Part 12 (2/2)

On the 2nd of October I went on a visit to Hawarden, and the next day Gladstone opened a conversation on the state of the Party and the prospects of the Election He said: ”I believe you are in Chamberlain's confidence Can you tell me what he means?” I replied that I was not the least in Chah he had always been very friendly to ramme ”But,” I said, ”I think that what heto oust you from the Leadershi+p of the Liberal Party; but he is deterton, shall succeed you” This seeive the Chief some food for reflection, and then I ventured to follow up e ”After all,” I said, ”Chaue for five years Surely your best plan would be to invite him here, and ascertain his intentions froested that my host should invite the Sultan or the Czar, he could not have looked more surprised ”I have alwaysthis place clear of political transactions We never invite anyone except private friends” ”Well,” I said, ”but we are within six weeks of the Election, and it will never do for us to go to the country with you and Cha two rival policies”

Backed by Mrs Gladstone, I carriedMr Chamberlain Unfortunately I had to leave Hawarden on the 6th of October, so I was not present at the ht about; but a few days later I had a letter froh his visit had been socially pleasant, it had been politically useless He had not succeeded in ramme, and ”if I were to drop it now,” he said, ”the stones would immediately cry out”

What then ensued is matter of history Parliament was dissolved on the 18th of November When the elections were finished, the Liberal Party was just short of the nuth which was requisite to defeat a combination of Tories and Parnellites Lord Salisbury, therefore, retained office, but the life of his ad by a thread

On the 24th of Novereat Lord Shaftesbury, moved by the spirit of prophecy, had written: ”In a year or so we shall have Home Rule disposed of (at all hazards) to save us from daily and hourly bores” On the 17th of December, 1885, the world was astonished by an anonymous announcement in tspapers--and the rest followed suit next day--that, if Gladstone were returned to power, he would be prepared to deal, in a liberal spirit, with the demand for Home Rule

This announcement was an act of folly not easy to explain or condone We nohose act it was, and we know that it was committed without Gladstone's privity As Lord Morley says: ”Never was there a moment when every consideration of political prudence more iue in the United Kingdo, and Gladstone could neither confirm nor deny Our bewilder next; as on what side; or whither his party--or, indeed, hi

One point only was clear: if Gladstone meant what he seemed to mean, the Parnellites would support him, and the Tories would be turned out The new Parliament met on the 21st of January, 1886 On the--, the Government were defeated on an amendment to the Address, in favour of Municipal Allotned It was a moment of intense excitement, and everyone tasted for a day or two ”the joy of eventful living”

On the 29th of January, I dined with Mr and Mrs Gladstone The host was in a grier, and apprehension

All day long he had been expecting a suins to look,” he said, ”as if the Governnore the vote of the House of Coo on All I can say is that, if they do, the Croill be placed in a worse position than it has ever occupied in my lifetime” But after the party had broken up, Sir Henry Ponsonby arrived with the desired e from the Queen; and on the 1st of February Gladstone kissed hands, as Prime Minister for the third time

”When Gladstone runs down a steep place, his i for a better issue, will go with hirunts of exultation” This was Lord Shaftesbury's prediction in the previous year; but it was based on an assuranted the unalterable docility of the Liberal Party I knew little at first hand of the transactions and tu and early su of February I was laid low by serious illness, resulting froue and exposure of the Election; and when, after a long imprisonment, I was out of bed, I went off to the seaside for convalescence But even in the sick-room I heard rumours of the obstinate perversity hich the Liberal Govern on its fate, and the adineered by Lord Hartington and Mr

Chamberlain The Liberal leaders ran down the steep place, but an is refused to follow them The Home Rule Bill was thrown out on the 8th of June Parliaave a ainst Hoain became Prime Minister

In those distant days, there was a happy arrange with me, Mr and Mrs Gladstone dined with me to meet him My father and Gladstone had both entered public life at the General Election of 1832, andin Hyde Park on a grey Arabian h up on the centre of his head, sustained by a crop of thick, curly hair,” while a passer-by said: ”That's Gladstone

He is to ” The annual rencounter took place on the 21st of July, 1886 After dinner, Gladstone drew reat disappointment” I replied that we could certainly have wished it better, but that the result was not unexpected To my amazement, Gladstone replied that it was completely unexpected ”The experts assured me that we should sweep the country” (I alish that I could have had an opportunity of speakingthe subject, Gladstone said that the Queen had demurred to a second election in six ues had recommended more moderate courses ”But I said that, if we didn't dissolve, we should be showing the white feather”

It is no part of my purpose to trace the dismal history of the Liberal Party between 1886 and 1892 But one incident in that ti with Lord and Lady Rosebery on the 4th of March, 1889; Gladstone was of the coainst Pitt One phrase has always stuck in my memory ”There is no crime recorded in history--I do not except the Massacre of St Bartholomehich will coht about” When the party was breaking up, one of the diners said: ”I hope Mr Gladstone won't draw that parallel, between the Union and the Massacre of St Bartholomew, on a public platfor public than we do now”

Parliament was dissolved in June, 1892, and, when the elections were over, it was found that the Liberal Party, including the Irish, had only a ures, he saw the ih the Lords, and exclaimed: ”My life's work is done” However, as we all remember, he took the Pre the Session of 1893 passed a Hoh the House of Co e-receivers Other troubles there were, both inside the Government and outside it; Mr Gladstone told his friends that the Naval Estimates dean to suspect that the great change was at hand

On the 1st of March, 1894, Gladstone made his last speech in the House of Coacy of a nobly-worded protest against the irresponsible power of the ”No accomplished sixty-one years of Parliamentary service, he simply disappeared, without cereht as ever, and walking fast, with his despatch-box dangling froht hand, as he passed the Speaker's Chair, and quitted the scene of his life's work for ever

In spite of warnings and anticipations, the end had, after all, coretful surprise, oke to the fact that ”ourmen were shaken with emotion and hard men were moved to unaccustomed tears, as we passed out of the eloomy afternoon

On the 6th of March, 1894, Gladstone wrote to me as follows, in reply to my letter of farewell:

”My speculative view into the future shows me a very mixed spectacle, and a doubtful atmosphere I a labours of the last sixty years; but entirely uncertain how, had I now to begin my life, I could face the very different proble I am, and always have been, convinced--it is not by the State that enerated, and the terrible woes of this darkened world effectually dealt with In some, and some very important, respects, I yearn for the impossible revival of the men and the ideas of my first twenty years, which i out upon a boundless plain

”May God give you strength of all kinds to perform your appointed work in the world”

FOOTNOTES:

[37] The British troops entered Cairo on the 14th of September, 1882

[38] Better known as ”Billy Johnson,” the faht Hon J W Lowther

[40] Afterwards the Right Hon John Burns, MP, President of the Local Government Board

[41] Afterwards Lord St Aldwyn