MR. DISRAELI AND MR. LOWE.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1785, 25 April 1874, Page 2

MR. DISRAELI AND MR. LOWE.

There was a pleasant interchange of amenities between Mr Lowe and Mr Disraeli during the recent English elections. Mr Lowe had detected some serious inaccuracies in a speech of Mr Disraeli's, and proceeded to describe that gentleman as having " a sort of harum scarum, splatter-dash, inaccurate, careless way of dealing with things which makes him utterly unfit to be the ruler of a nation." Mr Disraeli on the following day gracefully gave the go-bye to the charge of inaccuracy, which, iudeed, it waa difficult for 1 im to refute, and proceeded to tell the following anecdote of a conversation with Prince Bismarck, for the benefit of Mr Lowe : — " Prince Bismarck," he said, " was not then so celebrated as he now is. He was just on the eve of opening that extraordinary career which has astonished and enchained Earope, and hs spoke with great frankness to mo about the future. There was then a prospect of Count Bismarck becoming Prime Minister of Prussia. Indeed, it was pretty well known among the initiated in those matters iha*i he was passing through London from Paris to Berlin with almost a certainty of that result ; and he spoke to me of his future intentions with the frankness which characterises him. I remember one thing he told me. ' What I particularly want to do,' he said, 'is to get rid of the professors in our country. (Laughter.) I want to save Prussia from professors.' Now Mr Lowe is a professor, (Laughter.) He has no sympathy with the- past, no, respect fer tradition. He has confidence in his own individual infallibility." Mr Disraeli went on to say that Mr Lowe was really " a most ungrateful man, for he would not be in Parliament were it not for me. (Laughter.) Had it not been for me the London University would not have had a member. Everybody was opposed to it. My colleagueß did not much like it. The Con-

servative party did not much like it. More strange than anything, .the whole Liberal party were ready to oppose it. But I, with characteristic magnanimity — (laughter) — said to myself, ' Unless I give a member to the London University, Mr Lowe cannot have a seat in Parliament.' It was then impossible for him, and probably still is, to show upon any hustings with safety to his life. 1 said to myself it was a pity that a man with bo much ability should be lost to public life (and-I-r? pique myself. upon recognising and up-, holding ability in every party, and whoreever I meet it) ; and I also said to myself — because one must have an eye^to-thei' main chance— ' If I keep Mr Lowe in Parliament — and this is his only hope — lam quite sure that no Cabinet, even if it be brought into power by an overwhelming majority, can long endure if he be a member of it.' (Laughter.) Gentlemen, I think what has occurred perfectly justi- , fied my prescience."