, he was snpplied with all the materials for speech to be made or letter to be written. Pictator. That is probably true : but Parnell remained the absolute master of the party and its policy — a dictator from whose decision there was no appeal. The extraordinary relations that existed between him and his followers was strikingly illustrated at the end of last Session but one. Mr. Balfour's first attempt to deal with the Land Purchase question was still before the House. Parnell, un- expectedly appearing one evening, contributed to the debate an important speech, in the course of which he threw out certain suggestions materially modifying the Bill. His speech was listened to with rapt attention in a crowded House, being naturally accepted as the expression of the deliberately-arrived- at conclusions of the then undivided party that folloAved his lead. It was noted whilst he was speaking that no one followed his exposition with livelier interest than Mr. Healy, Mr. Sexton, Mr. Dillon, Mr. O'Brien, and others of the inner circle of his Cabinet. This was not imnatural, since, as one of these gentlemen told me later in the evening, they had never heard a word of the proposal till it was publicly made in the House of Commons. In the comparative leisure of his retirement at Eltham, Parnell had thought out this scheme (which, I may add, was in modified form finally adopted by Mr. Balfour, and is now embodied in the Act of Parliament), had run up to to\m, flashed it forth on an interested House and an astonished gathering of his colleagues, and then caught the last train for Eltham, probably on this very night meeting with the accident to his brougham that first led his trusting friend Captain O'Shea to believe that possibly something was wrong in the sylvan quiet of his Eltham home. Learning to Looking at the frantic, desperate way in which ha clung to power, it seems a paradox to write that Parnell hated public life, with its necessity for joint action and its imposition of speech-making. Yet such is the fact. Public speaking was positively painful to him. His difference 446 A DIARY OF THE SALTS BZUiY PARLIAMENT, [issi. from the ordinary run of his colleagues in the House of Connnons included a total lack of fluency. When, sixteen years ago, he first entered the House of Commons, he was so conscious of his infirmity that he remained silent for nearly two Sessions. He educated himself in a rough school, joining Mr. Biggar in talking against time; and the determination of the House of Commons not to give him a hearing, bad as it looked, was precisely the discipline that successfully schooled him. Had he risen amid an awful stillness, and heen res23onsible for every sentence he uttered, he would have shrunk appalled from the ordeal. With a mob howling be- fore and around him, it did not matter what he said or how he said it. So he stood there with clenched hands, pale face, and closed teeth, literally hissing forth contumely and scorn in disjointed sentences. In time he came to be one of the most polished speakers in the House, delivering carefully-cut sentences in soft, mellow voice. That he was the same man to the end as he had been when he first wrestled with a majority of the 'House of Commons, was shown in Committee Room No. 15, when, once more at bay, with hands clenched, teeth closed, eyes flamed in fury, the soft voice was raised to the intonation of a furious scold. Mr. Biggar, had he lived to see the day, would have joyously recognised in Committee Room No. 15 his old colleague, the .Parnell of 1877. 447 SESSION 1892. CHAPTER XLIII. MR. ARTHUR BALFOUR's START IN THE LEADERSHIP. Opening Day — A Death-roll -Lord Randolph. — The Illiterate Voter — A Poser for the Attorney- General — -The Leader of the House — Mr. Webster's Oratory — Calling Mi-. De Cobain— Sir George Campbell — The New Leader — A Contrast^Other Leaders. Feb. 9. -Open- When at four o'clock tliis aftemoon the Speaker mg D;iy. . . ~ took the Chair in the House of Commons, the front Opposition bench was so crowded that it seemed im- possible to have found room for Lord Hartington if by any chance he had taken the wrong turning and, answering the summons for the opening of Parliament, had sought the chamber where he has been a familiar figure for nearly a quarter of a century. But Lord Hartington, transformed into the Duke of Devonshire, has found his Avay to the House of Lords, and was even in time to take the oath and his seat before other business intervened. Closely following the Speaker came Mr. Balfour, upon whom on the threshold of his ncAv career the cares of high estate seem already to have told. Something of the bloom of youth is rubbed off In respect of force and volume of cheering his entrance was a little disappointing, but that was due to the fact that the Con- servative benches were only half filled. There was, indeed, at this stage of the proceedings a certain marked disinclination for enthusiasm, possibly connected with the funereal aspect of the gathering, nearly every member present being in deep mourning for the Duke of Clarence. Sir William Harcourt's entrance was unrecognised, whilst when Mr. Chamberlain ap- peared the Dissentient Liberals studiousl}^ concealed their approval of his succession to the leadership of Lord Harting- ton. Lord Randolph Churchill was not present. 448 A DIARY OF TEE SALISBUR^Y PARLIAMENT. [is'j2. A deatii-roU. Thc Speaker, having read the formal resohitions pertaining to the opening of a" new Session, went on to inform the House of the writs he had issued during the recess. This sadly partook of the character of a death-roll, the catalogue of names adding appreciably to the depression of the House. A new writ had been issued for the Strand in the room of " Mr. W. H. Smith, deceased." Dead also are Mr. Parnell, Sir John Pope Hennessy, Sir Charles Forster, Mr. Raikes, Mr. Bond, Sir J. P. Corry, and Mr. Ptichard Power. To the personal re- collections invoked nothing was lost by the solemnity of tone with which the Speaker went through this ordinarily formal business. As he proceeded a crowd silently gathered at the Bar. These were the successors of the members from either side of the House gone over to the majority. Quite a crowd they grew, their number being reinforced by movers and seconders. The First Lord of the Treasury left his seat and walked to the Bar in readiness to act as sponsor to Mr. Jack- son, who, happily, is his own successor, coming up after re- election on acceptance of office as Chief Secretary for Ireland. Escorted by Mr. Balfour and Mr. Akers Douglas, Mr. Jackson, on advancing to the table, was hailed with a cheer the unan- imity of which testified to his personal popularity. After him came Sir James Fergusson, transferred to the Postmaster- Generalship ; Lord Walter Lennox, re-elected on appointment to the Treasurership of the Household; and Mr. Graham Murray, the new Solicitor-General for Scotland, who, later, sitting on the Treasury bench with folded arms listening sedately to Sir William Harcourt, curiously recalled the personal appearance of Sir Stafford Northcote. One new member, Mr. Holden, succeeded in import- ing some excitement into a hitherto doleful ceremony by endeavouring, in the excitement of the moment, to rush past the Clerk standing at thc table waiting for him to sign the Roll of Parliament. But that official, experienced in the eccentrici- ties of new members, dexterously stopped him on his unau- thorised way to thc Speaker, and the signature was dul}- appended. The appearance of Mr. Frederick Smith, approach- ing to take his seat for the Strand, in the room of his father, the late Leader of the House, first (after the welcome to Mr. Jackson) stirred tiro unaccustomed silence of the House. He 1S92.] THE GEE AT EXPLORER. 449 was hailed witli a hearty cheer, in which Opposition and Ministeriahsts joined. Immediately after came Mr. Lambert, who carried the Liberal flag triumphantly through South Molton. At his appearance the Opposition woke up and gave a rousing cheer, prolonged the full length of his passage up to the table. That was pretty well to begin with, but it was nothing to what followed on the appearance of Mr. Maden, Lord Hartington's successor in the representation of Rossen- dale. This good wine was kept to the last, and proved admir- ably to suit the palate of the crowded Opposition benches. Mr, Maden was not only cheered up to the table, where his escort left him, but was cheered all the while the clerk, in dumb show, administered the oath to him ; again whilst he was signing the Roll of Parliament ; and a third time, with growing enthusiasm, when he was introduced to the Speaker. During this episode, Mr. Chamberlain, with folded arms, and a far-away look the late Mr. Disraeli might have envied, sat in the seat Avhere Lord Hartino^ton was wont to doze. Feb. 16. --Lord Lord Randoli^li Churchill appeared in the House Randolph. , ,. \ ,. . ^ ^ . , r-t • to-day lor the nrst tune smce the Session opened. He looks in excellent health, and much more civilised than the day he arrived from the Cape. His beard then was in a strangely loose condition. It is now trimmed, and shares with his moustache the friendly caress familiar in days when he sat below the gangway. In spite of this trimming of the beard, the great explorer, as a patrician member of the House observed to-night, has a decidedly "colonial" look. He is in high spirits, and discusses the political situa- tion with delightful frankness. He does not intend to take a prominent part in such proceedings as may be possible to the present Parliament. He remained a couple of hours, holding something like a levee from his old corner seat above the gangway. He had a long conversation with Sir M. Hicks- Beach, a former colleague, with whom his friendly relations have not, as in many other cases, been interrupted. ^terate^viTel-^" "^^^^ "^^^'^^ *^'^ Death hovcrs over the House of Commons. You can almost hear the rustling of his wings. The talk is all of the coming dissolution. The 450 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [is9-2. Irish Local Government Bill interests members not, nor Small Holdings either. To-night Mr. AVebster, with the acumen of a barrister-at-law and the trained strategy of one who has served for sixteen years in the 3rd Battahon South Lancashire Kegi- ment, thought he had secured a subject to which the very circumstances of the case would lend a charm. After the dissolution comes the General Election, and in the breasts of candidates a personal interest in the Illiterate Voter begins to glow. Mr. Webster, accordingly, had secured a place for dis- cussion of the delicate question whether the Illiterate Voter should, like the Irish Church, be abolished, or whether, like the Union up to the present moment, he should be retained. It was not yet half-past seven, when, boldly springing up from a bench behind that on which Ministers should have been sitting, he exclaimed in trumpet tone, " Mr. Speaker ! " The hour was perhaps drawing a little dangerously near to that at which members are accustomed to dine. But the Illiterate Voter, cuon the eloquence and military knowledge of the member for East St. Pancras, might surely be counted upon to keep an audience together even though the dinner-bell rang and the perfume of the waiting soup stole softly o'er the senses. At the moment the orator faced the House it was crowded in exhilarating fashion. Over three hundred members had just passed through the division lobbies, and had gathered in their places to hear the result of what had suddenly threatened to become a narrow majority for the Government. Mr. Lloyd George had brought forward a motion condemning the ap- pointment of a certain County Court judge in Wales, on the ground that he was not able to speak the musical language of the Principality. The debate did credit to the Welsh members, most of the speeches being to the point and all brief A poser for the The interposition of the burl}^ member for the General. Rhoudda \'allcy stirred the current with fresh interest. Mabon has a pretty habit, learned amid the hills and dales and chapels of his native land, of varying his oratory by occasionally dropping into song. To- night he had a fresh and scarcely less pleasing surprise in store. The Attorney-General met the indictment in the resolution by affirming, first, that the offence of a])pointing a 1S9-2.] THE LEADER OF THE HOUSE. 451 non-Welsli-speaking County Court judge was not peculiar to a Conservative Lord Chancellor ; secondly, that, after all, the practical inconvenience was not so great as had been pictured b}^ Cymric imagination. " Very well," said Mabon, in eftect, " let us consider the matter. Here we are in the County Court House at Ynysymaengwyn. I'm the plaintiff. The Attorney- General is the County Court judge. He, in the course of the case, asks me if I am prepared to swear that the boots de- livered to the defendant, for the price of which I sue, were rights and lefts or otherwise as the defendant alleges. That is a delicate question I, with my partial knowledge of English, do not trust myself to answer, except in my native tongue. Therefore I say : — Cym^mer dau biucch, ar gwastad dawdd lluest tivlch ; pen-dre pistyll hwlch dwy hafod-tai lech luedd Yspytty ? Now," thundered Mabon, Avhilst the House of Commons held its breath and a cloud of embarrassment stole over the ingenuous face of the Attorney-Cleneral, " what does the honourable and learned gentleman sa}^ to that?" The Leader of The Leader of the House had evidently in- tended at the outset to leave the conduct of the case in the able hands of the Attorney-General. But after this demonstration of its difficulties he found it necessary, or desirable, to throw into the discussion the weight of his personal authority and official position. His speech, apart from other qualities, was interesting as illustrating the new manner assumed by him since he came to the Leadership. Those familiar with his bearing during the long Sessions he was Chief Secretary would scarcely have recognised the Minister laboriously and deferentially attempting to soothe the ruffled feelings of the Welsh members. The light of battle gleamed no more from his eyes. The quivering figure was restful, almost staid in its pose. The smile with which he was wont to launch his barbed arrows on their unerring course pla3"ed no longer round his lijDs. He was strictly official, not to say surprisingly commonplace. Far be it from him to question the intrinsic justice of the plaint uttered by the Welsh members. As for the resolution on the subject passed by the House of Commons in 1872, upon which Mr. Lloyd George had built his proposition, Mr. Balfour was 452 A niABY OF THE S ALLS BUB Y PABLIAMENT. [is92. almost lured into something of his pristine energy in assever- ating his perfect approval of it. " I am the last man in this House," he said, glancing quickly towards the third bench below the gangway opposite to see if by chance Mr. Tim Healy was in his seat, " to desire to introduce political controversy into such a question." But certainly Lord Halsbury in this particular appointment had the suf)port of example set to him by Lord Chancellors acting under the Government of Mr. Gladstone ; " and hon. gentle- men from Wales," he added, with winning smile, " will not be inclined to dispute the authority of the right hon. gentleman the member for Midlothian." It was a pity Sir William Harcourt felt it his duty to interpose at this idyllic moment. What seemed more appro- priate to the occasion was that Mabon should have risen, chanted a bar of " The March of the Men of Harlech," the Attorney-General (whose vocal parts are highly appreciated at Bar messes and in other social circles) should have sung the next verse, and, the resolution withdrawn, Mr. Webster might have found earlier opportunity of introducing the Illiterate A'^oter. But Sir William Harcourt, as he once inferred, is almost human. Following Mr. Balfour to-night, he once again sounded the tocsin of war, and the Welsh members, shaking off the subtle influence of the Leader's melting mood, insisted upon going to a division, bringing down the Government majority to ominous repetition of the twenty odd votes by which tlic Address had been saved on Monda}'. Mr. Webster'-s It Avas to the throug opposite, tumultuous with delightat this result, that Mr. Webster addressed his speech, " Mr. Speaker," he cried aloud, with that sten- torian voice with which he was accustomed to rally the 3rd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment in the stricken field. The innnediate effect was oddly different from that it was wont to work upon the faithful 3rd Battalion. Instead of bringing the serried ranks to attention, it broke them up. With hilarious laughter and a mocking cheer the crowd streamed forth through the doorway, Mr. Webster finding it necessary to pause till the bustle of departure was stilled. Even 1S02.] CALLING MB. BE GOBAIN. 453 for an experienced orator it was embarrassing and dishearten- ing to see what he had fondly hoped might be his audience rapidly disappearing into space. In this dilemma, experience and habits gained in his varied occupation as a barrister-at- law, " also a magistrate for Middlesex," came to his assistance and evaded disaster. He had observed the precaution of writing out on brief paper his remarks about the Illiterate Voter, and these he proceeded to read to the Speaker and the Serjeant-at-Arms. Members furtively looking in from time to time anxiously examined the decreasing bulk of the manuscript, desirous of gauging the probable duration of the reading. Happily the folios were not numerous, and Mr. Webster, getting along at breathless rate, was permitted to conclude. But when Mr. Kenny rose with obvious intention of making this also an Irish question a count was moved. The bells rang through empty corridors, and when the Speaker counted heads, there were not forty within sight, and the House adjourned. Feb. 23.— Calling ;>^ot manv members were drawn to the House j\Ir. De Cobain. ^ -^ , ^ ..... „ . . to-day, even by the possibility ot assisting at a dramatic scene in connection with Mr. De Cobain, the fugi- tive member for Belfast. The first business of the sitting was the reading of the order calling upon him to be in his place. It was evidently empty to-night, and Mr. Balfour having ascertained the fact by looking round, thought the road was clear. Th6 clerk at the table having read the order of the day, the Leader of the House promptly followed with notice of his motion to expel ]\Ir. De Cobain. This was a curious blunder, some- thing parallel to that committed by Mr. Goschen at the end of the Session, when he attempted to expel Mr. De Cobain forthwith. Mr. De Cobain should lirst have been cited to appear, but the new Leader was in such a hurry to get rid of his old follower that he did not await this ceremony, and went on reading the terms of his motion. He was interrupted by murmurs from the benches opposite, and stopped with a sudden start, apparently apprehensive that at the last moment the hunted member had turned up, and was making his way to his place. There were cries of " Call him, call him," and the Speaker rising, Mr. Balfour resumed his seat. 454 A DIARY OF THE SALTSBUBY PABLIAMENT. [iS92. The Speaker added to the mystery by "putting the question," but no one heard what the question was, only the Speaker's declaration that "the ayes had it." The Speaker having resumed his seat, Mr. Balfour went on again. When he came to the statement in the resolution that Mr. De Cobain had failed to obey the orders of the House, there were cries of " Perhaps he's here." More than ever mystified, and beginning to suspect that members opposite had some special knowledge on the subject, Mr. Balfour stood and stared around him. Mr. Dillon came to his assistance by explaining that there was no evidence to show that Mr. De Cobain had failed to appear. Mr. Balfour once more re-seating himself, the Speaker in his sonorous voice called "Mr. De Cobain." There was no response, and at length Mr. Balfour succeeded in giving notice of his intention on Friday to move the expulsion of the member for Belfast. F®^- 25. — Sir Xhe misfortunes of the Parliamentary career of bell. ' Sir George Campbell were crowned by the accident that ncAvs of his death reached the House of Commons on the night the Irish Local Govern- ment Bill was brought in. That event, and the circum- stances attending it, were such as to engross conversation in the lobbies, and to fill the columns of next day's papers. Thus poor Sir George's removal from a scene through which he restlessly moved for sixteen Sessions received scarcely the notice it merited. On the whole he is spoken of kindly among his old associates at Westminster. He was, no one attempts to disguise it, a terrible bore, and this was the more lamented since his ability and capacity were unquestioned. He entered on the Parliamentary scene with a high reputa- tion. There was at the time question in the newspapers at home and abroad as to hoAv India would get along Avhen he was no longer a member of its Council and Lieutenant- Governor of Bengal. Possibly this high reputation had something to do with his melanchol}' fall. Long accustomed to autocratic position, he within a few days of entering the House of Commons fell a-lecturing it^ proposing to personally direct its debates and proceedings, as, a few months earlier, he had ruled 1892.] THE NEW LEADER. 