LORD ROSEBERY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1157, 4 May 1894, Page 30

LORD ROSEBERY.

Ills CAREER AND TRAINING. From Our Special Correspondent. London, March 9. Before giving the following sketch, which dwells on the better known features of Lord Rosebery’s career, ono may as well note that Lord Rosebery is ono of tho youngest, as Mr Gladstone is tho actual oldest,of Prime Ministers. Lord Liverpool was only 42 when he became Premier; Pool was 4-0 ; Lord Rosebery is nearly 47. Tho other Prime Ministers of the century liavo been very much older men when they first formed Cabinets. Palmerston was 71, Aberdeen (38, Grey GO, Disraeli 64, Mr Gladstono 59, Canning 57, Melbourne 55, Russell 55, Derby 53. Those who have not already done so should read Lord Rosebery’s admirable monograph on “Pitt” in MacMillan’s “ Men of Action ” series. Therein will be found many interesting opinions as to what a Premier may or may not do. In reviewing this work in ono of the magazines, says ono writer, Mr Brett pointed out several particulars in which the biographer might be expected to have fellow-feeliug with his subject. SCHOOL-DAYS AT ETON. For instance, Mr Pitt astonished his teachers by the gravity of his demeanour, and, similarly, “One who remembers Lord Dalmcny when lie arrived at Eton as a new boy describes the gravity with which he used to lie by while others talked, and wait for a chance of saying at his ease something unexpected and sec ; how remarkably ho possessed, oven then, that capacity for the cool adjustment of two dissimilar things which makes a spark, and is called wit ; and how, oven in boyhood, his wit was interlaced with a fine sentiment.”

Gravity of demeanour was accompanied in Pitt’s c;ise by a certain “ aloofness from the rough and tumble of familiar intercourse,” and here too we are told to find a parallel in tho school-days of Pitt’s biographer : “Lord Rosebery himself an a boy was difficult of access even to his tutor. So much so that the unusual method had on one occasion to be adopted of tearing over his verses in order to secure his presence in pupil room. It had tho desired effect. And to his inquiry of why that indignity had been put upon him, he was told the story of how Absalom burnt Joab’s corn when he found that an interview could not bo obtained by less drastic means. This earned for Lord Rosebery a nickname, which he bore placidly, as Mr Pitt bore that of the Counsellor.” AT CHRIST CHURCH. On leaving Eton, Lord Rosebery went up to Christ Church, where ho was a prime favourite. His abilities were then recognised as remarkable, and his First Class was counted on as a certainty. A hitch, however, occurred in a manner which showed a certain stubbornness of will. The Doan of Christ Church regarded the keeping of a stud to be incompatible with the lifo of a student at Oxford; and Lord Rosebery, in refusing to yield, sacrificed his degree at Oxford, forthelos3 of which he lias been compensated by the honorary degrees and Lord Rectorships of Aberdeen and of Edinburgh Universities. “plush.”

At the age of twenty-one Lord Eosebery succeeded his grandfather in the title; and

was soon offered the cntrSe into public life. But just as Pilt declared that lie would not accept a subordinate oilico, so the young man who (as the legend tells), when asked what ho meant to do in life, used to reply, “ Win tho Derby and be Prime Minister of England,” had enough belief in his star to bide his proper time, and refused “ plush,” as is termed ono of those subordinate ornamental appointments which Ministers are fond of dangling before tho eyes of promising youth. CABINET MINISTER. Somo few years later, however, ho bccamo Under-Secretary of tho Homo Department. This post he resigned in 1883. During tho next year it is said that ho declined moro than ono offer to join the Cabinet. On tho reconstruction of the Administration early in 1885 he was appointed Lord Privy Seal and First Commissioner of Works. In some quarters it was suggested during the last few days that Lord Rosebery was “far too clever” to accept the Premiership at what is likely, according to tho Unionist writer whom wo aro quoting, to bo tlie inglorious fag-end of tho Liberal Administration. This very dubious compliment to Lord Rosebery’s cleverness is not justified by his past record. For (to quote again from Mr Brett)— “If Lord Rosebery remembers, it must bo with satisfaction, how on tho receipt of the news that Khartoum had fallen and Gordon was dead, a younger politicianemulating Canning in loyalty, surpassing him in generosity—wrote immediately to Mr Gladstone, offering to accept office in an Administration then discredited, wliilo before, in times of prosperity, be had refused to join.” ' RACING AND POLITICS. For a time, at the beginning of Lord Rosebery’s career, racing and politics divided his attention; a combination which was well illustrated in 1874, in which year he ran second for tho Derby with Couronno do Fer, and served as chairman of a Select Committee on tho question of tho Scottish and Irish representative peerage, and also —a more remarkable conjunction —as president of tho Social Science Congress. Matthew Arnold, when ho described “the haunters of Social Science Congresses ” as “men with bald heads and women in spectacles,” must have made a mental reservation in favour of Lord Rosebery, who brought into “ tho dusty air and jaded afternoon daylight” a whiff from Epsom Downs.

