THE O'CONNOR MEMOIRS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20236, 22 April 1929, Page 8

THE O'CONNOR MEMOIRS.

REMINISCENCES OF "T.P."

;gladstonian pictures.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL'GIFTS,

GREAT POWER AS A LEADER,

(Copyright.) No. VII. The next remarkable thing irv the ap. pearance of Gladstone was his extraordinary eyes; they were large, black, and flashing; sometimes there came into them a look that was almost wild. He took a long walk every day, and this had become with him so great a habit that—as ha told me himself—when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer and was working fifteen to sixteen hours a day, he would still walk home, an#, if it were raining, he would take a hansom, change into waterproof clothes, and still take his usual amount of walking exercise. The blackness and the brightness of the eyes were brought into greater relief by the almost deadly pallor of his' complexion. The nose might appear to be a little too large, but, on the other hand, it seemed to,be quite in symmetry with the . massive countenance and head. The chin was large. *

Similarly with Gladstone's figure; hj» had broad shoulders, a deep cljest; he walked very erect even to almost his latest days. I have been told by some of his intimate associates that the legs were not perfectly shaped, that there was even a) slight approach to knock-knees. I never observed it myself, but whether that be so or not, as he walked up the floor of the House he seemed to be enveloped by 4 great solitude, so unmistakably did ha stand out from all the figures around him.

Wonderful Quality o! Voice. I must add to this description of Glad* stone's extreme physical gifts the wonder, ful quality of "his voice. It was a powerful voice, but sweet and melodious, and it was managed as exquisitely and as faithfully as the song of a great prima donna". If the speech were ringing, it came to your ears almost' soft by that constant change of tone which the voice displayed; it could whisper, it could thunder. As his oratory, like the best House of Commons methods, varied from indignation to light raillery, so did the tones of his voice. The gestures were all graceful—so graceful that sometimes one saw the legs mark a passage as well as the arms. Now and then Gladstone came to the House a bit excited, probably by some occurrence outside or in the Cabinet, or in the diplomatic correspondence, and he shouted for a few minutes, and when he shouted he became less effective than usual; but this rarely lasted for more than a few minutes, and ordinarily he had a majestic composure. I have seen many; great figures in my nearly half-centurv of life in the House of Commons; but, with all respect to the greatest. among them, the House of Commons without Gladstone seems to me as great a/ contrast as at chamber illuminated by a farthing dip •when the • electric light has failed. ' An Intellectual Giant.

And now let us turn to Glad* stone's intellectual side. At this period of his career he conveyed the same impression of what might ba called " over-lordship" of the whole House. He could on occasions, especially when violent attacks were made on his Government/answer with great orations in'which he smote his enemies and ronse<l his supporters to wild enthusiasm. I£ anything. were wanting to demonstrate this supreme power of his as an orator, is was to be found in the poor show always made in such debates by Sir Stafford Northcote, the Leader of the Opposition., Sir Stafford—a very estimable but rather weak man—made a poor figure in the House. These defects incurred, and even justified, the wild exertions of the Fourth Party. As he lay crunched under Mr. Gladstone's tornado. Sir Stafford used to look ai somewhat pathetic figure. Captain O'Shea —who, contrary to the general opinion, was a very clever fellow, and rather witty—summed up the effect of this constant and painful contrast between the two protagonists of the Party in saying to me once: "It is cruel; it looks like hitting a woman." To these great oratorical qualities Mr* Gladstone added surpassing gifts in deal* ing with facts- and figures, with the clauses as well as the principles of any measure for which he was responsible—for instance, in making the Budget statement. There was no nook of the vast area of things which he had to deal with that he did not picture in the Budget speech. These powers were exhibited even mora plainly in the session which came aflcf this, when lie- was the sponsor for tha vastly complicated and intricate Land Bill, which he passed through the Housa of Commons and afterwards into law.

Gladstone's Budget Speechss. I just begin to take, for instance,. Gladstone's management of his Budget. Nothing in his Parliamentary career was more striking as an exhibition of that truly marvellous readiness," mastery of detail, and far-reaching patience which vera amonp the most marked endowments of Mr. Gladstone. It was a. subject worthy of never-failing wonder lo see this Minister, loaded with all the crowding responsibilities Of the Premiership, discussing the question of worts with practical brewers like Mr. Watnev and Mr. Bass; tho rival claims of publicly and privately made beer with farmers like Mr. Pell and Mr. Hicks; of Irish and Scotch whisky with Mr. O'Sullivan; specific gravity with Mr. Wiggin, an accomplished chemist; the currency with Mr. Hubbard, a pastmaster of finance: licences wholesale and retail with Mr. Callan, as representative of the publicans. The Budget Bill is a document of portentous length—to the ordinary eye as lacking in interest as " Bradshaw's Rail* way Guide," and to the unfinancial mind as devoid of significance as the columns of the money market. But every line, it» need scarcely be said, contains some provision, a change in which might reduce or increase by millions the interest of soma of the many national industries. New Combatants Arise.

It was marvellous to watch the Chan* cellor as, with this portentous volume in his hand, lie. hour after hour, in the sweltering and even trying atmosphere ot the House of Commons, followed every amendment, rejected or accepted ev £ r £ suggestion, and with his own hand marked in with his pen every alteration, from the omission of a clause to the change of " the" to " an." . But, after a very short experience ot this splendid and apparently united ana invulnerable army behind Air. Gladstone, there came almost immediately that disintegration of Parliamentary forces w'i'cn party conflict and powerful personalities are ablo to bring, and these forces cam« into play almost in the first hour after the Parliament was opened. sileii pieces—I revert to my simile oi the chess-boarcf—were rushed at into the activity and the passion of. tn® game; and foremost of the new com ba ants was Lord Randolph Churchill. (To be continued daily.)