455 the Bengalese. He was genuinely surprised to find how different are men and things at Westminster. But, always sure he was right, he went on rubbing the House the wrong- way, dogmatising in a rasping voice, the like of which was never heard on land or sea. Cocksure, indomitable, the more the House wouldn't listen to him the more frequently he spoke, till it came to pass in these later years that at the first sound of that unmistakable voice, however grave he might be, however serious his purpose, however important the occasion, it was instantly echoed by a shout of derisive laughter. ^^new^Leader^'" ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^® ^^"^^'®® wecks has Mr. Arthur Balfour held the oflice of Leader of the House of Commons, and already he is aweary. The light is fading from his eye, the ready smile from his lips ; his temper is growing short, and his face grey. It seemed bad enough whilst he was Chief Secretary with back to the wall fighting, often singlehanded, the then United Irish Party. Two con- ditions then existent are absent now, which sadly vary the situation. Then he was on the war-path, might deal blow for blow, meet concentrated attack by a brilliant foray into the enemy's country. Also he had- behind him an enthusiastically admiring host of backers. Whenever he stood up to do battle with Mr. Tim Healy, Mr. O'Brien, Mr. Dillon, or Mr. Sexton, he was sure to be inspirited by a hearty cheer, and every parrying stroke or skilful thrust was watched with keen delight and hailed with rousing cheers. It is altogether different with the Leader of the House. Almost the last quality needed in him is that he should be a fighting man. This is illustrated in the case of Mr. W. H. Smith, and goes a long way to explain his remarkable success in the office into which accident and dire necessity thrust him. Mr. Smith instinctively recognised that the Leader of the House of Commons is something more than the chief of a political party. Gentlemen grouped on the right hand of the Speaker are his joarticular flock ; but gentlemen opj^osite also form a component part of the House, and he is Leader of the House. Mr. Smith never forgot this in his lightest word or passing gesture. He carried the principle so far, that when proposing or discussing business arrangements, 456 A DIARY OF TEE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [is92. or the provisions of a measure, he habitually ignored the existence of his OAvn side, addressing himself exclusively with painstaking courtesy and subtly winning deference to gentle- men opposite. This habit, natural to a kindly, peaceable, unaggressive nature, worked wonders upon the Opposition. Mr. Smith was not a great statesman nor a brilliant Parliamentarian. He frequently stumbled into error, and was even more often drawn into embarrassing position by the blunders of his colleagues. But no Leader since Lord Palmerston's later day was so certain of friendly consideration from the Opposition. For the despatch of business, dependent as it is upon the equable temperament of the House, Mr. Smith as Leader was worth more to the Conservative Party than an addition of twenty votes on any one of their recorded majorities. A contrast. It is impossible to conceive two men more anti- pathic than Mr. W. H. Smith and Mr. Arthur Balfour. Where in given circumstances one succeeded, the other might be counted on as sure to fail. That does not necessarily follow in the matter of the Leadership of the House of Commons. But it points to an initial difficulty that faces Mr. Balfour, and with which he has been struggling, not successfully, through the three weeks of his novitiate. The House, grown accustomed to Mr. Smith's gentle sway, to the success of which it all unconsciously contributed, is startled into an attitude of censoriousness at the personal change. There was a great deal of human nature in the Black Country denizen who, being told that a passer-by on whom his eye had lighted was a new comer, promptly said, " Then let's 'eave arf a brick at 'im." The House of Commons, the sublimation of humanity, is not wholly free fro]n this tendency to resent the intrusion of a new comer. Mr. J^alfour has the further disadvantage of being a new comer only in the sense that he is new to the prominent post he now fills. He brings to the discharge of his duties the recollection of bitter animosity born in the days when he was Chief Secretary. The curious thing notable in the House of Coimnons just now is that whilst these animosities evidently live on the benches' opposite, the enthusiastic support from his 1S92.] OTHER LEADERS. 457 own side which buoyed up the Chief Secretary is chilled in presence of the First Lord of the Treasury. Only last Session Mr. Balfour's coming and going to and from the Treasury bench, and his appearance at the table in debate, were the sure signal of enthusiastic cheers from the serried hosts of the Conservatives. Now, as far as these outward and visible signs of personal admiration go, he is of no more account than Mr. Goschen. other Leaders. There happened to-night an incident that sharply illustrated the curious change that has come over the House in this personal matter. Early in the term of his new office Mr. Balfour introduced a custom defensible from certain narrow aspects, but decidedly grating on old tra- ditions and the sense of the general fitness of things. There is no unwritten law of Parliamentary procedure more peremp- tory or implacable than that the Leader of the House shall be in his place from the time public business commences till the cry " Who goes home ? " echoes through the outer lobby. It is a hard rule at which the British workman who would have his daily toil strictly limited to eight hours would scoff It is, moreover, physically impossible that any man, however hardy in mind and body, should bear the strain pressing upon him night after night through six or seven months in a year. Yet, within memory of the present generation, the demand has been met with almost imper- ceptible lapse. Up to the very dsij when Mr. Disraeli, a septuagenarian in years, worn with the incessant toil of half a century, walked out of the House of Conmions to enjoy the fuller leisure of the Lords, he was, whilst Leader of the House of Commons, rarely absent from the Treasury bench for a full hour at a time, or for an aggregate of two hours through a prolonged sitting. However empty the House might be, however dull and commonplace the pro- ceedings, there sat the passive figure on the Treasury bench with arms folded, the skirt of his morning coat carefully drawn over his crossed knees, head bent down, but eyes keenly observant and ears ever open. With Mr. Gladstone the daily habit was identical, save that when on the Treasury bench he was i-arelj^ at rest, 458 A DIAUY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [i892. showing by liis gestures, sometimes by interpolation, con- stantly by whispered, remarks to his companion, how closely he followed the most immaterial speech. During the troublous Sessions of 1881 and 1882 Mr. Gladstone had reduced the necessity of dining to an exact science. For health's sake he spent the necessary time in walking to Dowming Street and back. But it was all done, dinner included, within a space that never exceeded forty minutes, and at grave crises was accomplished in half an hour. Early in his tenure of office Mr. W. H. Smith, foregoing the luxury of dining in Grosvenor Place, had a chop or a cut off the joint served in his room behind the Speaker's chair, eating it staff in hand and his loins girded as if the banquet were a Passover meal. He was always ready to rush into the House at sound of the division bell or on the arrival of a messenger with news of gathering complications. In the cases of Mr. Disraeli and Mr. Gladstone, it must be remembered that, in addition to the cares of Leadership, they bore all the burden of the State on their shoulders. As Prime Minister, their anxious labours begim with the mail on the breakfast-table, were pursued throughout the da}^, and when they took their seat on the Treasury bench they had already accomplished a task sufficient for the strength of a more than ordinary man. Yet it was but the prelude to a further course of from eight to ten hours' delicate work, performed in the fullest blaze of light that beats on public men, and in the presence of the most critical assembly in the world. Mr. Disraeli's Premiership, combined with the Leadership of the House of Commons, was marked by times compared with which those the House of Commons now drones through are midday siestas. In addition to struggling against the growing force and aggressiveness of the newly-born Home Rule Party, the Leader of the 1874-80 House of Conmions was confronted by the danger of Europe ablaze with war and Northern India in revolt. Later, Mr. Gladstone, beyond the Irish Land Bills and Coercion Bills, had Egypt and a Avar in South Africa on his hands. Finally, the conditions under which, at these times, woi-k was possible in the House of Conunons were wholly different. 1S02.] il/7?. GLADSTONE NEARING 83. 459 Procedure had not tlien been simplified, nor the authority of the Chair strengthened, and, above all, there was not the sweet certainty that, come what may, debate must, in ordinary circumstances, close on the stroke of midnight. The Leader of the present House of Commons maybe, and it is to be hoped often is, in bed at an hour when, in Mr. Disraeli's time, and through Mr. Gladstone's last Leadership, the battle was only beginning, with fair promise of continuance till break of day. In such times and amid such manners these earlier Leaders, handicapped with the weight of nearly double Mr. Balfour's 3^ears, contrived to be in their places when the stream of questions began to floAV. Mr. Balfour regards his duty from a different point of view, lounging in when questions are almost over, and then delegating to his colleagues the task of answering those personally addressed to him. To-night, when he returned after one of these absences, upon which Mr. Dillon had meanwhile bitterly remarked, he Avas hailed with ironical cheers from the Irish members. Time was Avhen this demonstration Avould have been met and overpowered by a thunderous cheer from the Ministerialists. To-night they made no response. It is, perhaps, a trifling thing, not meritmg the increasing attention growling round it in the Commons. But small errors of conduct are sometimes more fatal to success in high places than are breaches of the Decalogue. CHAPTER XLIV. HARD TIMES FOR IRISH MEMBERS. Mr. Gladstone nearing fv • • i ^ cheer Avent up from the Opposition, and then a dead silence fell on the crowded House. Mr. Gladstone was discovered standing at the table, and passion was hushed in anxiety to hear what he should say. It was an opportunity that an ordinary leader of the Opposition — say Lord Randolph Churchill or Mr. Arthur Balfour — might have been expected to find irresistibly drawing him in one direction. The Minister in charge of the business had woefully blundered. The question had direct bearing on the General Election. Amid the stilhiess that prefaced Mr. Gladstone's opening sentence you could almost hear the murmur of the multitude of work- men listening at the doors, waiting to learn whether, as their spokesmen below the gangway had put it, even-handed justice was to be dealt out as between their employers and them. It would have been so easy for Mr. Gladstone to have made things uncommonly awkward for the Government, to have led on the cheering pack below the gangway, and have won by a speech the in numerable working-man vote. To do otherwise was for one in his position as difhcult as the task Socrates depicts for the orator called upon to praise Athenians among Peloponnesians, or Peloponnesians among Athenians. Mr. Gladstone did not seem even to be aware of the existence of the temptation. He is, above all things, a Parliamentarian, jealous of the privileges of the House of Commons, resolved to vindicate them, but anxious that it should be done with dignity and with a deference to justice, untainted by passion or prejudice. He doubtless had his opinion about Sir Michael Beach's speech and his general bearing throughout the episode. What the House had to deal with was the resolution submitted to it, and that he showed, in a brief speech worthy of the highest traditions of Parliamentary debate, was adequate and in accordance with precedent. Revolt below the Xhis Settled the matter as far as the main issue gangwav. was concerned. But the angry party below the 474 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY FARLIAMEXT. [is9-2. gangway broke away from tlieir leader, when they found him differing from them, and hour after hour through the long night the fierce fire flamed. Through it all passed, at stated times and in due and decorous order, the movements of the (quaint comedy of procedure in privilege cases. One of the accused directors was a member of the House, and was per- mitted to appear in his place. The other three attended in the outer lobby, unmanacled, but conscious of the concentrated gaze of a dozen policemen and attendants posted at various coigns of vantage. " Let the directors be called in," said the Speaker when the Order of the Day for consideration of the special report was reached. The Serjeant-at-Arms, approaching the table, shouldered the Mace and went forth in search of the culprits. Meanwhile, two attendants advanced to the cross-benches by the doorway- and drew forth the Bar. Presently the Serjeant-at-Arms, with the great Mace gleaming on his shoulder, appeared with the three prisoners in custod}-. It was noted, with that delighted appreciation a habitually bored House discovers in odd details, that one of the directors had brought with him an umbrella in one hand and his hat in the other, which gave him quite a morning-caller appearance, grotesquely out of keeping with the solemnity of the scene and the dignity of the Mace borne aloft by the Serjeant-at-Arms. The directors, having apologised and set down something in extenuation, Avere ordered to withdraw. Then followed the long discussion, interspersed with exciting divisions. Seven hours later, Avhat was left of the depressed and storm-beaten directors was again brought up to the Bar, where they limply stood, whilst the vSpeaker, Avith awful mien and terrible voice, " most seriously admonished " them. April 9. — An ]\lr, Alexander Blane, member for South Armao'h, Irish orator. . . , f i tt ■ is, perhaps, the only member ot the House oi C'onnnons who invests a debate with reminiscences of antique oratorical gesture possibly familiar in the times of Demosthenes. If it has a fault, the prejudice of the day might urge that it smacks of the oheval glass. In dull times between the seasons, when the noljility and gentry of Armagh are withholding orders 1892.] IN COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. 475 in anticipation of the arrival of newer fashion plates, one can picture the hon. member alone in his establishment in Scotch Street posing before the long glass and studying various gestures wherewith, when the Session opens, he may the better confound Mr. Balfour or strike terror into the soul of Sir William Harcourt. Sometimes, if criticism be further permitted, there is a lack of unity between the slow scornful gesture of the right arm and the remark Mr. Blane is at the moment making. It is said of an hon. member below the gangway, whose interposition on questions of Imperial policy are frequent and familiar, that his voice and all his gestures are too big for him, that they were made for a man at least six feet high, and were by some strange freak of Nature conferred upon him. In the case of Mr. Blane the principle of disproportion is not carried out in this wholesale and retail manner. It is only when he rises to move for " Unopposed Return No. 2," or to make some cognate remark, that the impressive uplifting of the right elbow, the slow stretching forth of the right hand, and the subtle indication of desire to snap indignant thumb against scornful forefinger, seem as if they belong to another speech. In Committee of Mr. Blauc's interposition in debate to-day fol- loAved upon Mr. Labouchere's inquiry as to Ministerial intentions in respect of the dissolution. The vote under discussion was that for the sustentation of the Royal Palaces and Marlborough House. It did not at first blush seem to lead up naturally to thoughts of dissolution. But an old Parliamentary hand like Mr. Labouchere knows how to bring his remarks within the limits of regulated debate. The member for Northampton is nothing if not constitutional. He came down bristling with precedents, requiring, firstly, that Mr. Balfour should give a pledge that in the event of the dissolution being postponed till September, October, or November, a Bill should be introduced accelerating the process of registration, so that the General Election should take place on the new register. Further, he required that whenever the dissolution took place. Parliament shoidd forthwith be summoned. It was pretty to watch Mr Balfour's air of startled 476 A DIARY OF THE SALISBUHY PARLIAMENT. [is92. surprise that this topic should have been suddenly sprung upon the House. They were gathered together with the ostensible purpose of considering the details of expendi- ture in the matter of the Royal Palaces. At the outset this natural condition of affairs had prevailed. Mr. Labouchere himself had, as it were, personally gone over Marlborough House and Buckingham Palace, tapping the drains, seeing that the windows were properl}^ glazed, and that there had been no overflow in the bath-rooms. Mr. Alpheus Cleophas Morton had generously proposed that Buckingham Palace or Kensington Palace, he really didn't seem to care which, should be set aside for the purposes of a British gallery of art. Mr. Storey — Richard, mon roi, L'univers t'ahandonne ! — had genially observed that the Prince of Wales and the rest of the Royal Family were well able to pay for the maintenance of their residences, and it was shabby of them not only to take their palaces free, but to sponge upon the public to keep them in repair. Mr. Plunket had met these various objections with mingled courtesy and humour that disarmed everybody but Alpheus Cleophas, who, rising again and again, insisted upon knowing why Holyrood Palace, in which he told the Committee " he took a strong interest," was not kept in repair. Mr. Gladstone Evcu Alphous Clcophas was at length, though four. ' ' only temporarily, silenced, and on a division the proposed reduction of the vote was negatived. Then, when it seemed the vote migrht be passed, Mr. Labouchere came to the front with his constitutional question, plunging Mr. Balfour into the condition of puzzled surprise above noted. The First Lord of the Treasury had really nothing to say on the interesting subject broached. He was charmingly ignorant of historical facts bearing upon it. But taking, as he said, history from Mr. Labouchere, he was not able to find in the precedents cited any way to the conclusions arrived at in the amiable speech they had just listened to. Indeed, they led him in an exactly opposite direction. Mr. Gladstone followed, and a quickened interest was mani- fested in the croAvdcd assembly. Mr. Balfour's brief speech was exceedingly clever. He had appeared to reply to the 189-2.1 MB. BLANE. 477 interpellation from the other side, and yet had said nothing — sometimes the highest form of Ministerial speech. If Mr. Gladstone chose to protest against its light, airy manner, and insist on some definite declaration, the Opposition Avould only too gladly take the cue, and an angry debate would follow. Mr. Gladstone was, however, as he has been since his return from sunny climes, in most benignant mood. He threw the cloak of his supreme authority over the Minister, at the same time dexterously managing to avoid irritation among his own followers by suggesting that, though this might not be the time to press for an answer to the questions put by Mr. Labouchere, the time would surely come. Ml. Biane. It was after attentively listening to this debate on constitutional practices, participated in by eminent authorities, that Mr. Blane was moved to speech. He desii-ed to widen the scope of controversy by cross-examining right hon. gentlemen on the front Opposition bench. Mr. Labouchere had confined his questioning to the Ministers of the day. Mr. Blane's keen perception glanced beyond this limit, and his logical mind led him on to discuss a further stage of the question opened up. It was tacitly and generally admitted that the General Election would lead to the installation of a new Ministry, and, as Mr. Blane said, it was much more important to know what they would do in certain relations than to ascertain what the present Govern- ment thought. " Not," Mr. Blane added, bringing forth his right arm with stately sweep, " that we care what Government is in power after the General Election, regarding them only as they may be of use to us." Here Mr. Courtney interposed with gentle reminder that this was straying somewhat beyond the scope of the question before the House. Mr. Blane gazed silently and reproachfully at the Chairman of Committees, making a movement with his eloquent right arm that said things otherwise unutterable. After a pause he went on again, resuming with professional skill the thread of his discourse. His prophetic eye beheld Mr. Gladstone seated on the Treasury bench after the General Election, once more engaged upon the task of endeavouring 478 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [i892. to settle Irish questions in conformity with British opinion and without estranging Irish alHes. Catching sight of Mr. GJ ad- stone (at present on the front Opposition bench) intently listening, Mr. Blane leaned forward as if to whisper in his ear. " We shall be hard taskmasters," he said, not without pleasing anticipation of days to come. The Conservatives cheered jubilantly at the prospect thus opened up ; but Mr. Courtney, who resembles Heaven inasmuch as Order is his first law, again interrupted with increased sternness of manner. There was another pause on the part of the orator, who regarded the Chairman of Committees Avith some such look as ho might have bestowed upon an importunate customer who twice in a season had made unfounded complaint of a misfit. Thus again recalled to the question before the House, namely, that a vote of £29,850 be granted to Her Majesty for the supply and maintenance of the Royal Palaces and Marl- borough House, Mr. Blane lapsed into a few comparatively inconsequential remarks bearing on Kew Gardens and the rapacity of turncocks at Windsor Castle. But this was only a parenthesis forced upon him by the scholastic discipline of the Chairman of Committees. Suddenly, without preface, and with one of his most majestic gestures, he said, " AVhat we want to know is about the policy of the next Government — " Mr. Courtney was on his feet in a moment, and the Committee looked for the fall of the inevitable blow. The recalcitrant member, if he escaped the dire penalty of "naming," must surely be ordered to resume his seat. Before Mr. Courtney could open his mouth to deliver the judgment that evidently trembled on his lips, Mr. Blane, again leaning forward, as he had earlier bent over Mr. Gladstone, continued," the policy of the next Government about the vote now under discussion." The House shouted with laughter at the happy turn that thus snatched the opportunity from the Chairman as he was in the act of reaching out his hand to seize it. It was some minutes before silence Avas restored, Mr. Blane meanwhile standing impassive, his arms now drooped at his side, his face wearing an aspect of gravity that gave the last touch to the humour of the situation. When the uproar ceased he went 1S92.] SPEECHES HEARD AND READ. 479 on again discussing the details of tlie vote, the crowded House watching and waiting for the inevitable head of Charles the First to reappear. Presently it peeped forth from under the orator's arms. Mr. Courtney, not again to be baffled, brought his ferrule sharply doAvn on its pate, and Mr. Blane having resumed his seat when the Chairman rose, kept it, content that his sentence, like " the unfinished window in Aladdin's tower, unfinished must remain." April 10.