EARLY SPEECHES IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS. lii tho preceding year Lord Rosebery’s tastes had been reflected in tho House of Lords, where ho moved for and obtained a Committee on the Supply of Horses in Great Britain. 110 was appointed chairman, and the Committee’s labours resulted in the remission of the horse tax. His first apprenticeship to public lifo had, however, been made two years earlier—in 1871, when at the age of 24 ho was selected to second the address. He may thus bo said to have been in politics for nearly a quarter of a century—always, wo need not say,, on tho right side. In connection with somo current questions of tho day, it is interesting to recall that ono of his earliest efforts in Parliament was an endeavour to obtain tho exclusion of tho Catechism from public schools in Scotland. It is interesting also to note that many of Lord Rosebery’s earlier speeches and questions in the House of Lords wore on the subjects of foreign policy. LORD ROSEBERY, MR GLADSTONE AND DISRAELI. Lord Rosebery’s interest in the Eastern question, as well as the active part ho took in promoting Liberalism generally in Scotland, brought him into intimate personal relations with Mr Gladstone., Dalmeny was tho headquarters of several of tho Midlothian campaigns. It is no secret that Lord Rosebery has been a great favourite with Mr Gladstone; and it is an interesting fact ho enjoyed also the friendship of Lord Beaconsfield. It was to Lord Rosebery, by tho way, as ho once said in a speech to the cab-drivers, that Disraeli made his famous remark: “ A hansom cab ! ’tis the gondola of London.” Tho new Primo Minister of England has also seen much of Prince Bismarck, and has thus enjoyed tho advantage of intercourse with three of the greatest modern masters in statecraft. HARD WORK AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE. That Lord Rosebery was capable of hard collar-work was quickly shown when lie wont to tho Foreign Office in 1880. “ In the oflice which I hold,” said Lord Rosebery the other day, “an office which is really much too heavy for any one man to 'bear, one has to live almost a monastic lifo, and eight hours as tho maxim of toil seems to us only a dim distant and golden vision.” That must be true enough, for Lord Rosebery is said often to work fourteen and sixteen hours a day, with little enough respite from the inexorable despatch-boxes even on “ days of rest.” CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL. As chairman of tho County Council, ho worked hardly less diligently. It was said of him that he lived and moved and had his being at Spring-gardens. As presiding “ Speaker ” in the debates, ho was excellent —suave but firm, dignified but sensible. Of his readiness of resource, and tact in managing a popular assembly another good example is recorded. At a meeting of Scottish Liberal Associations in Glasgow in November, 1889, over which Lord Rosebery presided, somewhat angry references were made to the fact that some gentlemen occupied scats on tho platform while others were compelled to bo content with humbler positions in the body of the hall. Lord Rosebery allayed the rising storm by quietly asking ail the gentlemen who wished to pull those on tho platform down to hold up their hands. Tho request was responded to by a burst of laughter, and good humour was immediately restored. But the mere duties in the chair were a very small part of Lord Rosebery’s work on tho County Council. Ho was in continual contact with all tho

officials, and mastered every detail of the work. LORD ROSEBERY AS A SPEAKER. Lord Rosebery's reputation as a witty and felicitous after-dinner speaker does him something less than justice. He is indeed unquestionably one of the very best Occasional Speakers in Ungland. He has been happy* too, in coining memorable phrase*?: The " Glridstoiiiriit umbrella/ the “ tKfirnbnfark of tHe aftisah” as tlio test of a free library's usefulness; the' “ blue book and biscuits" theory of life, are a few of the examples which will occur to every reader. But as tho reviewer cited above has said, Lord Rosebery's wit is often interlaced with a fine sentiment, The question has often been raided, of Lord Rosebery as also of Mr Asquith, whether they have that capacity for oratorical passion which is born of moral enthusiasms. Someday, when they “let themselves go,” we shall see. But though he has many of the gifts of an orator Lord Rosebery is not a rhetorician. He has largo ideals and inspiriting conceptions; but he is not one of those who are tempted to substitute words for facts or to believe that “ nothing is but talking makes it so.” “the dark horse op politics.” Lord Rosebery was described a year or two ago as *tho “dark horse of British politics.” He has shown his “ form ”in many ways sinco then, and whatever duty has been committed to him he has performed with success and ability. But in a certain sense lie is a dark horse still. Thero is, someone has said, a kind of marble immobility in his face, which suggests something inscrutable and stores of reserve force. He will want them all. It is no easy task to take the place of Achillea.