THE O'CONNOR MEMOIRS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20272, 4 June 1929, Page 6

THE O'CONNOR MEMOIRS.

GLADSTONE AGAIN IN OFFICE.

REMINISCENCES OF " T.P."

MOMENTOUS DIVISION,

PREAK WITH MR. CHAMBERLAIN. No. XLIL (Copyright.) "When wo /went to the election wo did fco in more or less avowed understanding between the Tory Government and ourselves; but wo soon got warning that tho fJovornmcnt had reconsidered the position and that, instead of any proposal by them either for the final settlement of tho Still open land question or on the question Of self-government, we could only expect a return by the Tory Government to the jpld policy of coercion. Lord Randolph Churchill was one of tho first to avow this change of attitude. In that daring cynicism which was part of liis character and his career, ho said to 'Justin McCarthy words to tho effect that lio had done his best for lis, meaning tho Irish Party, and had failed, and that pow ]io was doing his best against us. . . Such was tho state of confusion of parties in which tho new House began its proceedings. It was marked, however, from tho very start by the closing of tho (controversy with regard to Mr. Bradlaugh, [which had distracted its proceedings for six years. Mr. Peel, tho Speaker of tho [llouso of Commons, announced that ho could Tioti' entertain any proposal to exclude Mr. Bradlaugh from his seat; and jBO thero came this curious end in absolute (quietness to all tho fierce conflicts of so many years. Mr. Bradlaugh took tho oath and his seat, and very soon was one of the most active and useful members of tho House, with the respect of all tho members. Parties Playing for Position. Tho Queen's Speech left no doubt that the, policy of coercion was to bo definitely adopted by tho Government; 'it also announced the refusal of the Government to make any attempt to interfere iu the legislative union between Ireland and Great Britain. For some days after the meeting of Parliament both sides were Jnoro or less playing for position. _ Every attempt was made by his open Tory enemies and his enemies in his own party to draw Mr. Gladstone into a specific declaration of what his intentions Iwero with regard to Homo Rule. Mr. Cdadstohe declined to bo drawn. In one of his speeches at this timo ho used ia phraso that passed into history, in Which, announcing his own intention to keep his counsel, ho advised his followers *'as an,/old Parliamentary hand to do tho -Saino."It was evident, however, from Gladstone's speech that he had given up the possibility of continuing the government of Ireland on the old lines. Tor some timo thero was suspenso as to whether the Liberal Opposition, who —with the Irish, ■of course—formed a majority in the House, should uso their power and compel jtho resignation of tho Government. Gladstone's Third Ministry. 'At last, however, tho Liberal Opposition agreed to support an amendment to tho Address which stood in tho name of [Mr. Jesse Codings, and which advocated tho policy of. agricultural reform, which [ Lad come to be known as the policy of ' "'three acres and a cow." On this amendment to tho Queen's Speech 331 voted for it and 252 against it, thus giving a majority of 79 against the Government. Somfe indication of coming troublo was •given by the fact that no fewer than 18 ; Liberals, with Lord Hartington, Sir Henry James, Sir George Trevelyan and Sir. John Lubbock among them, voted with the Government; 76 abstained, including John Bright. The Government immediately resigned, and Gladstone was at last in a position to form another 'Administration and start out on the peri- ' ]ous enterprise to which lie was now committed of proposing the • creation of an Irish Parliament. Mr. Gladstone was ablo to a Strong Ministry. Tho appointment which .'created most attention and interest was that of Mr. John Morley to the Chief Secretaryship of Ireland. Mr. Morley had hcen known for years as a most outspoken of Home Rule, and his appoint- j rricnt as the chief figure in the new government oi' Ireland of course proclaimed •jto the world that Homo Rule would certainly be the proposal of Mr. Gladstone. An "Unnatural Alliance.

For the moment Mr. Gladstone was able 'to gcb into his Cabinet two such doubtiful supporters as Mr. Chamberlain and Sir George Trevelyan. They justified their acceptance of office on the ground that up to that moment all that Mr. Gladstone asked them to do was join him in an inquiry as to the lines on which the coming Irish- measure was to be based. Before Jong, however, this unnatural alliance '.came to an end, and one day Mr. Chamberlain and Sir George Trevelyan were Been no longer on the Treasury Bench, but on the seats below the gangway on jthe Liberal side. Negotiations, of coursu, Jiad been going on some time behind the scenes, in which Mr. Labouchere took a prominent part. Intrigue was tho very soul of Mr. Labouchere's being, and he |was,never quite happy unless ho was running from-one camp to another in the endeavour to produce understanding and compromise. There could not have been ;i more unfortunate choice as negotiator. Under an appearance of extreme cunning lies was a very simple man; could not keep a secret /for ■ five minutes, blabbed first to one man and then to another the most sacred of confidences, and to a certain extent messed everything which ho tried to improve. I havo r>fver been able to understand why Mr. Chamberlain took this line. lie [was the first man of any serious importlance who had, as far back as 1874, in his candidature at Sheffield, avowed his sym pathy with Home Rule. How far his tfoelings wore personal it is not for me fo Euy. Parnell undoubtedly had deeply offended him by putting his veto on a tour which he and Sir Charles Dilko had (suggested in Ireland, and Parnell had ftlso peremptorily forbidden Mr. Healy to /.iccept an invitation to a meeting of Chamberlain and Dilke. Mr. Chamberlain's Inconsistency. Ifc'4ias boon urged that Mr. Gladstone |tvas lacking in consideration for Mr. .Chamberlain, and had further estranged .that already somewhat restless and dissatisfied follower by not offering to him Bny great position in tho new Government. It certainly must be admitted Gladstone admitted it himself to mc—that up to this timo he had seriously under rated th 6 Parliamentary abilities of CliarnJberlain. Everybody under-rated him—l have already revealed tho fact that during the years,: ho held olfico in 1880 to 1885 Mr Chamberlain had not shown any promise tof that great Parliamentary position he aftorwards attained; except in his speech in reply to Lord Randolph Churchill's atta'ck on the Aston riots, lie had never made a speech that produced any strong impression on tho House. Oncej iti a long conversation I had with liim at Hawardeu, Mr. Gladstone declared that tho struggle for Ilome Rule had brought the Parliamentary abilities of two men into greater prominence than they had ever before attained; ouo of them was ®ir. tho other, and still more Wwricwmrfy, j,j r _ Chamberlain. I am J unahlo also to reconcile Mr. ChamberiW 8 0n tho matter, for tho reason self ?™y in ? again he involved himSvith , B^?f el w cont,ra dictory positions irogard to Home Rule. ip-'Q bo continued gailyJJ / -