— Some speeches delivered in the House of and read. Commons havo fuller effect when read in the newspaper columns, Avhilst others suffer little from the change of medium of communication. In the former category were the speeches Lord Hartington was wont to deliver whilst yet he sat in the Commons. They were distinctly better to read than to hear. The reader who had also heard them was, indeed, sometimes surprised to find how lucid was the arrangement and how weighty the argument. Lord Hartington, at his best, never added to the liveliness of the House of Commons. But, to do him justice, no one was ever so bored with his speeches as he looked Avhilst he delivered them. Free from the weight of his personal depression, the ear not offended by the unmusical voice, and not wearied by constant effort to catch the full syllables of the conclusion of sentences, the student of Lord Harting- ton's Parliamentary speeches had full opportunity to realise the value of the sagacity and insight into public affairs which distinguished them. Mr. Chamberlain's speeches come within the second and more fortunate category. It is an intellectual pleasure either to hear or to read them. The pleasure is, of course, the greater when one comes within the charm of a singularly clear voice and a perfect enunciation. But those who have not the opportunity of hearing the speeches may be well content to read a verbatim report. The same remark applies to Sir William Harcourt, and even with greater force to Mr. John Morley, who is often better to read than to listen to. Sir William Harcourt, like Mr. Chamberlain inasmuch as his speeches read well, is also like him in adding in the delivery much to their force and charm. 480 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [1892. A great speech. ^Ii'- ^xlaclstone is the oiiG living orator to whom no report, however faithful may be the transcrij)t, can do justice. How true this is will be felt by those who, having had the good fortune to hear his sj^eech in the House of Commons this afternoon, turn to read the report in the morning papers. For those who first make its acquaintance through the latter medium, it may, happily^ appear impossible of improvement. They will recognise its lightness of touch, its sting, and its absolute felicity of phrasing. They will miss the picturesque figure, the richly modulated voice, and the dramatic, though natural, gestures. Also there will be lacking the scene in which the little comedy was set, the crowded House ; the laughing faces all turned upon the orator; Mr. Chamberlain trying to smile back on the benevolent visage bent over him with just a flash of malice in the gleaming eyes ; and, so that no touch might be missing to complete the perfectness of the scene just behind Mr. Chamberlain, sitting well forward on the bench, with folded arms and honest face broadened to a grin of perhaps qualified appreciation, Mr. Jesse Collings, " the hon. member for Bordesley, the faithful henchman of my right hon. friend, who would cordially re-echo that or any other ojjinion." Mr. Gladstone has often, in various ways, delighted the House of Commons, sometimes stirring its emotions to its profoundest depths, often compelling its admiration by either skilfully evading an argument or irresistibly grappling with it. But it may safely be averred that never within recent memory has he suffused the House with such keen delight as moved it this afternoon. So uncontrollable was the laughter on the Liberal benches that it occasionally marred some of the points, breaking in too soon on an un- finished sentence. That Avas reasonable enough, and fully to be expected. The pleasure Mr. Gladstone's gently scathing speech gave on that side of the House was not purely intellectual. There was joy over the lost sinner in a sense quite other than that pertaining to the phrase in its origmal application. As Edgar Allan Poe loved his Annabel Lee " with a love that was more than love," so the}' hate their lost leader Avith a hate that is more than hate. Singly or in battalion, they are impotent against him in debate. There 1S92.] TIIK TORIES AND MR. GLADSTONE. 481 are, in truth, only three men in the House of Commons who can measure swords with Mr. Chamberlain, and here was the greatest of all slashing and cutting with infinite grace and skill, with effect all the greater because the onslaught was free from the slightest display of brutal force. Fighting practically single-handed, Mr. Chamberlain has held his own in the House of Commons through six turbulent Sessions. Now at last he was " getting it." '^h^ '^P,"^'^ ^"'^ The merrunent on the Opposition benches was Mr. Gladstone. ^ , ■, ^ ^ f ■ natural enough, notable only for its exuber- ance. The aspect of hon. gentlemen watching the sport from the other side of the House was more interesting. They have had occasion more than once this Session — the memory of Thursday night was still fresh in their minds — to acknowledge Mr. Gladstone's ability and tendency to rise above considerations of party tactics, and stand before the House as the embodiment of its highest traditions, its most ennobling principles. There were some present who remembered the early Sessions of the Parliament of 1874, when the fallen Minister was the target of obloquy and derision, a position more hard to bear since there was no un- controllable desire displayed on his own side to shield him from the darts. There may have been some who took part in the memorable scene in the division lobby, when Mr. Gladstone, going out to vote against the Government of the day, was greeted by the Conservative majority with a yell of execration that filled the lobbies and echoed through the empty chamber, startling the strangers in the gallery. That was only fourteen years ago, almost to a day. Regarding the attitude of the Conservatives in the House of Commons in this month of April, and comparing it with that assumed on the 12tli of April, 1878, a centurj^ seems to stretch its limitless plain betAveen the two dates in the calendar. On the several occasions he has spoken during the present Session, Mr. Gladstone has been listened to on the Ministerial benches with rapt, almost reverent attention, the situation being saved from absolute monotony in this respect by occasional signs of doubtful appreciation from below the gangway where the Radicals sit. 482 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [is92. Mr. Chamber- This aftemoon, when Mr. Gladstone, regardless of etiquette, turned his back upon the Speaker and addressed himself personally to Mr. Chamberlain, good Conservatives on the benches opposite rolled about in their seats with uncontrollable laughter, whilst here and there some of the Old Guard did not feel it incompatible with the general terms of their new alliance to cheer a more than ordinary skilful thrust. What Mr. Balfour thought of it all can only be imagined. It is reported of him that once, when Mr. Goschen's finance was undergoing rough handling from the adversary opposite, he openly indulged in a merry chuckle. That was in days when he occupied the com- paratively subordinate post of Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant. Now he is the Leader of the House, and it would never do for him to pay the tribute of a smile to flashes of humour, however brilliant, indulged in at the expense of a powerful ally. So, whilst the House shook with laughter and rattled with hilarious cheering, Mr. fjalfour sat with head bent down, toying with a paper, only a certain twitching at the corners of his mouth showing how deeply he was Avounded by the castigation of a friend. CHAPTER XLVL THE DERBY DAY. More about the Letter to the Queen— The Beg'inning of the Correspondence- Mr. Cuninghamc Grahiim Suspended — Sir Richard Temple — An Embarrass- ing Resolution — The Shadow of the Dissolution — Expectation — Despair— A Bishop in the Commons' Lobby — Dinner Dress — The Derby Day — Mr. Gcdge's Opportunity — A new Record. May 1. - More An impression exists in the House of Commons. to the iineen. and has ucvcr been contradicted, that Lord Beaconsfield delegated to Lord Ijarrington the task of writing the nightly letter to the Queen expected from the Leader of the House of Commons, and that he was imitated by Mr. W. H. Smith, who handed it over to Lord Lewisham. -Lord Piundolph Churchill assures me that THE LETTER TO THE QUEEN. 483 this impression, which has come to be an article of behef in Parliamentary circles, is entirely erroneous. In no case has it happened that the letter to the (^ueen has been written by other hand than that of the Leader of the House. It is true Lord Barrington and Lord Lewisham, fullillino- one of the duties imposed upon the Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, Avere in nightly communication with Her Majesty whilst the House of Commons was sitting. What the Yice-Chamberlain THE LETTEK TO THE QUEEX. does is simply to draAv up a bare summary of the course ot proceedings, which every three hours during the sitting of the House is transmitted by telegraph to Her Majesty, whether at Windsor or Balmoral. The letter to the (^)ueen is a different affair, being often of a private and confidential character, and it is written by the Leader. Mr. Gladstone always at least commenced his letter whilst seated on the Treasury bench. Mr. Disraeli never wrote on the Treasury bench. The action would have interfered with 484 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [iso2. his favourite attitude of folded arms, crossed legs, and Sphinx- like impassivity. Mr. Smith followed Mr. Gladstone's ex- ample, writing on the Treasury bench, with both ears open to the debate going forward. Mr. Balfour does the same, with the difference that he, with the enthusiasm of a beginner, commences earlier, describing events as they are enacted. The beginning of Jt was Gcorgc III. wlio instituted this prac- the correspond- . ^ , . ~ . , -, ^ ence. ticc. In liis tuuc there were no columns oi reports of Parliamentary proceedings in the newspapers, and His Majesty commanded Lord North to despatch him nightly from the House a letter descriptive of the proceedings. This w^as the first Parliamentary sum- mary on record. It has been abundantly supplemented during the Queen's reign, the private library at Bucking- ham Palace bulging with its record of fifty-five years. Here is a rich field of research for the historian, precious " copy " for the enterprising pubhsher. The work, written by a rare series of eminent hands — Sir Robert Peel, Johnny Russell, Lord Palmerston, Disraeli, Gladstone, Randolph Churchill, to-day Mr. Balfour, yesterday the commonplaces and copybook-heading quotations of " Old Morality " — would be delightful and instructive reading, certainly too good to be Avasted upon the desert air of Buckingham Palace. The only peep the public have been permitted to obtain of this treasure trove is afforded in Sir Theodore Martin's " Life of the Prince Consort." There are to be found a few passages of Mr. Disraeli's letters, written from the House of Commons during Lord Derby's second Administration. Dizzy was then still in the prime of life, and was sedulously setting himself to overcome the strong personal dislike wnth which the Queen, influenced by the Prince Consort, regarded him. Here was an oppor- tunity of showing Her Majesty what potentiality of an interesting and sprightly correspondent lurked under the glossy curls of the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, and he was at pains to make the most of the opportunity. His accounts of the Parliamentary proceedings doubtless lack the grim accuracy of Sir Robert Peel's communications. But, judging from the specimens available, they sparkle with point and are full of graphic touches. 1S92.] MR. nUNINGHAME Gh'AHAM SUSPENDED. 485 May4.— Mr.Cim- The level flow of debate in the House of Com- inghame Gra- ,. i i i • ,• ham suspended, mons was disturbed this atternoon m surprising, even startling, fashion. Mr. Haldane's Bill proposing to give compulsory powers to Town Councils to acquire land for public purposes occupied the whole of> the sitting. Midway in the debate Mr. Asquith rose to support the Bill, which he did in one of his closely-reasoned speeches. The House was at the time as empty as usual, albeit the Bill touched the sacred skirts of the property question. ]\Ir. Balfour did not think it worth while to be in his place. Mr. Matthews and Mr. Ritchie had the Treasury bench all to themselves. On the front Opposition bench Mr. Chamber- lain was one of the two or three members present. Suddenly, whilst Mr. Asquith was going forward in his quietly vigorous fashion, Mr. Cuninghame Graham, Avho was sitting behind, sprang to his feet, and, throwing up his arms, shouted in a loud voice, " I want to know about the swindling companies and their shareholders." j\Ir. Asquith, startled b}' this roar of human voice sounding in his ear, turned round and found Mr. Graham with clenched fist and flashing eyes leaning over him. There was a moment's pause in the astonished House. This was broken by the Speaker's cry of " Order, order." When the Speaker rises, a member on his feet is expected to sit down. Mr. Graham had no such intention. " Oh," he cried, wagging his head, " you can suspend me it you like." Upon this there were loud cries of " Order " from all parts of the House, Mr. Graham turning from side to side like a hound at bay. He went on to make further reference to the " shareholders of a swindling company," at which there was another shout of " Order." The case evidently being one calling for swift decision, the Speaker, without awaiting further development, " named " Mr. Graham, who was provokingly undismayed. Mr. Matthews, after a hasty consultation with the Clerk at the table, moved his suspension, and the question was put and carried with commendable celerity. Mr. Graham, of his own accord, walked out of the House, genially declaring, as he went, that the whole thing was a " swindle." 486 A DIARY OF THE BALIS BUBY BABLIAMENT. [i892. May 6.— Sir Rich- Qii the stroke of nine o'clock tliis evenino- Sir ard Temple. • ^ ^ -\ Kicnard. lemple strode with giacl step across Palace Yard, glancing up at the Clock Tower to see if the light was still on. It was burning brightly, in unison with the hope that flamed in his bosom. At the same time, ever eager in the public service, it occurred to the great legislator that here was an appreciable waste of public money. The sitting had been suspended at seven o'clock, not to be resumed till nine. The lengthening days had for the last fortnight made it unnecessary to flash forth during the morning sit- ting the beacon which comforts western London with the assurance that the Imperial Legislature is actually at work. Sir Richard's quick eye had noticed at earlier epochs of the Session that the light on the Clock Tower, burning when at seven the sitting was suspended, was left uselessly and ruin- ously expending its costly flame through the intervening two hours. In Committee of Supply on the vote for the expenses of the Houses of Parliament, Sir Richard would establish a fresh claim upon public confidence by questioning Mr. Plunket on this point. Meanwhile it was cheering to have the light up there drawing towards it, as the candle allures the moth, hundreds of members, who, hurrying over their dinner, were even now making their way down to the House, hastening to singe their wings in the fire of Sir Richard's eloquence. It was not about India that on this occasion he proposed to address them. His subject w-as the injustice done to certain persons engaged upon the establishment at Kew Gardens, whose remunerations contrasted unfavourably with that re- ceived by colleagues in cognate positions under the State. AVhat Sir Richard had to do with the Kew gardeners did not appear on the face of his amendment on going into Committee of Supply. He is, as all the world knows, member for the Evesham division of Worcestershire. On reflection it would be remembered that Sir Richard, feeling it invidious that he should concentrate his attention and his services upon a single constituenc}^ had resolved to sever his connection with Evesham, and at the coming General Election to oft'er himself to the electors of the Kingston Division of Surrey. Now Kew is in this division. - The workmen engaged in Kew Gardens 1S92.] AN EMBARRASSING RESOLUTION. 487 are electors, and it was natural that they should look to the coming member for some token of sympathy, a look not cast in vain. When Sir Richard reached the cloak room and divested himself of his overcoat, he carefully removed his hat and took from its recesses a dainty bunch of white chrysan- themums, which he inserted in the button-hole of his dress- coat. This was the offering of the Kew gardeners, his future constituents. He was their chosen knight, and he proudly wore their favour. An embarrassing All througli the uiorning sitting Sir Richard had plumed himself on the presence of mind which had secured for him this timely opportunity of com- mending himself to Kingston. For exactly a month there had stood in the first position on the Orders of the Day, placed there by that eminent statesman and orator Mr. Blane, a motion bluntly raising the question of Home Rule. The member for South Armagh, having drafted this critical motion and flung it in the face of the paralysed Liberal Opposition, had retired to his establishment in Scotch Street, Armagh, and gone on cutting out coats and trousers as unconcernedly as Charlotte cut bread and butter what time the love-light in Werther's eyes first beamed upon her. Probably never since Parliamentary institutions were created has there been pre- sented such startling paradox as this — two great political parties anxiously discussing a proposition affecting the highest Imperial interests, planning attack, concerting defence, whilst the author of the resolution, the originator of the dilemma, unconcerned for, perhaps unconscious of, the turmoil he had created, was quietly measuring the nobility and gentry of a small Irish town for six teen-shilling trousers. Somehow it came to pass that Mr. Blane's masterly stroke was averted in the fall. Probably the approach of spring, natur- ally leading to an influx of business, made it inconvenient for him at this present juncture to leave the establishment in Scotch Street. However it be, on Thursday morning a letter bearing the Armagh postmark reached the Clerk at the table, asking him to withdraw from the Order Book the resolution which for four weeks had agitated the political world. Then 488 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY RARLIAMENT. [is92. it was that Sir Richard Temple, with a readiness trained in the Bengal Civil Service and a fertility of resource cultivated amid the cares of the Government of Bombay, put down his resolu- tion calling attention to the grievance of the Kew gardeners, and so happily and unexpected!}^ found himself in command of the time at the evening sitting. '''^the'^''\'Sroia- ^^^^ ^'^^^^ ^^^^ during the afternoon had buzzed tion. through the lobby, filled the library, and echoed in the smoking-room, convinced Sir Richard that he had been none too soon in seizing the opportunity. Ever since the Session opened the engrossing topic of con- versation has been the date of the dissolution. From da}- to da}^ and from week to week conjecture had varied in its conclusion. One day everyone is agreed that things will run their ordinary course well into June ; that some time towards the end of that month, the Small Holdings Bill having passed all its stages, and an imj^asse being found in the Irish Local Government Bill, Ministers will decide to go to the country, so as to get the election over in July. Next day there is talk of carrying on through the recess, meeting as usual in February, and then seeing what may happen. Lord Cross, it is whispered, is convinced it would be unpatriotic for him to anticipate by a week or a month the natural term of his engage- ment at the India Office, and, of course, if the Government go out, the Secretary of State for India cannot remain behind. Between these two points rumour has moved in wide variety. To-day there was noticeable in all parts of the House a suddenly-born and surely-seated conviction that the end Avas actually at hand. Men said to each other in confidential whispers that it would all be over by Whitsuntide, if not before. No one knew whence the scare started ; everyone found it jDrevalent, and helped to swell it. The peculiar direction given to the course of jniblic business had something to do with it. Since the Hous(5 re-asseuibled after tlie Easter recess it had been engaged in a sort of clearing-up arrangement. Odds and ends, such as the Scotch Equivalent Grant and the Indian (Jouncil Bill, had been sedulously cared for, whilst big measures, like the Small Holdings Bill and the Local Govern- ment l)ill, were kejit back. Even more odd and significant 1892.] THE SHADOW OF THE DIHSOLUTTON. 489 was the dealing with Snppl}^ In ordinary times the Financial Secretary to the Treasury would have jumped at the op- portunity presented by the withdrawal of Mr. Blane's motion to put down effective Supply on the chance of its being reached in time to get two or three votes. Members eagerly scanned the Orders to find Supply had not been put down. Then there was Mr. Balfour's frank confession that, in face of the objection taken by the Irish members, the Criminal Evidence Bill could not be passed this Session in the form in which it had been introduced. This Session ! Why, it is only the 6th of May — a little early, if the Session were intended to run its ordinar}' course, to be throwing Government Bills on the fire. Everyone knows that yesterday a Cabinet Council met. As the afternoon drew on it was made known that the Privy Council had been summoned to meet at AVindsor Castle on Monday. What could be clearer ? The Cabiiiet, resolutely facing the situation, had resolved straightway to go to the country. On Monday the (^^ueen would sign the decree of dissolution, and at the sitting of that day Mr. Balfour, " rising to make a few remarks," as Sir Stafford Northcote had done on the 8th of March, 1880 — that, by the way, was a Monda}- — would announce the dissolution. Expectation. Sir Ricliard Temple, tripping up the steps from the cloak-room, adjusting his white chrysan- themums, radiant in dinner-dress, thought of these things, and thanked his Star of India for the stroke of good luck that had befallen him, and would enable him, just in the nick of time, to secure the favour among his new constituents of the power- ful Guild of Gardeners. The lobby seemed strangely empty as he passed through ; true, it yet lacked three minutes of nine. Dr. Tanner was buzzing about, Avhich Avas at least a hopeful sign. If there were any danger of a count, he would make one to prevent the conspiracy triumphing. The House had a chillingly desolate look. The clerks were at the table ; the Serjeant-at-Arms was standing by his chair ; but certainly not more than a dozen members were in their places. Still they would come. At the worst they would miss the opening sentences of his speech, but dropping in hastily after their cur- tailed dinner, they would muster in crowded ranks in time to 490 A DIARY OF THE SALISBZUIY PARLIAMEXT. [isp2. hear the peroration in which Sir Richard meant to bring in a jDassage dwelling on the similitude between the Garden of Eden and the Garden of KeAv, and showing, on the authority of Milton, how the question of wages was never permitted to disturb the serenity of the former estabhshment. Despair. Promptl}' at nine the Speaker took the Chair, and Sir Richard Temple rose. Simultaneously, from the corner bench below the gangway. Dr. Tanner was on his feet, and said something about forty members not being present. Sir Richard, through dimmed eyes, beheld the Speaker rise, stretch forth his three-cornered hat, and slowly count. " Eighteen," he said, finally, pointing his hat towards Sir Richard ; "the House will now adjourn." And Sir Richard, gasping for breath, realised that he and the Kew gardeners were frozen out. ^^'11 , ^^■.""„-^ The Bishoi) of London liavino- business with the Bishop in the , , , ^~ Commons' President ot_ the Local Government Board, ^' Avalked across to the Commons after the ad- journment of the Lords, not delaying his visit by the time necessar}' to disrobe. Bishops are by no means infrequent visitors to the lobby of the House of Commons, but in an ordinary way they Avear their black frock coat and gaiters. Dr. Temple's appearance in surplice and hood created a profound sensation in the busy centre of political life. A hush fell over the eager throng as the Bishop, halting within the doorway, crossed his hands and surveyed the scene. There was a general, vague impression that something was going to happen — a funeral, a wedding, or peradventure a confirmation service. For some moments no one approached the Lord Bishop, but the bold iMaclure, chancing to quit the House at the moment, and finding his lordship standing there, went straight up and shook hands as if he were quite a common man. It was curious to see them as they stood there, emblematic of the union of Church and State. Mr. Maclure's instincts and habits are naturally bent upon hospitality. There was the refreshment bar close at hand. What more natural than to ask the Lord Bishop to take a glass of sherry, temperefl with bitters if that were more conformable with A BISHOP IN THE COMMONS' LOBBY 491 episcopal taste and usage ? In pauses in the long conversation (chiefly carried on by Mr. Maclure) the hon. member almost imperceptibly edged towards the bar, on which the sherry decanter was plainly visible. The Bishop, seeming to divine -M.;^\,^ MR. MACLUKE AND THE BISHOP. his intention, almost as imperceptibly edged in the contrary direction ; and so in course of time the two old friends parted. May 27. —Dinner When at the Commencement of the evening sitting Mr. Balfour came in it was noticed that he was in dinner dress, a rare departure from the unwritten law that controls fashion in this matter. No one remembers to have seen Mr. Disraeli in dinner dress when he was Leader of the House, nor does memory recall similar laxity on the part of Mr. Gladstone whilst he held the same position. The assumption, comfortable for gentlemen who dine out at ease, is that the Leader of the House is throughout its sittings always at the post of duty, or at least within call. Mr. W. H. Smith so scrupulously observed this rule that, though Gros- venor Place is within ei^ht minutes' drive, and the domestic 492 A DIAEY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [iso2. cuisine at No. 3 was excellent, he rarely dined at home. In his room behind the Speaker's chair he shared the humble steak or the succulent chop with Mr. Jackson and Mr. Akers Douglas, always ready to obey the call that might summon him to the Treasury bench, to perform his duty to his Queen and country. J""*^ 1- — The The whole business of the debate on the motion for adjourning over the Derby day Avent hope- lessly adrift from the lines on which Mr. Gedge planned it. When Major Rasch put his motion on the paper Mr. Gedge capped it with an amendment, carefully drawn up, by which he designed seriously to lead the thoughts of the House of Commons to the subject of betting, its illegality and its iniquitous consequences. Usually Sir Wilfrid Lawson came in at this juncture, and under guise of discussing the motion offered a series of flippant remarks, at which the House was wont to laugh. Mr. Gedge, anxious not to do injustice to any man, had been accustomed attentively to listen to Sir Wilfrid, and had the next morning continued his research b}^ careful study of the report of his speech. But he never could see anything in it that might fairly excuse the House for indidging in the, to him, unaccountable and ungainly habit of laughter. The House, he felt, would like for once to be relieved from paying this tribute amiually extorted, and would turn with unfeigned pleasure to consider with him the more serious aspects of the question. Mr. G e .1 g e's For somc days his amendment stood on the paper, opportunity. ,. ii- -i-tt ^ the interval bemg occupied m diligent research among the ancient fathers and other authorities whose dicta would be likely to enliven a cheerful speech. An hour he felt sure might be usefully employed in discoursing to the House, and he was willing and prepared to devote that much time to the subject. At the last moment some godless man discovered that, as raising quite a distinct issue, his carefully prepared amendment was out of order, and so the Speaker ruled it. But if lie might not move his amendment, he might deliver his speech, Avedging it in somewhere amid the frivolity of the debate. He was on his feet as soon as Major liasch 1892.] il/7i'. GEDGE'S OPPOIiTUNlTY. 493 had finislied liis remarks on moving the adjournment over the Derby da}^ But there was Captain Grice-Hutchinson claiming precedence as being commissioned to second the motion. Mr. Gedgc resumed his seat, and awaited his opportunity. Captain Grice-Hutchinson having somewhat abruptly concluded when the House thought he was only just beginning, Mr. Gedge, with alacrity remarkable in a man who no longer rides at ten stone, was up again, and had almost given out his text when Sir Wilfrid Lawson appeared, and the frivolous majority insisted on preferring him. When the Baronet had made an end of speaking, it seemed that nothing could stand between the House and the luxury of the address Mr. Gedge had prepared for its edification. Lord Elcho was now competing with the member for Stockport, but no mere newcomer could supersede a claim such as he had established by his continued eftbrt to catch the Speaker's eye. On only one ground could Lord Elcho claim precedence, that was as seconding Sir Wilfrid Lawson's amendment. But Lord Elcho was notoriously the champion of the evil thing against which Mr. Gedge was prepared to testify. On the last occasion tlie House had proposed to sit over the Derby day. Lord Elcho had moved and carried the adjournment. When Mr. Gedge heard the Speaker ask the noble lord whether he rose to second Sir Wilfrid Lawson's amendment, he for once in his life under- stood and almost sympathised with the peculiar physical im- pulse that contorts the aspect of an intelligent visage into an ex]3ression vulgarly known as a smile. It was a slow process with Mr. Gedge, and before it was quite accomplished he heard Lord Elcho briskly answer in the affirmative, and sat gasping for breath, whilst the House broke into a hilarious roar of laughter. This almost finished him. But an address such as he had prepared is not to be lightly set aside, nor was the opportunity of dealing a crushing blow at the illegal practice of betting to be foregone because of a succession of strangely untoward incidents. Whilst Lord Elcho, with intonation occasionally reminiscent of a curate reading his first sermon, delivered a speech continuously interrupted by shouts of laughter, there were only two grave faces in the assembly. One was Lord Elcho's, the other Mr. Gedge's. The member for Stockport 494 A DIARY OF TEE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [i892. sat with lip jjursed into a something more than usually stony reproof of a flippant world. The recollection of the horrible temptation that a few minutes earlier had nearly betrayed him into a smile weighed on his conscience. He would atone for that by adding another quarter of an hour to his address. When Lord Elcho resumed his seat amid a fresh storm of cheering and laughter, Mr. Gedge solemnly rose and faced the hilarious cro\<^d. Instantly the laughter merged into a cry of horror, which, becoming articulate, angrily demanded the division. Mr. Gedge, with the notes of his sermon tightly rolled in his right hand, stonily stared before him, waiting till the uproar should cease. The Opposition, noting the anguish depicted on the faces opposite, began joyously to cry out, . " Gedge ! Gedge ! " Here at least was some ray of comfort, some unexpected word of encouragement. Few men are prophets in their own country. Scorned and insulted by his own party, Mr. Gedge unexpectedly found appreciation from gentlemen opposite — stranger than all, from the Radicals below the gang- way. They evidently wanted to hear him, and the opportunity should not be denied them. When they had shouted down the cries for a division, Mr. Gedge found his opportunity and began his address. But before he had got through a dozen sentences the very men who had lured him on basely deserted him, and the voices which but now had tunefully called '■' Gedge ! Gedge ! " hoarsely roared for the division. The cry was taken up by friends near him, and, after battling for some moments against the storm, Mr. Gedge dropped slowly into his seat, nervously clutching his unread roll of sermon, and marvelling more than ever at the madness men call humour. June 2.— A me- l^hc clcrks at the table preparing the usual moia e 61 y gj^j-^y f^j. (^l^g JQ^^j.j^jj^[g of |-]-^g JJoUSC of CommOUS were yesterday faced by a new duty. Every day entry is made of a summary of the proceedings of the sitting. It is done, like everything else, in strict accordance with precedent. But no precedent could be found for a Wednesday sitting witli the curious experience of that which will in Parlia- mentary records ever be memorable — the Derby day of this year. One of the -highest authorities in the House, whose recollection goes back as far as 1857, was haunted by the 1S92.] DISSOLUTION ULMINENT. 495 recollection that in his early days there had been a failure to make a House at four o'clock_,on a A\'ednesday, but no date of reference was handy. A casual search failed to discover the entry, and the clerks had accordingly to draw up a new form of entry, which will appear in the journals, and will be added to the innumerable volumes that line the walls in the long- corridor flanking the tea-room. This is the record as it appears : — " The House met at twelve of the clock, and at half-past twelve the House was told by Mr. Speaker, and twelve members only being present Mr. Speaker retired from the Chair until one of the clock, when the House was again told by Mr. Speaker, nineteen members only being present. Mr. Speaker again retired from the Chair until four of the clock, when the House was again told by Mr. Speaker, and thirty-five members only being present the House was ad- journed by Mr. Speaker, without question put, till to-morrow.' CHAPTER XLVII. DISSOLUTION I M ]\I I N E N T. A Crisis in the History of the Army — Sir H. Havclock-Allan — General Fraser's Oration — The Archbishop goes out to Dinner— The Duke of York Sworn In — Mr. Gladstone Roused — Sic vos no)i vobia — Pleasant Expectations — A Thunderbolt. June 14.— A crisis ]\£p Stanhope's regrettable but fortuitous illness in the history of . , , -, . p ttT • ^ • i the army. Withdrew huu from vV estnnnster at a tmie when it would have been otherwise difficult to resist the increasingly imperative demand^of military members for opportunity to debate the evidence given before Lord Wan- tage's Committee and the recommendations of the Report. In reply to questions, Mr. Balfour pointed out that it would be inconvenient, not to say useless, to debate the subject in the absence of the Minister for War. So the thing drifted on till to-night, when, Mr. Stanhope being back again, the House went into Committee of Supply, taking up the Army Esti- mates. Lord Randolph Churchill has withdrawn from the scene, and Lord Curzon was not there to inquire whither he 496 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [is9-2. had gone. When Sir Walter Barttelot rose to open the im- portant debate, there were present (inchiding the Speaker) just eighteen members. The front Opposition bench was tenantless, and only six members faced the orator. This appearance of an audience, not in itself impressive or exhilarating, lost something by reason of accidental circum- stances that environed Mr. Picton, that eminent military authority having, in view of an engagement about to take place, gone into laager. Borrowing an idea picked up in his studies of Boer campaigns, he had buttressed himself about with volumes of Hansard and Blue Books, from the centre of which Sir Walter Barttelot, standing in an elevated position behind the Treasury bench on the opposite side of the House, managed to catch sight of the top of his head. Colonel Nolan had all the front bench below the gangway to himself, and sat there visibly winding himself up for the speech which he began to let oft" an hour later, and which, as far as continuity of thought or argument was concerned, might equally well have run down half an hour earlier than it did, or rattled on for another hour. There was Viscount Ebrington with a carefully-prepared essay setting forth the entirely novel pro- position that " recruits are taken on at too early an age." There was Dr. Farquharson gallantly struggling to keep out the opium question from a disquisition on the status of the Army and the misleading eftect of posters inviting recruits to join the standard. Mr. Sinclair, everyone wondering what he did in this galley, rose to say, " What is wanted is a force on which we can rely in case of emergency to defend the Empire both at home and abroad." Sir H. Haveiock- xiic sixtli mcmbcr whom Sir Walter Barttelot had the privilege of addressing was Sir Henry Havelock-Allan, who, seated at the corner of the third bench above the gangAvay, aligned with Mr. J. A. Picton occupying a corresponding position below the gangway, was evidently a source of considerable embarrassment to that gentleman as he proceeded to set forth his views on the organisation of the Army and the administration of the War Office. When above his barricade the member for Leicester caught the Chairman's eye, and connnenced the delivery of his pungent criticism, Sir MU. J. A. FIG TON. 497 Henry turned and stared at liim across the gangway with eloquent thougli inarticuhite inquiry, " What on earth do yuu. know about it ^ " Mr. J. A. Picton, adroitly transferring to this side, evidently a vulnerable point of attack, an additional couple of volumes of Hansard, Sir Henry snorted in old war-horse fashion, and turned away from temptation. Sir Henry is a soldier, accustomed to rough-and-tumble JULIUS AXXIBAL PICTOX. expedients, and the attention of the Speaker has, on at least two occasions, been called to his unconventional method of conducting an argument. Once, finding an Irish member strayed above the gallery, Sir Henry literally and physically sat upon him. Purporting to plump down on a vacant seat next to the visitor,, he landed heavily on his lap, and it was a mere 498 A DIAIiY OF THE SALISBURY PAELLUfEXT. [iso2. flattened wreck of a member that presently appealed to the Speaker to know if this sort of thing was in order. On a later occasion he, in equally elaborately accidental way, came in physical contact with another member from whom he differed on the Home Rule question. AVith a gentleman of these irregular debating habits openly scowling at him across the narrow passage of the gangway, Mr. Picton may be excused if his speech to- night lacked something of his customary ease and command over the sympathies of the House. There was something painful in the frequency with which, glancing over the barri- cade at the gallant member for Durham persistently glaring at him, he affirmed his entire freedom from desire to see a standing army abolished. " We must have an army," he said ; " that I don't deny. Only let them keep it in a state of efficiency." " H'm ! " said Sir Henry Havelock- Allan, tossing himself about on the corner seat. It was a mere monosyllabic exclamation ; but it sounded to Mr. Picton unconunonly like the blood-curdling " Fee-fo-ff-fum " with which the man- eating giant of the fable prefaced discovery of a toothsome morsel. General Eraser's Tliesc Comprised the audicnco Sir A\^alter Bart- telot addressed. Its lack of numbers and its total freedom from appearance of profound interest abated not one jot of the baronet's oratorical energy. His old familiar battle cry, " Let me go one step further," rang out as truculently as of yore, whilst his prepositions and his conjunctions were still his most emphatic parts of speech. Immediately in his rear sat General Fraser, having to himself the full length of the top bench below the gallery. The (leneral had given up his nights and days to this question, and had prepared a tremendous oration as contribution to the debate. For greater accuracy, and with a view to the convenience of posterity, he, regardless of expense, had had it sot up in type. He brought down with him a few dozen copies, a number, as it turned out, in excess of the audience. Private friends favoured with a present of a copy were in- terested to tind how the ordinary custom of printing conunon 1S92.] GENEBAL FRASEIVS ORATIOX. 499 things had been departed from. Instead of running on in columnar mass of type, General Eraser's speech was prmtcd in sentences, each standing in a generous margin of space. At first sight it looked like one of Walt Whitman's poems or a selection from Ossian. The whole was rounded off with a rhymed verse, the authorship of which was much discussed. Sir Lyon Playfair, who is Avell read in ancient and modern literature, and who, happening to look in in the course of the debate, had a copy of the oration presented to him, declared his ignorance of the authorship. This is not to be wondered at, since it was the General's very own, modesty inducing him to leave the authorship in that state of uncertainty which for a while varied the apathy of the House of Commons, called upon to discuss the condition and prospects of the British Army. Members were at first surprised to find General Fraser addressing them from this unaccustomed place. In ordinary circumstances it is only when the House is crowded, and a member has no choice of seats, that he submits to the disadvantage of addressing the Speaker from beneath the shadow of the gallery. But General Fraser did not serve through the Indian Mutiny for nothing. Having had his speech printed he meant to read it, and, according to the rules of House of Commons debate, no member may take that course. If he deployed in the open, occupying his usual place in the centre of the benches above the gangway, the Chairman could not fail to see the pamphlet in his hand, and must needs call him to order. In the obscurity beneath the gallery he Avas safe, and there he stood with his right arm clinging round the post, his body limply resting against it as in dolorous tones he recited his melancholy story. In this attitude, the General, perhaps undesignedly, symbolised the British standard hang- ing at half-mast, flapping forlornly against the flag-post, oppressed with the consciousness that the Army that worked its way through the Peninsula to Waterloo had in these degenerate days gone hopelessly to the dogs. June 15. — The Much Sympathy is felt for the Arch- Archbishop ^ i. ./ goes out to dinner. the other niorht. His host and hostess were an illustrious goes out to bishop of Canterbury in respect of the mis- dinner. fortune that attended his effort to dine out 500 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [i892. statesman and his wife, and a select company were asked to meet His Grace. The dinner-hour was fixed at eight o'clock, at which time all were assembled except the Arch- bishop and Mrs. Benson. It was felt impossible to sit down to dinner till they arrived, an event painfully delayed. Quarter of an hour followed quarter of an hour, till nine o'clock struck, when the host observed that on this occasion there were only two courses open to them — either they must sit down to dinner without the Archbishop, or must abstain altogether from dining. It was resolved to go in to dinner ; and when the cruelly-spoiled repast was half-way through, the Archbishoj) and Mrs. Benson arrived, with a tale sad enough to move the hardest heart. The invitation to dinner had been written on Dollis Hill paper, where host and hostess had of late been staying, and it was naturally assumed that the feast would be spread there. The Archbishop and his wife had accord- ingly set forth in good time from Lambeth and journeyed to distant Dollis Hill, to discover that it was in Carlton Gardens they were anxiously expected. There was nothing to do but to drive back to town. What the Archbishop said when he returned to the brougham and the door closed upon him with a full knowledge of the situation remains a secret. But there is a strong human desire to know. '^^^J^'',-^"- r,?^',® When, shortly after four o'clock this afternoon, Duke of York ^ i- t i i i i sworn in. there emerged from the entrance below the bar the thin red line of the procession leading the Duke of York up to the Lord Chancellor, the attendance of peers was not promising for the important business that awaits them next week. Lord Salisbury was on the Ministerial bench, and Lord Cross had made a point of being present. Other Ministers in their places were Lords Knutsford and Cranbrook. The front Opposition bench was tcnantless till Lord Herschell dropped in, presentl}^ followed by Lord Kim- berley ; and these, whilst the ceremony went forward, had the bench to themselves. The scarcity of attendance in this part of the House was, it turned out, a fortunate event, seeing that during the reading of the summons of the new peer and his patent of peerage he and his escort stood at that side of the is<)2.] SWEARING IN OF THE BUKE OF YORK. 501 table unembarrassed by tbe presence of the usual occupants of tlie bench that flanks it. The most animated section of the House was found in the galleries, where a company of ladies in morning dress looked in to watch the ceremony. In the left-hand gallery, the crimson turbans of two dusky Indian princes broke the monotony of the prevailing colour, which still bears testimony to recent mourning. The procession, in which the late comer to the House formed the principal figure, was led by the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod. Behind him came the Lord Great Chamber- lain and Garter King- at- Arms, the latter apparelled in crimson cloak embroidered with the Royal Arms. The Prince of Wales walked next, in the scarlet robe slashed with ermine which Peers wear on State occasions. The Duke of York, and his other sponsor, the Duke of Connaught, also wore the robes of a Peer of Parliament. Black Rod piloted the procession up to the Woolsack, where the Lord Chancellor sat with a pretty air of nothing-particular-going-on. When, prompted by the Prince of Wales, the new Peer proffered a roll of parchment, on which was engrossed his Patent of Peerage, the Lord Chancellor, not disposed irretrievably to commit himself before all was found to be in order, signalled the Reading Clerk to take it in hand. This done, the procession, re-forming, walked back to the table, Black Rod, the Lord Great Chamberlain, and Garter King-at-Arms standing in a row at the foot, whilst the three Royal Princes stood at the side. The Reading Clerk galloped at a tremendous pace through the phraseology of the documents of which he had taken charge, the only 'recognisable terms being those most frequently recurring, " the Duke of York " and " his heirs male aforesaid." The reading completed, the Clerk of Parliaments came to the front and administered the oath ; after which the new Peer signed the Roll of Parliament, the Prince of Wales standing close at hand, ready to meet any emergency in the way of prompting. Once more the procession was re-formed, in the same order as before. This time Black Rod went roimd by the cross benches between the bar and the table. As each official or peer passed the Woolsack, he bent his head in mute salute. Still keeping up what seemed a rattling pace, Blaclc Rod 502 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY FARLIAMEXT. [189-2. started oti' for the steps of the Throne, the procession following- in close order. The gilt chair that serves for Throne was uncovered, as it is when the Queen is expected. On the left-hand side of it stood two lesser chairs. In the outer one the Duke of York seated himself and put on his hat. The Lord Chancellor, turning round on the Woolsack so as to present a side view to the new Peer, the Duke lifted his three-cornered hat, a salute acknowledged by the Lord Chancellor. Thrice the Duke lifted his hat and replaced it on his head ; a distinct titter rippling through the crowded galleries when it was observed that the rapidity of his action left the Lord Chancellor a full salute behind. When leeway had been made up the Duke returned to the Woolsack, and was formall}'- presented to the Lord Chancellor by the Prince of Wales. All being now in order, the Lord Chancellor extended his hand to the Prince with an effusive- ness that contrasted pleasantly with the studied coolness of his reception before the new Peer's credentials had been presented and examined. This completed the ceremony, and the latest Duke of York, having marched in through one door of the House of Lords, marched out at the other, and was seen no more through the sitting. June. 18, 1892.— Looking across the table to-night, Mr. Arthur Balfour, a keen observer familiar with Parlia- mentary portents, could not fail to note that the bow of Mr. Gladstone's necktie was set very nearly under his right ear. That was an arrangement familiar enough towards the close of the Parliament of 1880. Those were lighting days, in the course of which the Premier was accustomed to discover his most active foes amongst those of his own household. But of late, certainly not this Session, the well-known danger signal — the south cone of Parlia- mentary debate — has not been hoisted. Mr. Gladstone has, indeed, been so benevolent in his attitude towards the Ministry in general, and the First Lord of the Treasury in particular, as to excite the indignation of his following below the Gang- way. He has encouraged them in well-doing, and only mildly hinted reproof when, in his opinion, they have sho'wn a dis- position to go astra-y. Nothing so nearly akin to millennium 1S92.] MB. GLADSTONE BOUSED. 503 has been known in modern Parliamentary history. The novel relations established between Mr. Gladstone and honourable gentlemen opposite had been illustrated on the previous night by the charming little scene Avhen the octogenarian Young Man, preparing for his mission Northward carrying the Fiery Cross over the Border, had suavely invited Mr. Balfour to give some definite indication of the date of the Dissolution. " It would be to the convenience of everyone," he said, adding with coquettish smile — " at least to those who have youth and vigour sufficient again to submit themselves to the judgment of their constituents." This little aside, with the personal reference ever3'0ne understood, was promptly taken up by the listening House; but none cheered so genially as the Ministerialists. Twenty-four hours had elapsed and things were sorely changed. Mr. Gladstone's countenance no longer beamed with benevolent interest upon his young friend opposite, nor were his lips wreathed in smiles. They were, on the contrar}^ closely set, as if he could not for the moment trust himself to open them in ordered speech. His eyes flashed with indignation, and as he tossed about on the seat his necktie sympathetically stole round to the right till it reached the position Mr. Balfour, not without anxiety, had noted. Sic vos non vobh. Sir William Harcourt sat by his side, also seeth- ing with indignation, but indicating the state of his mind in quite another w^ay. He was serenely smiling at right hon. gentlemen opposite, as if no one enjoyed the little joke of the evening more than he. He certainly had a personal interest in it. All through the week he had been hard at work in the endeavour to leave the Government no excuse for post- poning the dissolution beyond next Saturday. It would have been the easiest thing in the world to spread Supply over a week. In truth, any period less than that seemed trifling with important interests and imperative duties. Thanks chiefly to Sir AYilliam Harcourt, Supply was voted with both hands, and the other Government business on the paper had been put forward so rapidlj^^ that, as Mr. Balfour, speaking just now, had admitted, there really was nothing left to do. They might meet on Monday and Tuesday on the chance of something 504 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMEXT. [I8..2. coming down from the Lords. But after Wednesday there would be nothing for it but to adjourn. Almost alone Sir William Harcourt had done this. Left in charge of the Opposition, he had sat patient and wacthful in his place, ready at any moment to interpose and deprecate discus- ii;rs ci.Eoi'HAs. sion. His start to his feet when one night Dr. Clarke proposed to recommit a Scotch Jiill of innumerable clauses was irresistible. Even Dr. Clarke had nothing to say in reply to his pathetic protest against a proceeding that could not occupy less than an hour of the precious time of a dying Parliament. As for 1892.] PLEASANT EXPECTATION. 505 Mr. Morton, he jdelded after a struggle which few could regard without emotion. Sir William Harcourt, who had never before taken notice of his existence, walked about the corridors with him, asking for his valuable counsel as to how best to expedite the business of Supply, gently leading him to the conclusion that it would be the most dignified and patriotic course to leave to an already sin-burdened Govern- ment the full responsibility of their estimates. Alpheus Cleophas was finally brought to see matters in that light. But he frankly said he could not remain in the neighbour- hood of the House and not make a casual speech or two in the course of a sitting. The only course open to him was to go away, a suggestion Sir William Harcourt, with apparent reluctance, approved, and since Tuesday the House of Connnons has not seen Mr. Morton or heard his familiar voice. Mr. Balfour, in conunon with his colleagues, had been a silent admirer of this self-sacrificing devotion on the part of a political adversary. Sir William Harcourt was working for them with a zeal that outstripped the service of their political friends, whether above or below the gangway. They had nothing to do but sit still and let him arrange matters. Never before had the close of a Session been so peaceful, but never before had a prominent and superlatively able leader of the Opposition laid himself out with so much zest to help the Government. Pleasant expect- Xow thc labourer's task was o'er, and there re- mained for him only the fruition of his desire. There had been some talk early in the Aveek of postponing the date of dissolution so as to carry it over Saturday, the 25th, and fix it on a day that would render it impossible for the Returning Otficers to arrange for the polling in boroughs on a Saturday. Tuesday, the 28th, had been named with much confidence, and with the dissolution taking place on that date there would be no Saturday poll. That was a conclusion Sir William Harcourt felt he had rendered impossible. He had done his work so completely that the Government might, if they pleased, dissolve on Friday, the 24th, a date equally acceptable to him and his friends. Mr. Balfour's statement in reply to Mr. 506 A DIARY OF THE SALISBUEY PARLIAMENT. [iso2. Gladstone's request for information as to the delinite prospects of the particular day for the dissolution of Parliament had through nearly its full length confirmed Sir William Harcourt, if confirmation Avere necessary, in his belief in the success ot his mission. The First Lord of the Treasury, reviewing the position of public business, " saw no reason why we should not get through all the measures we have on the paper by Wednesday next." That Avas definite enough, and members rapidly went through the mental process that carried the arrangement to its natural conclusion. The House having finished its work by Wednesday, there would be a formal meeting of both Houses on Thursday for the quaint ceremony of Prorogation by Royal Commission. On Friday a Council would be held for decreeing the dissolution. The evening's Gazette would proclaim the fact that Parliament was dissolved, and the night's post would carry the writs all over the country. Mr. Balfour's gracious and generous acknowledgment that for the forward state of business the House and the country were chiefly indebted to the eftbrts of the right hon. gentleman and hon. gentlemen opposite was only what was to be expected. As Sir William Harcourt sat and listened, caressing his chin with the quiet contentment of the moment, a faint blush overspread his countenance. It was not by stealth he had done good, since his figure had necessarily been prominent in the proceedings in the week as he Avent to and fro on his mission of peace. Still, he blushed to find it fame. A thun(icr))oit. AVlietlier Mr. Balfour Avas deliberatel}^ having his joke or not, is a secret locked in his oAvn breast. He is still young and light-hearted, and it must be admitted the temptation Avas great. HoAvever it be, nothing could have been better calculated than the form of his speech to confirm in the minds of the Opposition the conviction already filling it, that Saturday, the 25th, Avas the day finally fixed upon for the dissolution. Even Avhen he introduced the House of Lords there Avas no suspicion of the truth. " There is," he said, " no prospect of a number of Bills sent to the Lords being probably, or even possibly, dealt Avith before tfie end of the Aveek." This judicial delibera- 1892.] A THUNDERBOLT. 507 tion of tlie Lords at the end of a Session was a little unusual ; but if it pleased them, it did not threaten to hurt anyone else. If they sat till Friday they might get through the final stages of lingering measures by meeting at eleven in the morning, a not unusual arrangement in such circumstances. At two o'clock in the afternoon the Prorogation would take place, and on Saturday would come the dissolution and the posting of the writs. Even whilst members opposite were doing this new sum in mental arithmetic, and contemplating with approval the way it worked out, the thunderbolt fell. It was the very last sentence in the speech, added casually just as the Leader of the House was about to resume his seat. " The dissolution," he said, " cannot possibly be later than Wednesday or Thursday in next week but one." There was a moment's pause whilst men looked at each other with wondering eyes, mutely asking had their ears deceived them. Then there broke forth from the ranks of the Opposition a sharp prolonged cry, as of a body in acute physical pain. When it ceased, all eyes were turned towards the front Opposition bench, where Mr. Gladstone sat in eager conversation with Sir William Harcourt. Mr. Pic ton, always ready for any emergency, rose and inquired whether the Government really intended to pass the Archdeaconry of Cornwall Bill. The House cared nothing for Mr. Picton or the Archdeaconry either. No answer was forthcoming, and there was another pause. Probably not more than twenty might have been counted within its limits, but before it was broken it seemed stretching towards eternity. Since the leaders above the gangway were evidently not ready to act, another was forth- coming from below the gangway. Mr. Labouchere asked leave to move the adjournment of the House in order to call attention to a matter of urgent public importance — ^namely, the inconvenience the country was subjected to by the delay of the dissolution. " Do forty members support the request ? " the Speaker asked. In an instant, as if he had touched some secret spring, there was an upheaval on the benches to the left. It seemed that every man in that part of the House was 503 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT, [isy^. on his legs, fiercely cheering. There was no question about the necessary support, so leave was given, and to the animated debate that followed Mr. Gladstone contributed a vigorous speech, in the course of which his necktie completed the segment of the circle over Avhich it slowly but steadily travelled. CHAPTER XLVIII. THE END. Lord Dcnman — The Duke of Argyll — Lord Charles Berosford — Parliamentary Portraits — Mr. Gladstone — Mr. Balfour — The Dead Parliament — Early Closing — Improved Business Capacity — The Speaker. June 21. — Lord What is to be donc with Lord Denman ? It Denman. , . , ... has long been evident that a crisis is at hand, and it seems to-night as if it were reached. When the Small Holdings Bill came up for consideration on the third reading, Lord Denman rose to move its rejection. He is, as he once pathetically told the Lords, both blind and deaf AVith the object of securing fuller opportunities for taking part in Parliamentary aft'airs, he has this Session formed the habit of sitting at the table, shoulder to shoulder with Lord Balfour of Burleigh, the Chairman of Committees. From this place, he to-night anxiously kept watch on the Lord Chancellor, whom he strongly suspects of designs to jockey him out of his birth- right as a peer of the United Kingdom. Once or twice he made a false start ; but ticking off the Bills or the orders, he was just in time to move the rejection of the Small Holdings Bill before the Lord Chancellor could declare the third reading carried. A picturesque tigurc the old gentleman contributed to the scene as he stood at the table in his scarlet and black skull cap, his faded grey coat, in one hand his ancient hat, held brim upmost and crammed with papers, whilst in the other was a sadly-soiled pocket-handkerchief, closed over a waUcing-stick. Lord Salisbury seemed to have the advantage of the LORD DENMAN. 509 rest of the audience, inasmiicli as he caught the purport of the words Lord Denman mumbled at the table. When the noble lord had gone forward for something like ten minutes, the Premier rose and declared that his remarks had no bearing on the Bill before the House. Lord Denman is used to interruptions of this kind. He had been taught LISTEMNG TO LOliO DEXMAX. to expect the ignominy. Turning almost fiercely upon Lord Salisbur}^ he cried aloud, in a voice this time heard all through the chamber, " Does the noble lord want to cloture me again ? " Some other words he added, their purport not easy to catch, but they were addressed to Lord Salisbury, and were brought to a conclusion by Lord Denman sharply smiting the table with his clenched fist and resuming his seat. After which the Lord Chancellor made haste to put the question, and declared the Small Holdings Bill read a third time. 510 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [I802. June 22.— The When, if ever, tlie Marquis of Lome returns to Duke of Argvll. -n t -, -n . t i • <■ i rarliament, he will hnd his father occupying a sadly different position from that he tilled when father and son last represented the MacCullum Mores in the Legislature. Then the Duke of Argyll was one of the principal members of the Cabinet, and Secretary of State for India. Now he has retired to a back bench, whence he at not unfreqiient intervals rises to scold the House of Lords and deal back- handed blows at his old friend and colleague, Mr. Gladstone. Once ranking as a statesman, he now fills in Parliament the position of a sort of coroneted Roebuck. Sahsbury pleases him not, nor Gladstone either. He sits with the Liberals and votes with the Con- servatives. A letter just turned up has been eagerly seized upon as presenting His Grace in a new light. It is in reply to a com- munication addressed to him by an American citizen in the year 1876. " Sir," wrote the Duke, with curious economy of the alphabet, " It wd : be very presumptuous in me to express any opinion on questions affecting domestic policy in the U. S. Public men have enough to do here with the difficulties of their own country, without being called upon to form decisive opinions on those affecting America, where many of the con- ditions are very different." That was the diffidence of comparative youth, over which the Duke has absolutely triumphed. There is to-day no question under the sun upon which he wd : think it pre- sumptuous to express an opinion. The Duke of Argyll's failure in public life is due to causes diametrically opposed to those responsible for his son's less obtrusive discomfiture. The Duke is just as pragmatical as the Marcpiis is hesitating of speech, as obstinate as he is yielding. Father and son share a common leaning toward Hteraturc, but have developed it in characteristically different ways. While Lord Lome has dallied with the Psalms of David, told how he took " A Trip to the Tropics,"' and murmured of the loves of " Guide and Lita," the Duke of Argyll at the same ago fulminated a series of pamphlets designed to show how wrong other people were. In his nine- teenth year he took the House of Lords in hand, writing to them a " Letter to the Peers from a Peer's Son." Then he wrote a trifle bearing the engaging title " On the Duty and 1892.] THE DUKE OF ARGYLL. 511 Necessity of Immediate Legislative Interposition in Behalf of the Church of Scotland as Determined by Considerations of Constitutional Law." In the same year the sky over Scotland was darkened by " A Letter to the Reverend Thomas Chalmers, D.I)., on the Present Position of Church Affairs in Scotland, and the Causes Which Have Led to It," These compendious titles are drafted on the proportions of the Duke's interposition in Parliamentary debate. He never, as is Lord Salisbury's use and was Lord Granville's wont, listens to debate and, at convenient opportunity interposing, replies to arguments put forward by preceding speakers. A speech from his place in Parliament by the Duke of Argyll is a serious thing, and must be prepared for accordingly. When he sees opportunity of benefiting a sadly indifferent world by observations on public affairs he retires to Campden Hill (or, if the effort is prodigious, to Inveraray), shuts himself up in his study and produces sheaves of manuscript. His speeches are lectures ; and the Duke when addressing the House of Lords scorns to hide the tell-tale foolscap notes. It must be admitted that as lectures they are excellent, glowing Avith fire, often rising to the height of eloquence, irreproachable on the score of literary style. They are a little long, and have no perceptible influence on opinion whether in the Lords or outside the House. Still they are interesting as examples of a style of Parliamentary debate otherwise extinct ; and the House of Lords has so little real work to do that it cannot fairly complain if the Duke of Argyll sometimes exquisitely delights himself by reciting polished periods of his own composition through two full hours of a summer afternoon. J^ine 23.- There is talk to-day of Lord Charles Beresford V litirli6 . Beresford. Standing at the General Election as candidate for North Kensington. His return to the House would be welcome to both sides as a sea breeze on a sultry afternoon. He is one of the most delightfully unconventional men in English public life. Every inch a sailor, if he has a foible it is a hankering after political life. He sat in the House of Commons for his native county of Waterford through the ParHament of 1874, losing his seat when, in 1880, the 512 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [i892. National Party swept the board of the Conservatives. At the General Election of 1885 he came in for Marylebone, and sat for that borough till, a year or two ago, he was faced by the necessity of forthwith going to sea or losing his chances of promotion. It was a great wrench for him to leave the House of Commons, where from a back bench he kept a friendly eye on his " noble friend " who by grace of his father's dukedom rules the British Navy. In debate on the navy estimates, not of itself an engrossing occupation, mem- bers had full opportunity of reflecting on the strange dis- position of public affairs in this country which made Lord George Hamilton First Lord of the Admiralty, and left this shrewd little sailor, with his wide experience, his keen intel- ligence, and his infinite knowledge of detail, on a back bench. Lord Charles is still young, having only just passed his forty -fifth year. In that period he has seen a good deal of service, though, as he probably regrets, only one opportunit}' has been afforded him of taking part in actual warfare. Moreover, that was not a very glorious occasion, though he managed to illuminate it by a brilliant bit of pluck and seamanship. At the bombardment of the Alexandria forts he was in command of the gunboat Condor, and began the day's service by helping the great ironclad Temeraire off the shore, on to which she had drifted. Then, when Arabi opened fire from the Marabout batteries, which, served by British gunners, would have kept the fleet at bay, " Charlie " dashed in with the little Condor and gave the astonished Egyptians so much to do that they never found the range of the ironclads. '•' Well done. Condor," the Admiral in command signalled, while all the fleet looked on in admiration of a feat which showed that armour-plating, turrcting, and torpedoing, had not fatally overlain the ancient spirit of the British tar who fought in wooden ships at Trafalgar and the Nile. His tactics in the House of Commons were very much on the lines of his famous manoeuvre off Alexandria. The little Condor was always bearing up against some massive fort of Admiralty incompetence and opening fire with a ruth- less disregard of precedent and authority that gave much pain in official circles: The House of Conunons in committee, whether on the army or navy estimates, presents a melancholy 1692.] ''CHARLIE" BERESFOBD. 513 spectacle. The A^oting of millions of money may be under discussion, and, more important still, the dearest interests of the Empire as safeguarded by the army or fleet. What the stranger in the gallery sees is a dozen, or at most a score, of gentlemen scattered over the benches 3'awning or sleeping, while a colonel or an admiral recites a not alwa3^s brief essay. When news went round that "Charlie" Beresford was on his legs, the House filled as if by magic, and was always rewarded by hearing a man talking in brisk speech on a subject with which he was thoroughly familiar. There was as a preliminary to " Charlie's " contributions to Parliamentary debate an involuntary movement of the hands and hips as if he were about (saving the Speaker's presence) to hitch up his trousers. No one would have been in the least surprised or regarded it as out of keeping with the business of the moment if, during a brief pause while he was consulting his notes, he had broken into a step or two of the hornpipe. Not that he was frivolously inclined, for when discussing naval administra- tion he was hotly in earnest, or that there was any tendency on his part to pose as a sailor. The fancy in the mind of the looker-on was born of association of ideas when listening to the sturdy, ruddy-faced tar talking in the vitiated atmosphere of the House of Commons. June24.— Pariia- Last year there was shown at the Royal mentary por- . -, "^ . ,.-,r^ii loi- traits. Academy a portrait of Mr. Gladstone by Sir John Millais. It was one of a series by the same artist, who has frequently painted Mr. Gladstone, and hitherto with success. He is, indeed, so familiar with his subject that four or five sittings suffice for the completion of his work. This picture of 1890, presumably the last, was intended to be the best. It was, in its way, to be an illustra- tion of Coleridge's beautiful contrast of Youth and Age. Mr. Gladstone's little grandson Avas to have immortality bestowed upon him by being brought on to the canvas, standing at the knee of the octogenarian statesman. All this was done, and the picture turned out an astounding and lamentable failure. There sat on a chair a wooden-backed, sallow-visaged old gentleman, staring straight before him, and at his knee stood 514 .1 DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PABLIAMEXT. [iS92. an exceedingly commonplace little boy, gazing upon the other wooden figure in a condition of almost cataleptic, and entirely pardonable, astonishment. Sir John has had the picture back at his studio, awaiting opportunity to alter it. Mr. Gladstone has at length found time to give him the necessary sittings, and there is much curiosity to see the result. It is difficult to conceive that the thing of last year could be tortured into anything resembling a success ; and it is whispered that Sir John, acknowledging his failure, began again on a fresh canvas. Mr. Gladstone. It is to be hopcd the misfortune may be retrieved, since Mr. Gladstone is immovable from his de- termination never to sit again. Five years ago, just after the sjDlit in the Liberal party opened, the Dissentient Liberals at the Reform set on foot a scheme to present the club with a portrait of Lord Hartington. Thereupon the Home Rulers opened a subscription for a portrait of Mr. Gladstone. Subscription was limited to a guinea, the list, of course, open only to members. An interesting and occasionally exciting race followed. Lord Hartington, having got the start, kept it for a few weeks. But the Gladstonians doggedly forged ahead, till the two favourites were runnino- neck and neck, finishingc, as a sporting member put it, so that an umbrella would have covered both. Then a fresh and unexpected difficulty arose. Lord Hartington consented to sit for his portrait to the artist nominated by the subscribers. But Mr. Gladstone steadily refused. He had not time, he said. The consequence has been that the Gladstonian committee were driven to pick up a portrait Avherever they could find it. When Mr. Gladstone was last in Florence, a local artist made some fugitive sketches of him, which he elaborated into a full-length portrait. With this, a melancholy, almost unrecognisable portrait, the Reform Club has now been endowed. Mr. iJalfour. Mr. Arthur ]]alfour, as he took occasion to say at Plymouth the other day, has not much in common Avith Mr. Gladstone. But he has of late shared his misfortune in the matter of portraiture. Last year he sat to Alma-Tadema, and the portrait had a place of honour in 1S92.] PABLLUrENTABY PORTRAITS. 515 this season's show at the Royal Academy. Oddly enough, Tadema failed with the rising hope of the Tory party as com- pletely as his fellow-R.A. had failed with Mr. Gladstone. Mr. Balfour was discovered seated on a sofa. Looking at the figure half starting to rise, and noting the flash of pained astonishment on the face, the observer could not resist the suspicion that a pin, point upward, had somehow found its way into the sofa-seat. Mr. Arthur Balfour is the very flower of graceful demeanour, and it will be perceived how incompatible with gracefulness of pos- ture or ordinary facial expression is the circumstance hinted at. The Chief Secretary has been much more successful this 3-ear in a far less ambitious effort. He has been giving sittings to a rising young artist, E. A. Ward, who has just completed a work Mr. Balfour declares to be the best portrait ever painted of him. He is indeed so delighted with it that he has ordered a replica, which he intends to present to his sister. The original picture was a commission for a private collection, which includes portraits of some of the best-known men of the day, of widely differing individuality. There are Lord Rosebery, Mr. Henry Irving and his dog, Mr. Cham- berlain, Mr. Burnand, Mr. John Tenniel, Lord Randolph Churchill, Mr. Labouchere, Mr. John Morley, and Mr. Joseph Co wen, at one time Member for Newcastle, a man who for a period revived in the House of Commons the ancient standard of Parliamentary eloquence, and has now deliberately drifted into obscurity. "^Tel(f^'p^rT/r Compared Avith its lusty brothers born in 1874 ment. and 1880, the Parliament prorogued to-day has been deplorably dull. One or two memor- able scenes stand forth in the retrospect of six years. But there has been nothing like the daily succession of stirring- episodes that marked long stretches of the earlier Parlia- ments. We have seen the whole Liberal party, headed by Mr. Gladstone, leap to its feet to receive Mr. Parnell on the evening of the day following the flight of Pigott. Twelve months later we have beheld the same Parnell seated forlorn and forsaken in the very place whence he rose on that memorable evening, to stand silent for many moments waiting till the enthusiastic cheers of a united Opposition had died away. 516 A DIAEY OF THE SALISBURY PABLIAMENT. [i892. There have been some passages of arms between Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Chamberlain, most "perfect sword-play, watched with delight by a ring excited with varied emotions. Also, there has been an epidemic of expulsions. But in the matter of dramatic episodes the Parliament of 1886 has been to the Parliaments of 1874 and 1880 as a cycle of Cathay to twenty years of Europe. Once or twice the House has stood breathless, apparently on the eve of an explosion. The dogged determination of Lord Hartington, Mr. Chamberlain, and Sir Henry James to claim and keep seats on the front Opposition bench seemed at one epoch a sort of slow match that sooner or later must inevitabl}" tire the mine. More than once a crowded House has looked hungrily on, certain that the long-anticipated moment had arrived. By slight accident or act of personal forbearance and courtesy the climax has been averted. At one time there was current a blood-curdling rumour that pointed to Mr. Picton as the deliverer of right hon. gentlemen on the front Opposition bench from a distasteful and em- barrassing companionship. It was said the Member for Leicester had roundly declared he had as much right to a seat on the front Opposition bench as had Lord Hartington or Mr. Gladstone. Some day he would come down bright and early, fling himself on one, or peradventure both, of the seats at the Gangway-end of the front bench, and see what would happen when Lord Hartington or Mr. Chamberlain came up to claim it. Somehow, the event never came ofi:'. St. George did not appear in the lists, and the Dragon slept on through the Sessions undisturbed. One principal reason for the change wrought in Parliamentary life during the last six years has undoubtedly been the alteration of the hours of meeting and dispersing. In the older Parliaments, with the potential hour of adjourn- ment stretching to doom, or at least to dawn, the fun did not commence till after eleven o'clock. About that hour gentlemen who had been out to dinner came back in white neck-tics, broad shirt fronts, and high spirits, in the words of a song of contemporary mode, "good for any game at night, my boys." The habitual order of debate favoured the fashion. In those 1892.] THE DEAD PARLLLMENT. 517 days the giants did not strip and step into the arena till midnight approached. Up to the date of the present Parlia- ment all Mr. Gladstone's fighting speeches were delivered between ten o'clock at night and two in the morning. It was the same with Mr. Disraeli. When a great debate had run its appointed course of sittings, the Leader of the Opposition rose at half-past ten or eleven o'clock, and amid thunderous cheers from the crowded benches behind him, brought up all the reserve of attack. The Leader of the House followed, and if he were able to conclude his speech by one o'clock it was thought a happy and convenient circumstance. Frequently in the Parliament of 1880 an exciting half-hour, or even an hour, mtervened before the House was cleared for a division. The sitting down of the Leader of the House with the assumption that he had closed the debate was invariably the signal for the appearance of Mr. O'Donnell on the scene. With no closure nor any hour of automatic adjournment, the hapless House was absolutely at the mercy of its most inconsiderable member. It yelled and roared, clamouring incessantly for the division. Mr. O'Donnell waited for a lull in the storm, and then, having recovered and adjusted his dropped eye-glass, continued the sentence that had been interrupted. Reckless of ordinary conditions governing debate, impervious to angry reproof, deaf to piteous entreaty, he was painfully punctilious on one pomt. He respected the House of Commons too much to look upon it with the naked eye, and, whilst it tossed about with impotent fury, he was not to be hurried in his search of his eye-glass, nor, till he had found it, betrayed into advancing his speech by a syllable. Early closing. The New Rules have changed all that. The whole course of debate is reversed. In these days, with the House commencing business at half-past three and the debate peremptorily adjourned at midnight, all the big speeches are made before the dinner hour. This has, obviously, become a necessity. There is no room for a final tussle between the time of re-assembling after dinner and the hour of adjournment. The two front benches have once or twice in the course of the present Parliament been driven into this dilemma, and have grievously suffered. The right hon. 518 A DIARY OF TEE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. [is92. gentleman who rises at half-past ten to deliver the final attack is hampered throughout by chivalrous anxiety to leave his opponent a fair share of the strictly limited time. With the best intentions he never quite hits it off, and his opponent, speaking with his eye on the clock, is angered with the sense of injustice done to him. Eecently Mr. Gladstone spoke in such circumstances in an important debate. He com- plained that Mr. Goschen, who had immediately preceded him, had evaded or scamped a particular branch of the argu- ment. With eloquent gesture of shrugged shoulders and uplifted hand Mr. Goschen pointed to the clock, the hands of which stood at a quarter to twelve. " The right hon. gentleman points me to the clock," said Mr. Gladstone in a burst of Homeric rage. " I look and find my opportunity is far more limited than was his." Improved busi- "Whilst the existing regulations have militated ness capacity. . '~ "- ., . , . agamst spectacular and dramatic eiiect in the present Parliament, they have vastly improved its capacity as a business assembly. The knowledge that a certain amount of business has to bo done by a stated hour goes a long way towards its accomplishment. Men and the course of events arrange themselves. There have been many nights in the Session just closing on which, for all practical purposes, the House might have adjourned at a quarter to eight, when, an important speech closed. Members have trooped forth en masse to dinner. It has, nevertheless, remained in Session till mid- night, and Members have succeeded each other, reciting strings of sentences echoing round empt}^ benches, " thrice- boiled colewort," the prevalence of which in Parliamentaiy oratory Carlyle long ago deplored. Still, as St. Paul says, all things are possible, but all things are not expedient. As few stay to hear these supplementary speeches few suffer, whilst individuals are made happy, and the light on the Clock Tower testifies that the House of Gommims is still sitting. 'I'lie Speaker. Whilst the NcAv Rules have worked admirably, the present Parliament has had the further advantage of supremely good direction from the Chair. It is only fair to remember that Mr. Peel and Mr. Courtney have 1892.] THE SPEAKER. 519 wielded powers unknown to their predecessors. On the other hand, the situation had the embarrassment of novelty, a dangerous thmg in an assembly which, in aU that touches its procedure, is doggedly conservative. In directing the pro- ceedings under the New Kules, both Mr. Peel and Mr. Courtney have from time to time been suddenly called upon to solve knotty points, or to establish momentous precedents. In the seven Sessions through which the life of Parliament has run, there was one occasion when a ruling of the Speaker was seriously challenged. Mr. Courtney's approval or ignoring of demand for the Closure has often been angrily commented upon. But as those who thought the Closure was not moved often enough in Committee were exactly balanced by those who complained that too free use was made of the privilege, Mr. Courtney's constitutional content with himself was not in danger of disturbance. Apart from mere business direction, Mr, Peel has through his term of Speakership graced the Chair with a dignity and strengthened it with a personality worthy of its loftiest tradi- tions. Of all public perches, the Chair of the House of Commons is, perhaps, the most difficult and the most perilous on Avhich a man could find himself placed. To be inflexible yet courteous ; to sink all personal feeling, be impervious to all social or intellectual preference ; to sit through hours of dreary verbiage and be alert at the eleventh to give judg- ment on a nice point of order ruled by precedents going back two hundred years ; to be in some respects a simple member of the House, having no rights and privileges other than those possessed by the most inconsiderable unit of the 670, yet to be habitually deferred to on every point; colleague and autocrat ; ever living in the fierce light beside which that beating upon the Throne is as moonlight unto sunlight — this is a unique position, requiring for its fulfilment the rarest personal gifts. That Mr. Peel has proved equal to the task is testified to by the admiration and personal esteem in which he is held by a House of which he has been the chief corner- stone these more than six years past. INDEX, Abercorn, Duke of, 200 Aberdeen, Lord, 281 Acland, Mr. Artliur, 58 Ai-ton, Lord, 72 Addington, Lord, 18, ]9, 205 African emissaries in the House of Commons, 380 Akers-Douglas, Mr., 182, 188, 211 ; and the Licensing Bill, 283, 448 Albany, Duke of, 286 All night sittings, 172, 298, 307 Allotments Act, 8 Alma-Tadenia, Mr., his portrait of Mr. Bal- four, 514 Amateur Artists in the House, 54, 55 Anderson, Mr., 68 Anecdotes: Strangers tipping member.s, 38, 39 ; Mr. Chamberlain's dancing, and the Washington belle, 44; Mr. Chamberlain and the Queen's photograph, 44 ; Lord Leveson's half-a-crown, 96 ; Mr. Disraeli and his hat, 104; Major O'Gorman and the nun "Sophia," 111; Lord Eversley and William Pitt, 128 ; the Lord Chancellor and the oratorical styles of Fox and Pitt, 142 ; Rival Songsters : Sir Richard Webster and Sir E. Clarke, 151; Mac- aulay and the Duke of Newcastle, 154; Lord George Bentinck's remark about John Bright, 180 ; Lord Granville and the Carlton Club, 200 ; Lord Rosebery and his Scottish guest, 205-207; the Rev. H. White and the burglar, 217 ; the Irish priest and the Atlantic, 224, 225; Mr. Pyne and his watch, 242 ; Disraeli and Biggar, 244 ; Biggar and his father, 248 ; Mr. Gosclieu and the disaster with the glass of port, 264, 265 ; Disraeli and his Manchester speech, 265 ; Mr. Delahunty and the contents of his black bag, 274, 275 ; Mr. Biggar and his will, 276 ; Sir Wilfrid Lawson and the little boy, 277 ; Lord Denmanand the Municipal Franchise Bill, 277 ; Lord R. Churchill and the Oxford tutor, 294; Lord Granville and the "at home," 363 ; Lord Granville and the birth of Browning's child, 363 ; Wordsworth and Westmorland, 382 ; the candidate for a diplomatic appointment, 392, 393 ; the Sun- day school scholar and Mr. Jesse Collings, 395 ; Mr. Labouchere at Washington, 413 ; Lord Melbourne and the price of bread, 421 ; Mr. Cunninghame Graham and tlie burglar at Pentonville, 470 ; the Arch- bishop of Canterbury and the dinner at Carlton Gardens, 499 Appropriation Bill, Discussion on (1888), 10, 309 Argyll, Duke of, 365 ; his speech on the Isle of Lewis, 3S1, 382 ; his failure in public life, 510 ; literary work and style, 510, 511 Army, A crisis in the history of the, 495 Ascension Day, 378 Ashbourne, Lord, made Lord Chancellor of Ireland, 4 Ashmead-Bartlett, ]Mr., 82, 92, 367, 416 Asquith, Mr., 160, 161, 249 ; on the Report of the Parnell Commission, 251, 252 ; his suc- cess in Parliament, 356, 357, 430, 485 Atkinson, Mr., 403, 404, 405 "Atticus," 187 Aveland, Lord, 285 Baillie, Mr. Cochrane, 205 " Baker Pasha," 43 Balfour, Mr. Arthur, made Secretary for Scot- land, 4 ; introduces the Crimes Bill, 9 ; made Chief Secretary for Ireland, 9, 14, 19, 22 ; speech on Address, 1888, 26 ; his re])ly to Mr. O'Brien's speech after his imprison- ment, 28 ; makes Col. King-Harinan his secretary, 35; his Increasing influence in the House, 52 ; Lord Randolph Churchill's attitude towards him, 67 ; answering ques- tions, 77 ; changes in his manner, 78-81 ; his below-the-gangway attitude, 104 ; his reception by the House at the opening of Session, 1889, 149, 150; and Pigott, 173; and the spray of roses, 194, 195 ; and the motion to abolish the House of Lords, 205 ; and the Scotch University Bill, 221 ; on the Land Bill, 271 ; his aiTest of Messrs. Dillon and O'Brien, 327 ; reply to Mr. Healy with reference to Lord Zetland'.s Fund, 349 ; his indifference to attacks, 387 ; his notes for a " Life " of Mill, 387 ; attacked by Mr. Keay, 406 ; his parliamen- tary presence, 425 ; qualities for leader- ship, 426 ; goes to Bayreuth, 434 ; his recreations, 435 ; his less severe attitude towards the Irish Party, 437 ; at Balmoral, 439 ; and Mr. De Cobain, 453 ; as leader, 455, 459 ; and royal palaces, 476 ; and Mr, Gladstone, 482 ; and the dissolution, 505 ; his portrait, 514 Balfour of Burleigh, Lord, and the Chairman- ship of Committees in the Lords, 183 Balmoral, Quaint ceremony to the memory of the Prince Consort at, 439 Baring, Lord, 205 Barrington, Lord, a confidant of Disraeli's, 354, 482 Barristers in Parliament, 357 Bartley, Mr., 288, 289 ; and a fall of snow in London, 389 Barttelot, Sir Walter, 162, 288 ; and the Army Estimates, 496 Basing, Lord, 18 Baumann, Mr., the "Demosthenes of Peck- ham" ; his speech on overtime-work in Government factories, 44, 45 Beaconsfield, Lord. (See Disraeli, Mr.) Beauchamp, Earl, 337, 353 ; his Parliamentary life, 354 Beaufoy, Mr., 166 Bentinck, Lord George, 139 ; and Mr. Bright, 180 Beresford, Lord Charles, and the Civil Lords, 522 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. 40, 41 ; Parliamentary career, and tactics in the House, 511, 512, 513 r, Mr., 22, 25 ; and the new Procedure Bules, 34 ; and " The Admiral," 37 ; altered, 71, 72, 85 ; and the flight to Paris, 90, 98 ; his watchful attitude, 111, 112 ; opposition to Government Bills, 114 ; his imitative faculty and gestures, 140, 162; his hilarity, 168, 210 ; abjures sack, 222 ; his vote on Royal grants, 228 ; his sudden death,aud character, 243; and Mr. Disraeli, 244; and obstruc- tion, 245 ; his four hours' speech, 245-247 ; how he became a favourite, 247 ; and his father, 247 ; his " waistcoat" and the " Admiral," 248, 275 ; his will, 275 ; his association with Mr. ParneU, 446 Bills, Bringing in, 121, 155 Binningham, Representation of, and Lord R. Churchill, ISO, ISl, 260 Bishops, the method of their introduction to the House of Lords, 357 Bismarck, Prince, and his letter to Mr. Morley, 152 " Black Rod," 60, 61, 293 Blaine, Mr., 359 Blake, Mr., 16 ; his story of a correspondence with his uncle, 17, 85, 392 Blane, Mr. A., liis oratory, 474 ; and Royal Palaces, 477, 478, 487 Bliieher, Waterloo, and Wellington, 268 Boileau and Corneille's Horace, 202 Bolton, Mr., and State railways, 62 Bond, Mr., and the mouse, 239 ; his death, 448 Boulogne, Irish members at, 347, 348, 398 Bourke, "Bobby." (See Conneraara, Baron.) Brabourne, Lord, 202, 364 Bradlaugh, Mr., and the oath, 1 ; and the Oaths Bill, 41, 42 ; defends the Conserva- tive Government, 126 ; his oratory, 134 ; an example of the triumph of natural ability against prejudice, 136, 138 ; on foreign politics, 152 ; brings in Bills on prosecutions for matters of religion, 155 ; makes dashes for the table, 184 ; amend- ments on Royal Grants, 223; his legal knowledge, 227 ; his death, his conflict with Parliament, and work, 337-343 Bradlaugh difliculty. The, 1, 2 Brand, Sir Henry. (See Hampden, Lord.) Bright, Mr. Jacob, 184 Bright, Mr. John, 14, 140 ; his death, 174 ; l)roposed reconciliation with Mr. Gladstone, 174, 17.'. ; tributes to his nipiin.rv from Mr. r;i;Ml.t..ii... Mi.Sinitli.:iiMl :M r. :\r. ulr v, 17ii, 1 so ; p:itie)ic the Ilr L', 208, Bright, Mr. J. A., 182 Broadhurst, Mr., 125 Brodrick, Mr., and the House of Lords, 20". 204 Rrowning, Robert, and the birth of his child, 363 Bruce, Mr., 58 Brvce, Professor, 59, 69 Budget Bill of 1885, 57 Budget night (1890), 259-266, 302; (1891), 374, Burdett-Coutts, Mr., and Mr. Lockwood's liuiiKirous sketch, 55 iiur;;hlcv. The Lord of, 205 I'.iirt, Mi-., 126 iJutt, Isaac, 75, 85, 145, 165, 210, 244, 24:. ; contrasted with Parnell, 272, 298 ; decline of hi.s influence, 273,"i410 ; and The O'Gor- man Mahon, 392 Buxton, Mr. Sydnev, raises a storm in the House, 120-122, 289 CiBsar, Julius, and his resemblance to Mr. John Morley, 291 Caine, Mr., 37, 41, 193, 296 Cairns, Sir Hugh, 254 Caldwell, Mr., on the educational condition of Scotland, 407-410 Calendar of Parliamentary events : Session of 1886, 5-7 ; Session II. (1886), 7 ; Session 1887,10-13 ; Session 1888, 129-132 ; Session of 1889, 233-236 ; Session of 1890, 310-312 ; Session of 1890-91, 431-433 Cambridge, Duke of, 286 Campbell, Sir George, and the "fearful creatures " on the staircases, 214 ; executes a strategy respecting the Scotch University Bill, 220, 221 ; and the " band of gorillas," 306 ; and St. George and the Dragon, 307, 329, S30 ; his death and high reputation, 454 Campbell-Baunernian, Mr., 73, 74, 386 Camperdown, Earl of, and Lord Teynham's maiden speech, 257, 258 Canning, 253 Canterbuiy, Archbishop of, 286 ; goes out to dinner, 499 Carlton Club, Meeting of Conservatives at the, 4 ; and Lord Granville, 200 Carlyle, Mr. Baumann's reference to, 45 Carmarthen, Marquis of, 204 Carnarvon, Lord, 366 Cavan, Earl of, 205 ; and Sir Henry James's speeches, 252 Cavendish, Lord Frederick : his assassination, 101 Cavendish-Bentinck, LordH., 205 ; his death, 367 ; his Toryism, 368 Cavendish-Bentinck, Mr., 71, 91, 92, 337, 385 Cetewayo, 381 Chairman of Committees, Duties of, 93 Chamberlain, Mr. Joseph, made President of the Local Government Board, 2 ; his re- signation, 3, 14 ; presented by the Queen with her photograph, 44; a Washington belle's opinion of his dancing, 44 ; attacked by Sir \V. Harcourt, 50-52 ; consults with Lord Randolph Churchill on Local Govern- ment in Ireland, 54 ; atti . i , , 147; congratulations on hi^ r I'l; ex- postulated with, by .Ml. (.Lii'i. II, 158; and Lord R. ChurchiU's prupuscd candi- dature for Central Birmingham, 181, 249 ; and the Land Bill, 270 ; his resemblance to Pitt, 291 ; and the Liberals, 292 ; and Lord Hiiiuchamp, 354 ; goes to Germany, 401 ; .success in social world, 402, 449 ; his si.ceclies heard and read, 479 ; and Mr. Gladstone, 480 Channel Tunnel Bill, Second reading of the, 81 Chaplin, Mr., and the fatal tendencies of fluency, 139 ; congratulates Mr. Chamber- Iain on his marriage, 149, 162 ; and Lord R. Churchill, 183, 187, 188, 283; and Mr. Gladstone, 367 Childcrs, Mr., and his Budget of 1885, 57, •-".10 Cluii(;liill, Lord Randolph, nominates Mr. Matthews for the Home Secretaryship and is made Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House, 4 ; com-teousness and IXDEX. 523 tact as Leader, ; his resignation, and his view of the jiosition of Dissentient Liberals, S, 14, 2'> ; tiavrls in Rus.sia, 19, 40; in a qui.,.. Ml -■ !'. . ._'; his sensational speech (in I ' iiiment in Ireland, 53; ainl >li. I'l : r. (17; contempt for Mr. Jlatiiii'- ..II. I Sir John Gor.st, 67; his mysterious .siluuce, 75, 76 ; and the Channel Tunnel Bill, 81 ; habits in the House, 114 ; how his ducal parentage helped him to gain a position, 136 ; and Mr. Tim Healy, 143 ; declines the invitation to represent Birmingham, 180, 260 ; a trouble to Mr. Chaplin, 183, 187 ; and Sir Richard Cross, 186 ; and the defeat of Mr. Gladstone's Government, 200 ; and the Navy Estimates, 218 ; called " Randolph," 230;' his Licens- ing Bill, 238 ; and the Land Purchase Bill, 259 ; hated by Conservatives, 260 ; and his Oxford tutor, 294; his position in the House, 295, 296 ; grows a beard, 343 ; his expedition to Africa, 353; fondness for chess, 353 ; and the Daily Graphic, 369 ; goes to Africa, 379 ; his command over the House, 427 ; as an Opposition leader, 428 ; at the opening of Session 1892, 449 Clancy, Mr., 118 ; his motion ou the Parnell leadership, 323, 324, 326 Clare, John, Case of, 72 Clarence and Avondale, Duke of, takes his seat in the House of Lords, 285 ; his death, 447 Clark. Dr., 117, 465, 504 Clarke, Sir E., 113, 151 Clerks of the House, Duties of, 494 Clock Tower, The light in the, 486 Closure, The, moved by Mr. W. H. Smith, 8 : its power increased, 9 ; put into operation for the first time, 14 ; its effect on the busi- ness of the House, 41, 42 ; and Mr. Cony- beare, 465 Cockburn, Sir Alexander, 254 Cock-crowing in the House of Commons, 385 Coercion Act and Mr. Forster, 43, 244 Coleridge, Mr. Bernard, 205 Coleridge, Lord, 254 CoUings, Mr. Jesse, moves an amendment on the agricultural question, 2 ; and the Local Government Bill, 50, 118 ; and the Sunday-school scholar, 395 ; and Mr. Cham- berlain, 480 Colomb, Sir John, seconds the Address, 149 Commins, Dr., 85 Commission of Judges Bill, 101 Committee Room No. 15, 321-323, 348, 361, 411 Compensation Bill, 287 Compton, Earl, 205 Connaught. Duke of, 286 Connemara, Baron, 17 Conservatives, their number in the Parliament elected December, 1885, 1 ; defeat in 1886, 2; majority at General Election, July, 1886, 3 Consort, The Prince, stone cairn to his memory, 439 ; and Disraeli, 484 Conybeare, Mr., 91; and tlie Speaker, 109, 189, 211, 219, 306, 307 ; and Mr. Labou- chere, 310; the " cue for the closure," 465 Corry, Sir J. P., 448 Cottesloe, Lord, on Budget night, 260 Courtney, Mr., as Chairman of Committees, 91, 92, 113 ; and Mr. J. F. X. O'Brien, 169-171 ; his onerous duties, 172, 263, 283, 307 ; his success in the House, 429 ; and Mr. Blane, 478 ; his powers, 518, 519 Cowen, Mr. Joseph, and the Paniell case, 90 ; his oratory, 133 Cox, Mr., 221 Cranborne, Lord, 205, 395 Cranbrook, Viscount, made Lord President of the Council, 4, 500 Crimes Bill, 8 ; introduced by Mr. Balfour, 9 ; second reading carried, 9, 159, 162, 220 Cromwell and the removal of the mace almost paralleled by Mr. W. H. Smith's introduction of the Procedure Rules, 32 Cross, Lord, made Secretary for India, 4, 18, 186, 202, 205 ; and the Dissolution, 488 Cunynghame, Mr., 250 Curzon, Lord, 205, 496 Curzon, Mr., and his defence of the Hou.se of Lords, 202, 203 Daily Telegraph and Lord R. Churchill, 369 Dalhousie, Lord, 17 " Dan'l" and Mr. Justin M'Carthy, 347 Davey, Sir Horace, 149 Davies, Mr. David, 297 Davitt, Mr., and the Divorce Court proceed- ings against Parnell, 328 Dawson, Mr., Lord Mayor of Dublin, "Baker Pasha," 43, 84 Dease's will, Mr. O'ReUly, 118 Deasy, Mr., 332 Debaters in the House of Commons, The best, 142-147 De Cobain, Mr., 453 Delahunty, Mr., and one-pound notes, 274 " Demosthenes of Peckham," The, 44 Denison, Mr., 128 Denman, Lord, and the Municipal Franchise (Ireland) Bill, 276, 358, 383 ; and the Small Holdings Bill, 508, 509 Derby, The late Lord, and the turf, 434 Derby Day, 281, 491 Dilemma, A curious, 189-191 Dilke, Sir Charles, 14, 184, 385 Dillon, Mr., 25, 221, 301 ; and the Parnell leadership, 319, 327, 331 ; temporary retire- ment, 397 ; and the Irish leadership, 398, 401 ; and Mr. Balfour's absence, 459 ; his accident, 468 Dillwyn, Mr., 162, 352 Dinner dress, 491 Directors of a railway at the Bar of the House, 474 Disraeli, Mr., and the "Young England" school, 39 ; his last speech in the House of Commons, 66, 71 ; and his hat, 104 ; and Major O'Gorman, 110, 111 ; his oratory, 132 ; his imitators in the House, 139, 140, 177 ; his letters to the Queen, 198, 483 ; his discernment of Mr. W. H. Smith's qualities, 225 ; and Mr. Biggar, 244 ; and " gentlemen of the long robe," 253 ; and his Manchester speech, 265, 411 ; the pet aversion of Lord Salisbury, 420 ; and Sir. Lowther, 425 ; his recreations, 434 ; as Leader, 457 ; the Queen's dislike of him, 484 Dissolution, The shadow of the, 488 Dod'.s Peerage, 216, 438 Dodson, Mr. (See Monk-Bretton, Lord.) Donegal, Affairs in, 189 Downing, M'Carthy, 85, 165 ; his fidelity to Mr. Isaac Butt, 273 Dowse, Baron, 84, 254 Drummond, Mr., 160 Ebrington, Lord, 205, 496 Edinburgh, Duke of, 287 Edmoustone, Sir William, his death, 36 ; 524 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. characteristics and habits in tlie House, 37 ; and Mr. Riggar, 24S Eighty Club, The, 6fi Eleho, Lord, IS, 205, 278, 493. (See also Wemyss, Earl.) Eldon, Lord, 356 Electric-light arrangements at Hatfield House, 435 Elliot, Sir George, takes the floor, 123-125 Elphinstone, Sir James, 92 Emperor of Germany, Death of the, 39 Errington, George, 85 Esmonde, Sir Thomas, 288, 289, 332 Esselmont, Mr., 210 Eversley, Lord, his death, 128 Farquharsnn, Dr., 105, 496 Father of the House of Commons, The, 70 Fay, Mr., 273 Fenwick, Mr., 87, 126 Fergusson, Sir James, 152, 156, 195 ; compared with Lord Stratheden and Campbell, 358 ; a model Under-Secretary, 393 ; made Post- master-General, 448 Field, Admiral, 88, 203 Fife, Duke of, 240 Finnigan, Lysaght, 84, 164, 165, 273 Fishery Commission and Mr. Chamberlain, 44 " Flag of truce," Sir W. Hart-Dyke's, 59 Flyiin, Mr., 468 Fog iu the House of Commons, Battle with the, 352 Folkestone, Lord, and his sketches of Mem- bers, 54, 55 ; and Mr. Healy, 143 ; succeeds to the Radnor peerage, 165. (See also Radnor, Earl of.) Forster, Mr., Death of, 3, 27, 43, 97, 386 Forster, Sir Charles, iu a dilemma, 76-78 ; his deatli, 448 Fourth Party, The, 14, 19, 78, 185 Fowler, Mr." Henry, 74, 209, 211, 231 ; his position in the House, 428 Fox and Pitt, Oratory of, 142 Eraser, General, on the Army, 498, 499 Free Education Bill, The, 403 Fulton, Mr. Forrest, 315 G Gedge, Mr., 492-494 General Election of 1886, 3 George, Mr. Lloyd, 450, 451 Gibson, Mr. (See Ashbourne, Lord.) Giffard, Sir Hardinge. (See Halsbury, Lord.) Gilhooly, Mr., wanted by the police, 24 ; arrested, 25, 34 Gill, Mr., 221 Gladstone, Mr., his majority in I.SSC, 1 ; mem- bers of liisliiiviTiniiriitol' Issr,, -J ; unfolds hi.s schci I II i:"i- 1 1 -^i''), 3; his defeat ami )■ i i Hh^ Crimes Bill, 9; ni- i I ; ^ : - ' niiiiittee to ill(|Hil-0 illlu I llr rli;n M , (.1 I li. ; 'W.:M-:iinst :\I|-. l';il'IH'll, in; -il II, r h^.i I ..I IM ,]. lif;, the death nf Ldid Eversley, 129 ; the only orator in I'm TI-u - , i::j ; :\fr. Chainlpi-i-laiu's tribute I.. , I .' :i --., I 17 ; sin^'elmi] tlie Irish l,)il M . M-l|rvs iilinMellllelit to the A.]'\i ~-K I .- ; i-l;iriniis witli .lolin Bright, anil liis tribute to Bright's memory, 174-177, 180 ; his letters to the Queen, 198, 483 ; his historic letter to the Queen, 199 ; his patience in the House, 208 ; and Royal Grants, 223 ; origin of his appellation, tlie " Grand Old Man," 229 ; also called " Mr. G.," 229 ; his reception at the opening of Session (1890), 238 ; on the Report of the Parnell Commission, 250 ; in a tight place, 266 ; and his " pomatum iiot," 269 ; on Mr. Parnell's Land speech, 269 ; " saving him- self up," 282 ; on the Address (1890-91), 316 ; his letter on the Parnell leadership, 316, 317 ; invites Parnell to Hawarden, • 320; disappointed bvtlie positicin taken by Parnell, 321; (liihn , i i i ;mis;i1 of com- promise on tlie r I i: Hon, 326; on the Religious li, .ii.,:;i.. , l;;ll, 343; his stock of energy, ..44 ; In.-, personal pre- ponderance in the House, 346 ; a peaceful time, 346 ; his Home Rule Bill, 361 ; and the death of Lord Granville, 364 ; and Mr. Seymour Keay, 372, 373, 405 ; his recrea- tions, 435 ; his appearance at, 83, 459, 460 ; personal ascendency, 461 ; speech on the Mombassa Railway, 463; and the hours of railway servants, 47:!; mi Koval Palaces, 476; his speeclies ln.,11,1 and read, 480; attention paid tn him liv the Tories, 481 ; his castigation of Mr. C.'lianiberlain, 482; and the question of dissolution, 503; liis portrait by Millais, 513 ; and the hours of debate, 518 ' Gladstone's up ! " 463 ' God bless the Duke of Argyll ! " 103 ' God save Ireland ! " and Dr. Tanner's escort, 163 , 61 dsW. 43; 'uti rd Randolph ity man" of Clmrehill, 67, «8 ; the the Treasury Bencli, 153, 156, 185 ; his tort on Mr.'S. Smith, 191, 192 ; and Privi- lege, 239 Goschen, Mr., his speech in reply to Mr. Gladstone on the O'Brien incident, 30 ; his style of oratory, 103 ; and Mr. Dease's will, lis, 156 ; his worries, 173 ; his Budget of 1890, 262-265, 302 ; his Budget of 1891, 374 ; and the leadership, 397 ; as Leader, 418 ; and the clock, 518 " Gosset's room," 272 Graham, Mr. Cuninghanie, suspended from atteiidanee in the House, 9 ; " one of the jiroudest events in his life,' 469 ; suspended, Grah nil. Sir .),-iii es, 281 Gnu, II .V,' .M;n',|'ni ^ c,f, takes his scat in the 111 urns, 43, 205 II 11.1 (IM M;, ill,^. 1,01.1. ■aill.ii, 11. • l'll;lllli,:i 1,' The. 229 ipiH.iiiird Colonial Secretary, I..N.M.1I, m; letter from 11.1- liiiaee," 177, 17S ; and islil|i nf CMiiiliiiK.es, 183; less (if speech-iiial7 H Haldane, Mr., 112-114 ; and his Town Councils Bill, 485 Halsbury, Lord, made Lord Chancellor, 4 ; his patronage, 114, 115 ; visits the House of Commons, 125, 127 ; his loss of the re- turn to the writ, 106 ; his suggestive ap- pearance in wig and gown, 172 ; possibility of his catching the Speaker's eye, 201 ; ami the re-introduction of the Duke of Fife, 240, 452 " Ham " and Mr. Healy, 34S Hamilton, Loid Geoi-ge, made First Lord of the Admiralty, 4, 40, (57 ; his scrap of paper, 105, 210 ; thinks a man should be the son of a duke, 13(j ; and the Navy Estimates, 218 Hampden, Lord, 5(i, 128 Hansard, 31 r., 109 Harcourt, Sir W., appointed Chancellor of the E.Kchequer, 2, 14; inteiTupts Mr. Gosohen in his speech on Irish matters, 30 ; attacks Mr. Chamberlain during the Local Govern- ment Bill debate, 50, 81 ; his style of oratory, 102, 1(57, 254; his gift of phrase- making, 140 ; invents the appellation, the " Grand Old Man," 229 ; and the Tithes Bill, 231 ; and the Irish members, 326 ; change of temper, 346 ; success in Parlia- ment, :','») ; on Manipur, 387 ; and Mr. Kcay, 40i;, 448; as leader of the Opposi- tion. 4i;i: liis speeches heard and read, 47:i ; and tin' question of dissolution, 503 Hardy, Mr. Gathorne, 205, 225 Harrington, Mr. E., sus])ended from attend- ance in the House, 9, 195 Harringtons, The, S.j Hart-Dyke, Sir Wi:jii'!i. r,. -,; : ,: ,,|,^ Chief Secretarytotlh I , I m ■ i .;:made Vice-President ' : -peeeh on the propo.sai l. :i,i|.oi;iI .i Minister of Education, 58, 0;' ; his " flag (if tniee," 59 ; a misadventure, 216, 264 Hartington, Lord, 2 ; heads the Dissentient Liberal party, 3 ; offered the Premiership by Lord Salisbury, 3 ; promises to support the Conservative Government, 4, 14, 22 ; and the Speaker's dinner, 37, 48, 49, 52, 149 ; and Lord R. Cliiinl, ill's pr..p„sed candidature of Birminuliini. 1-1. I'd-i ; on the Land Bill, 271, :is ; ; t;il>rs Ins s,.-at in the Lords as Duke of Di'vonsliiiv, 447; his speeches heard and read, 479 ; his por- trait, 514 Hav.loek-Allan, Sir, 73, 164, 496-498 Healy, Mr. Maurice, on Mr. Parnell's repre- sentation of Cork, 369 Healy, Mr. Tim, 14, 23, 25 ; and the new Pro- cedure Rules, 33, 34, 78, 92 ; his cleverness as a debater, 142 ; his improved manners — now the "hon. and learned gentleman," 144, 221, 301, 308 ; and the Parnell leader- ship, 318-320, ?.31, 347; as '^ Ham," 348 ; his question will, n incinr i , [,,,i,l Zet- land's fund, :;, ■ , ; i I laniell, 358; and the li: i i; his nickname, 4::i; ; ; 1 .Mi. l;;iiii",;, ; ;s ; and HcatoM. .Mr. Ili mnkri, Jll ; and advertising He ■lf,:^rani~. iJl-J, Mi- md, Transfei of, 367 Heneage, Mr., 22, 37, 48, 148, 149, 219 Hennessy, Sir John Pope, his return to Pai-liament, 334, 335 ; changes in the House since his first election, 3.'J6, 354 ; his death, 448 Henry, Mitchell, 84 Herbert, Mr. Aid. Ton, 385 HersclirH. Sir I mr (afterwards Lord), made Luil ' 111 ._'; on Mr. Parnell and the / , '• i ; his success in Parlia- Hicks-Beach, Sir Micliael, and the Bradlaugh difficulty, 1 ; made Chief Secretary for Ireland, 5 ; temporai-y withdrawal from Parliamentarv litv, 9; his amendment on Mr. CliiM.rs' i;nd'.4et Bill, 57 ; and State railv.iNs, .._' ^11. LSI, 425, 449; and the hours of railu,i\ servants, 472 Hill, Lord Arthur, 211 Hogg, Sir James M'Garel. (SeeMagheramorne, Lord.) Holden, Mr., 448 Holksr, SirJolni. and tin- stranger's tip, 38, 39 Home Rule, Mr. i ila.Wtnii.-s scheme of (1886), 2, 3 ; rejection ot .Mr. ijladstone's scheme, 3; and Mr. Paruell, S14, 318; and Mr. Parnell's visit to Hawarden, 320, 324, 325, 355 Hood, Stationmaster, 471 Hope, Beresford, 15, 78, SO Horace, Corneille's, and Boileau, 202 Hornby, Mr., 284 Horsnian, Mr., 287, 352 Hours of debate, 516, 517 House of Commons, Changes in the, 18, 19 ; under the new rules, 71 ; its aspect with members in dinner dress, 88; Mr. Sydney Buxton and Mr. Jacoby outrage order, 121-123; orators of, 132-142; ^tlie lust debaters in, 142-147 ; waste of tiniein, IM ; bringing in Bills, 121. 155; all-iiiuht sit- ting, 172 ; the lamp l.ill .if, iss ; a dil-inma in, 189; dailv Intrr to tlir (}„>■.■„ lion, ihc Leader of, imi, I'.'V ; .i i|Uirt tiinr. -is; a comic scene, 308 ; b ittlr wuli t h.- |.i^. ::;,_> ; sleejiiness, 362; a dull stitc ottliiir-s, :;7i;, 377 ; the LongSession. 4|o : a Mirriiu m-ht, 470 ; the question ot dissolution, .".ii:.;-:>(i>s House of Lords, The, with no work to do, 171 ; its architectural arrangements, 201 ; "another place," 202; Mr. Labonchere's moti(ni for its abolition, 202; Lord Salis- bury's motion to add thirty lifi' jieers to, 203; re-introduction of th,. Dukr- of Fife by the Prince of Wales, J4o ; Lord Teyn- ham's maiden speech, 254-259 ; Lord Denmau and the Municipal FranidiiseBill, 277 ; and the Duke of Clarence and Avon- dale, 285 ; time of adiournment, 359 ; a crisis with an Irish Bill, 421 Hubbard, Mr. J. G. (See Addington, Lord.) " Hudibras " quoted by Sir .J. Gorst, 192 Hudson, George, and the railway to Scotland, 64, 66 Hughes, Colonel, the " Woolwich Infant," 338 ; and a fall of snow, 391 Hughes-Hallett, Colonel, 21, 40, 52 Humour, Scottish, 69, 70 Hunt, Mr. Ward, 201, 305 I Iddesleigh, Lord, made First Lord of the Treasury, 4 ; his death, 8, 14 ; his reputa- tion in the House of Commons, 17, 341 Imprisonment of Irish members, 23 Income-tax, Sir Robert Peel and Mr. Gosohen on the, 261 i26 A DIARY OF THE SALISBURY PARLIAMENT. Ireland, Policy of the Government in, chal- lenged bv Mr. Parnell, S ; by Mr. Glad- stone and Mr. Morley, 158-160 Irish Land Bill, 8 ; passes the Lords and the Commons, 9, 267, 376 Irish Local Government, 53, 54 Irish members. Decadence of, 84; old style and new, 266-276 ; the question of leader- ship after Mr. Parnell's appearance in the Divorce Court, 313-329, 331, 332 ; and Mr. Gladstone's Home Rule Bill, 361 ; and Mr. Parnell, 377 ; bard times for, 459 .Ta Ja, King, 47, 63, 196 Jackson, Mr., 115, 196, 263 ; and the port for Mr. Goschen, 264, 287, 374 : his success in the House, 429 ; appointed Irish Secretary, 448 Jacoby, Mr., and his levee dress, 119 ; makes a mistake in the House, 123, 211 ; as Whip, 214, 21.5, 219 James, Sir Henry, declines the Lord Chan- cellorship, 3, 14, 22, 48 ; and the Parnell Commission Bill, 106, 151, 249; on the Report of the Parnell Commission, 251- •2'.;" ; l:i; >iirr-. -.^ in Parliament, 356 "j( :: ■ , M,^ .• r. Jen,: - ' -i\'e, and Mr. Brifrht, 178 Jeiiiiii) -, Ml.. :iimI Lord R. Churchill, 296 Jennings, Mr. Louis, 430 Jingo fever, 259 Johnston, Mr., 345 "Judas," 98 Keay, Mr. Seymour, his genius for statistics, and Mr. Gladstone's favouralile opinion of his abilities, 371-373; and the Railway Rates Bill, 404, 405; attacks Mr. Balfour, 406 Kenealv, Dr., and Mr. Bright, 179, 345 Kenny, Dr., 243, 453 Kensington, Lord, 56 Kensington Parliament, 88 Kenyon, Mr., .58, 205 Kew Gardens and Sir Richard Temple, 486, 487, 489, 490 Kilbride, Mr., 22 Kilniainliam Treaty, 84 Kimberley, Lord, 370, 500 Kin,i;-ll:iiiii:in, Colonel, aiMi^iiitrdParliaiiipnt- ,( Li. Kin.L'sliiirgh, Lord, 68 ; outwitted, 70 ; his cunimanding presence, 102, 220, 409 Knightley, Sir Rainald, 352 Knutsford, Lord, 500 iKHU-hen;, Mr., 116; his motion for the ab.ilitiou of the House of Lords, 202; silent, fora wonder, 219 ; and Royal Grants, 224, 226, 249, 285 ; and the monster petition, 289; his defence of Mr. Conybeare, 310 ; his amendment to the Land Purchase Bill, 330; has a quiet time, :i46 ; his stock of reminiscences, 3!i'J ; II.h.iv,! by Sir J. Fer- gusson, 394; " Wli.it will be (l.inc with him?" 412; at Cnnst mi m.. pi., and Wash- ington, 418; as jouiiialist, and liis letters Of "A Besieged Rc+iilent," 414 ; as politi- cian, 414, 415 ; not to be gagged by a Ministerial appointment, 416 ; his consti- tutional procedure, 474 ; and the Dissolu- tion, 507 Ladie-s' Man, A, 294 Lambert, Mr., 449 Lamp-bill of the House of Commons, The, 188 Land League, The, 26, 97 Land Purchase, Registration, and Searches Bill, 112, 259, 267, 330, 331 Law, Mr., 92, 142 Lawson, Sir Wilfrid, 106, 190 ; his story of the Catholic priest and the Atlantic, 225 ; his .joke on Sir George Campbell, 307 ; and Derby Day, 492 Lawyers in the House of Commons, 252 Leaders in the Commons, 416 Leighton, Mr. Stanley, 81; "The man from Shropshire," 82 Lennox, Lord Walter, 448 Lethbridge, Sir Roper, 71, 72 Letter to the Queen, Daily, from the Leader of the House, 196, 197, 198 ; when and where written, 199 ; Mr. Gladstone's, on the defeat of his Government, 199, 200 ; always written by the Leader, 483 ; begin- ning of the correspondence, 484 Leveson, Lord, swallowing a half-crown, 95, 96 Lewis, Mr. George, 95 Lewis, Sir Charles, and the charges of the Times against Mr. Parnell, 10 Lewisham, Lord, 204, 215, 482 Liberals, their number in the Parliament of December, 1885, 1 ; minority at General Election, July, 1886, 3 Library of letters to the Queen from Leaders of the House, 198 Licensing Bill, 282 Light Railways (Ireland) Bill, 307 Local Government Bill, English, 49-53 Local Government in Ireland, 63 ; speeches by Mi\ Gladstone, Mr. Balfour, and Lord Randolph Churchill, 53 Local Taxation Bill, Monster petition in favour of, 288 Lockwood, Mr., his sketches of iMenibers, 54, 55, 151, 249 London, Bishop of, in the Lobby, 490 Lome, Marquis of, 510 Lothian, Lord, 382 Lovaine, Lord, 18 Lowe, Mr., 261, 268, 373 Lowther, Mr., 91, 281 ; his vicissitudes, and his manner in the House, 350-352 ; and obstruction, 368 ; his return to Parliamen- tary life, 384-386 Lubbock, Sir John, 93 Lygon, Mr. Frederick. (.S'ee Beauchamp, Earl.) "'Lying spirit abroad, A," 366 Lyniiii-toii, i.nrd, 72, 205 Lvndhmst, l..ad, 2S1 L'yons, Dr., st Lvttun, Lord, 359 M Mabon, Mr., and Welsh county court judges, 450, 451, 452 Macdonald, Mr. (.See Kingsburgh, Lord.) Maclean, Mr., 74 Maclure, Mr., 284 ; and the Bishop of London, 490 Macnaglitcn. Mr., 84 .M.irN, ill. Mi.-«itt, 85, 195, 290,349; exhibits 11,1. . ,„ ! ,i,„., :i61 M . M- , .■' .Ma.^ii. I. I , Lord, 18; and the butler, 207 ; his death and characteristics, 291 Malion, The O'Gorman, 391, 392 IXDEX. Maiden speech of Lord Teynham, 254-250 Maijoribanks, Mr., 204 ; his hobby in tlie House, 4t)i3 Maimers, Lord John, made Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 5 ; succeeds to the Rutland peerage, 3'.> M'Arthur, Sir William, 16 Martin, Sir Tlieodore : liis " Life of the Prince Consort," and Disraeli's letters to the Queen, 484 " Master of the Rolls," The, 43 Matthews, Mr. Henry, made Home Secretary, 4 ; contemned by Lord Randolph Chui-chill, 67 ; on a speech of Mr. Gladstone's, 89 ; on the Penal Sentences Bill, 209; moves Mr. Graham's suspension, 485 Mayo, Lord. 18 M'Carthy, Mr. Justin, 91, 101, 118 ; and the Irish Leadership, 816, 317-a20 ; elected Leader of the " Nationalist " section of the Irish Party, 331 ; his motion with reference to Messrs. Dillon and O'Brien, 334 ; as "Dan'l," 347; his relations witli Mr. Parnell, 358, 361 ; and the Irish Leadership, 398 McKenna, Sir Joseph, 377 Melbourne, Lord, 421 Merchandise Marks Act, S Metge, Mr., 85 Millais, Sir John : his portrait of Mr. Glad- stone, 513 Mines Regulation Act, 8 Molesworth, Sir Guilford, and the Mombassa Railway, 463 MoUoy, Mr., 101, 210 Mombassa Railway, 463 Monk-Bretton, Lord, 127 Morgan, Osborne, Mr., 83, 219 Morley, Lord, elected to Chairmanship of Committees in the Lords, 1S3 Morley, Mr. Arnold, 31 Morley, Mr. John, appointed Secretary for Ireland, 2, 14; reply to Mr. Balfour on the debate on the Address (1888), 27 ; speech on the proijosal to apjidiiit a :\Iiiiistfi- (jf Education, 68, 76; his let tiT troll 1 iiismai.k, 152; and the death ..t Jnlm i;ii-hl, 177; his resemblance to Julius Casar, -J'.il ; ami the Parnell Leadership, 316-319, 346 ; his speeches heard and read, 479 Morning sittings for the Government, 462 Morton, Mr. A. C, 389, 390, 394, 404; his tactics in the House, 464, 465 ; and Buck- ingham Palace, 476, 505 Mourning in the House for the Emperor of Germany, 40 Mouse incident. The, 239 Mundella, Mr., 59, 68 Municipal Franchise (Ireland) Bill, 276 Murphy, Mr., 155 Murray, Mr. Graham, 448 X National Debt, The, and Mr. Dease's will, 118 Nelson, Rev. Mr., 85 Neville, Mr., 211 Newdegate, Mr., 15, 389 Nolan, Colonel, 322, 332. 377, 468, 496 Norfolk. Duke of, 241, 285 Northcote, Sir Stattbrd, 18, 419. {See also Iddesleigh, Lord.) O Oaths Bill, The, 42 O'Brien, Mr. J. F. X., 167 ; wrongly accused by Mr. Courtney, 169-171 O'Bi-ien, Mr. Patrick, arrested in mistake for Mr. Gilhooly, 24, 84 O'Brien, Mr. W., susppmled, 15,25, 27 ; speech on hislil"T;*i-i, C; mh (.nson, 28, 71 ; his , oratory, K'. i: ! ' _'-Jl, 2;^8 ; and the Parnell Iv I, m, :i--'7, 331 ; at Bou- logne, 347, :/':' ;i-iiii"iiaiy retirement, 397 ; his novel, 398, 426 ; in a quandary, 468 1 O'Connell, 159 ; contrasted with Parnell, 298 O'Connor, Mr. Arthur, 189 i O'Connor, Mr. T. P., 98 O'Donnell, Mr. F. H., 84, 165. 517 O'Donnell v. Walter, 93 ] O Douoghue, The, 85 O'Gorman, Majoi-, 71 ; his death, and some of his characteristics, 110, 111, 164 ; and the House of Lords, 203 ; and obstruction, 244, 275 O'Grady, Private, 466, 467 O'Hanlon, Mr., 164 ; O'Hea, Mr., 189 i O'Kellv, Mr., his eventful career, 96, 07 " Old Morality," 417 O'Leary, Dr., 275 Ollivier, M., 201 One-pound notes, 274 Oratory in the House of Commons, Low ,staii- I dard of, 132 ; various styles, 133-142 O'Shea, Captain, 84, 101 I O'Sullivan, "Whisky," 85 Oswald, St., Lord, 56, 205 Palaces, Royal, 475, 476 Palmer.ston, Lord, 66, 167 ; his letters to the Queen, 198, 275, 337, 364, 484; fondness for held sjiorts, 434 Parliament of December, 1885, 1 ; of 1886-1892, 1 ; opening of Session of 1887, 8 ; opening of Session of 18t>8, 20 ; opening of Session of 1889, 148; opening of Session of 1800, 237 ; opening of Se.ssion of 1890-91, 313 ; opening of Session of 1892, 447 Parliament, The late, compared with some of its predecessors, 515 ; hours of debate, 516-519 ; the new rules, 517 Parnell, Mr., challenges the policy of the Government, 8 ; and the Crimes Bill, ; and the charges against him by the Times, 10, 23 ; and tlie Eighty Club, 66 ; pleads "not guilty" to the charge of being ac- cessory to murder, 90 ; and the Members of Parliament Bill, 94; attacks Mr. Cham- berlain, 97 ; his charges against Mr. Cliain- berlain, 99 ; influence upon him of tlie discipline of the House, 144 ; his style, 145 ; his hour of triumph, 161, 162, 212 ; and Roval grants, 226 ; and a Timci letter, 237, 239 ; and the Report of the Commi.ssion, 241 ; on the Land Purchase Bill, 268 ; con- trasted with Mr. Isaac Butt, 272; liis secretiveness, 299 ; contrasted with O'Con- nell, 298 ; his inrtuence in the House, 3(11 ; his position as Leader of the Irish Party in view of the proceedings in the Divorce Court, 313-329, 331, 332 ; his visit to Ha- warden, 320; his statement to Mr. Davitt, 328 ; his motion with reference to Messrs. Dillon and O'Biicn, 3:54 ; attack on the olfir.' (,r r '"./ 7, '■"''■,:: i- ; ilie indirect rr-;' . I: • . I ' \ .lice Court pi."- - i 1.^ witli Mr. MTiitliN an. I Mr. Urn-, i;,-.:;..! ; absence from the House, 361 ; and the Sunday Closing Bill, 368; Mr. Maurice Healy's challenge to him, 369 ; resumes his old seat, 377 ; his career blighted, 378 ; his 528 A DIABY OF TEE SALISBURY PABLLUIEXT. death, 440, 441 ; liis mysterious ways, 442, 443 ; his aloofness, 444 ; leadership and dictatorship, 444, 445 ; as a speaker, 446 Pariiell Commission, 10, 33, 97, 106, 143 ; the Pigott crisis, 148;. flight of Pigott, 157 ; Mr. Parnell's reception in the House, 161 ; and Mr. Biggar, 168 ; the Report, 241, 249 ; discussion in the House on tlie Re- port, 2.30-254 Paniellites, tlieir number in the Parliament of December, 1SS5, 1 Patronage of Lord Halsbury, 114, 115 Payment of members, 87 Pease, Sir Joseph, 192 Peel, Mr. Arthur, elected Speaker, 5 ; dinner to Ministers and ex-Mini.«ters, 1888, 37, 128 ; his oratory, 134 ; defending the Chair, 135, 484; his powers, 518, 519; personal esteem of tlie House for him, 519 Peel, Sir Robert, his letters to the Queen, 198 ; how and where he wrote his letters to the Queen, 199 ; and the Income Tax, 261, 281 Peers' GalleiT, The, 60 " People's William," The, 229 Peppei-mint at Belhelvie, 210 Percy, Eai-1. (See Lovaine, Lord.) Petition, A monster, 287 Petitions, Committee on, 77 Pickersgill, Mr., 208 Picton, Mr., 223, 287, 288, 301, 373, 394, 465 ; and the Army Estimates, 496, 497, 498 ; and tlie Dissolution, 507 ; and the Front Opposition Bench, 516 Pigott and tlie Parnell Commission, 148, 157, Pitt, William, and Lord Ever.sley, 128 ; his orat(jrv, 142 Playfair, Sir Lyon, 59, 91, 92, 499 Plim.soll, Mr., and the Speaker, 288 Plowden, Sir W., 288 Plunket, Jlr., 205 ; and the "fearful creatures " on the staircases, 214 ; and Royal Palaces, 476 Police jn'otection. Cost of, 27 Pdlicriii.ii uat.l,ii]<;the House, 24 Portniii-; .i!' r;i! iianientary celebrities, 513 Portsi.ioiiti,. K.irl .if, 205 PollKi, .Mr. T. li., 3.02, 361 " Pouiieing" on the Irish Party, 15 Power, O'Connor, 85 Power, Mr. Richard, 243, 320, 332 ; his death, 448 Privilege, 237, 238 Procedure Rules, 32-34, 47 Pyne, Mr., 20, 21 ; taken into custody, 23, 34 ; his death, and the inscription on his watch. Queen, The Leaders daily letter to the, 196- 200, 483, 484 R Radicals at rest, 346 Radnor, Earl of, Kio. (S'ee also Folkestone, Lord.) Raikes, Mr., 107 ; and the Penal Sentences Bill, 210, 211 ; and advertising on tele- Kiains, 212, 309 : his death, 448 Railway servants. Hours of, 471 Uiiilwavs, State purchase of, 61-04 " Ituiidolph," 230 Rapier and bluilgeon, 425 Rimeli, Major, 492 Rccications of statesmen, 431 Redmond, Mr. W., and King Ja Ja, 47, 85, 195 Reform Bill of 1859, 278 ; of 1866, 279 Reform Club, 200, 514 Refreshments, Chancellor of the Exchequer's, on Budget night, 262 Religious Disabilities Bill, 343 " Remember Mitehelstown ! " 31 Reporting debates, 109 Revolt from the gangway, 473 Richmond, Duke of, 419 Rip Van Winkle, and Sir John Pope Hen- nessy, 334 Ritchie, Mr., 40, 50, 93, 173; his practical protest against evening dress, 210, 389 ; his success in the House, 429 Robertson, Mr., 196, 197 Roche, Sir Boyle, 118 Rosebery, Lord, appointed Foreign Secretary, 2 ; and his Scottish guest, 205-207 ; his qualities for leadership, 370 Roses, A spray of, and its adventiu-es in the House, 191, 192, 194, 195 Royal Grants, 222, 226 Russell, Lord John, and the " Young England " school, 39, 66 ; his letters to the Queen, 198, 484 Russell, Mr. T. W., 430 Russell, Sir Charles, 48, 49 ; and the case of Mr. Parnell and the Times, 95 ; and Pigott, 148, 151, 157, 249 ; on the report of the Parnell Commission, 252 Russians at the gates of Constantinople, The, 27, 87, 134 Rutland, Duke of, 39, 43. (See also Manners, Lord John.) Rylands, Peter, 15 Sackville, Lord, and his letters to his wife, 278 Salisbury, Lord, 1 ; forms a Government, 3 ; Prime Minister, 4 ; misfortunes of his Government (1888), 75, 101, 201 ; his Bill to add thirty peers to the House of Lords, 203 ; and Lord Teynham, 257 ; and Lord Beauchamp, 354 ; fencing with Earl Gran- ville, 367 ; unrivalled in the Conservative ranks since Lord Beaconsfield, 419 ; his l)et aversion, 420 ; worn out of due reason, 420 ; prevents a defeat, 422 ; his Parlia- mentarv presence, 422 ; his recreations. 43.- ; aiid Lni-d Deuman, 509 Sali-lM,,v r:.,;iiMH:,t. Mm of the, 419 Scars.lale, l.Mid, 2o;i Scenes in the House of Commons : Debate on Irish matters and the Liberal victory in Southwark, February 18th, 1888, 27-31 ; Parnell's attack on Mr. Chamberlain, 98, 99 ; the flight of Pigott, 157 ; Mr. Parnell's liour of triumph, 161, 162 Sclator-nnnth, .Mr. {See Basing, Lord.) Scoltish limiiour, 69, 70 Scltisli mciuliers, 102, 407 ".Srii-ivrii. IncuiTUptiblc," 436 S. ) ;;ii .1 Anns. Tlic, 19; and tips paid by " ^i : and Sir Henry James's I Sexliiii, .Mr., 93 ; and the Parnell Commission Bill, 106 ; and the fatal tendencies of fluency, 139 ; his peculiar style of oratory, 141 ; and aft'airs iu Donegal, 189 ; and the Scotch University Bill, 221 ; and the Parnell Leadership, 819, 320, 323, 331, INDEX. 52» 3(iS ; and the Irish Leadership, 39!t ; on Irish questions, 4G8 Sliaw. Mr. W., S4 .sha«-I,rtrviv, Mr. {See Eversley, Lord.) Sli.ii^laii. 1'. .1., 10 .Si-iiin- til.' Knll, 335 Sinclair, Mr., 4iHi Slagg, Mr., motion on Indian Policy, 41 Smith, Mr. Frederick, takes his seat for tlie Strand, 448 Smith, Mr. Samuel, 191, 193 Smith, Mr. W. H., made War Secretary, 4 ; takes the Leadership of the House" and moves the Closure, S ; greeted in tlie House, -Ji' ; and 11/i' nrw Procedure Rules, 32-34; liis ii,-...in|ili>liiiMMirs as Leader of the ll-ii-', :;i. liM; aii.l the Parnell Com- mission, ;'4, lUl ; nialvcs a joke, 110, IIT ; his reception by the House at the opening of Session 1889, 149, 156 ; rumoured retire- ment to the House of Lords, 173 ; and the death of John Bright, ;7i!; and tlie sprav of roses, 195; and Royal Grants, -J^-J ; his admirable capacity fur leading the House, 225, 22(i ; and the Tltln-s Bill.-J:;l ; an.l the Parnell Conin.issi.iii Urynyi, -.m I , -J-lii ; his prosv scihiMi,, L':,ii ; Ills wni'k in i1m- IImum- and his r.'i.iilarnin as L,.a,i,.|', :;() | :;o(i ; made L.ud Warden of the Cmque Polls, 378; illness, 390; as Leader, 417; "Old Morality," 417; his high merit, 430; in- stalled at Walmer, 438; his death, 440; contrasted with Mr. Balfour, 450 ; dining, 458 Smyth, P. J., 85 ; his oratory, 133 Soames, Mr., 151, 173 Soudan, The, 14, 97 Southwark, Liberal victory in, 31 Sovereigns, The stamp on, and Sir George Campbell, 307 Speaker, The, and all-night sittings, 172 Speaker's Gallery, The, 00 Spencer, Earl, appointed Lord President of the Council, 2 ; and the Leadership in the Lords, 370 Spencer, Mr. Robert, and the Duke of West- minster, 66, 211, 215 Stacpole, Captain, 275 Stalbridge, Lord, 55 Stanhope, Mr., made Colonial Secretary, 4 ; reply to Mr. Baumann, 40, 67 ; and Private O'Grady, 467 ; and the Army Estimates, 495 Stanhope, Mr. Philip, as Whip, 214, 215 Stanley, Lord, made President of the Board of Trade, 5, 18 Stansfield, Mr., IDS Stewart, Mr. Mark, 69 "Stop-gap Government," The, 305 Storey, Mr., moves to reduce the vote for the Board of Works, 215, 283, 306 ; on royal palaces, 476 Stranger breaks the rules. A, 216 Strangers' Gallery, Regulations for admission to the, 00 Stratheden and Campbell, Lord, appearance and habits in Parliament, 358-360 Sullivan, Mr. A. M., tipped by a stranger, 39, 85 ; and Mr. Lowther, 351 Sullivan, Mr. T. D., 27 Summers, Mr., 93 Sunday Closing Bill, and the ladies' prayer meeting, 350 Sunday Closing Bill (Ireland), 308 Swinburne, Sir John, slumbers peacefully, 107 Sykes, Mr. Christopher, and his patience with " small beer," 208 Syria, Mission to, 259 Talbot, Mr., " father of the House of Com- mons," 70 Tanner, Dr., 85, 91; his escort of "boys" from the House to his hotel, 163, 104; liis arrest, 105 ; and the Sjieaker, 190, 221, 489 Taylcr. Mi-., Tlii> wnnius ,,[\ 72 Teni).!.'. ^ii- 1,'irhar.l, ..n intemperance in India, I!'.;, \\>i; ami the ladies, 294, 295, 377, 3M) ; ami tlie Kcw Gardeners, 480, 487, 489, 490 Teynham, Lord, and his maiden speech, 255- 259 "The usual time !" T.is Times, The, and tlir rli:,i_<. against Mr. Parnell, 10, 157, I''-'. 17:;. j ;;, Jio Tips paid by strangers t.. thi- s.m.Miil.at-Arms and members of Parliament, 38, 39 Tobacco, Mr. Goscheu's missing notes about tobacco, 370 Tottenham, Colonel, 10, 75 Trevelyan, Sir Geor.n'', apiHiinti'd Sccivtary for Scotland, the Land Bill, 2t.: of the Session, 411 way servants, 472 Truck Act, 8 rruth, 414 Tuite, Mr., 85 U Unionists, their number after General Election (1886), 3 ; said by Lord Randolph Churchill to be a "crutch" for the Government, 8 ; alliance with the Conservatives, 379, Veck, Trotty, 70 Victoria, Queen, and the letters of Lord Sackville, 278 Villiers, Mr., 278, 352 Vivian, Sir Hussey, 22S Volunteers, The, and Mr. Goscheu's Budget of 1890, 303 W Waddy, Mr., 1S9 ; and "Black Rod," 293 Wakefield, Bishop of, his introduction to the House of Lords, 357 Wales, Prince of, re-introduces the Duke of Fife to the House of Lords, 240, 241 ; and Lord Teynham's speech, 250 ; on Budget night, 200, 285, 295, 401 ; and the swearing- in of the Duke of York, 501 Wallace, Dr., and the motion to abolish the House of Lords, 203 Walmer Castle and Lord Granville, 304 Walter, Mr., and the Parnell Connnission Bill, 101 ; and Mr. Healy, 143 Wantage, Lord, 495 Ward, Mr. E. 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CASSELL 6i COMPANY, Limited, Ludgate Hill, London, Paris & Melbourne. 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED LOAN DEPT. This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewed books are subjea to immediate recall. '^'•f^MttRfti 1 JUL O «#v^r-*r"w— M 3*6633 R6Q MAR 17 1984 BEaCI8.f^ 2384 (F77638l0)476B Berkeley 703131 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY