MR GLADSTONE'S RESIGNATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10035, 28 April 1894, Page 2 (Supplement)

MR GLADSTONE'S RESIGNATION.

RUMOURS AND CONTRADICTIONS.

(Fhom Oub Special Cobdespokdent.)

London, March 2.

Disappointment deep and bitter reigns in the ultra-Radical camp at the extraordinary, and to many, inexplicable collapse of the eagerlydesired "fight with the Lord?." Loud are the murmurings of discontent, and even the great leader of the Liberals is declared to have been found wanting.

The truth is the Radicate feel that their great chief is slipping away from them and they reseat it. They can see th&t he has no inclination to lend a hand in destroying an essential part of the British Constitution, much lesa to take the initiativa in such iconoclasm. He does not even talk this time obout " mending or ending," aa ha did in 1881. The Radicals burn to go to the country on the cry '' Down with the House of Lords!" Not so Mr Gladstone. It is noteworthy that over since some of his colleague? and supporters started that cry, his demeanour has been more and more pacific and deprecatory of conflict. This has grievously disappointed the ultra-Radicals, whoso chief affection for the Employers' Liability Bill and for the Parish Councils Bill rested on their expected utility as pretexts for anti-peer hostilities.

But " worse remains behind " ! Tho Radicals may murmur at Mr Gladstone's unwillingness to indulge in reckless iconoclasm, but in reality they are overwhelmed with dismay when the faintest hint is given that he may, nay must, one day cease to lead them. They denounced with furious trepidation the I'ull Mall Gazette's rumour of his intended early retirement, and were almost equally angry when a vague report found currency that tho G.O.M.'j eyesight was seriously failing. A statement published lately by the New York Tribune that the Prime MiDister's eyesight had failed so seriously as to render an operation the sole hope of its preservation, and that oa this account ho was contemplating retirement, was met with n prompt contradiction. It seems, horvevcr, thr»t the story waa only too true.

A freah rumour found currency on Monday and left tho whole kiugilom in a ferment of excitement and anxiety ever eiuce, that tho Prime Minister had made up his mind to resign almost immediately.

Onca fairly afloat this rumour soon assumed a very solid and singularly consistent shape, and was strengthened by many corroborative occurrences. Last Saturday afternoon Lord Kosebery was on his way to Siudringham to stay with the Prince of Wales until Monday. He had ouly travelled as far as Newmarket when he was recalled by a telegram from tho Queen. Ho returned at oneo to town, and proceeded to Windsor to dine and sleep (hero. Now, it is tacitly agreed on all hands, as I told you some months ago, that Lord Ror.ebery is the only man who can succeed Mr Gladstone as Premier, to you may imagine how much was made of this incident. Next it "transpired" that Lord Hosebery had spent a whole day in overhauling and clearing out his official drawsra and other receptacles at the Foreign Office, and this is always regarded as a sign that a Minister expects a change of quarters. You may remember this was tho symptom which convinced the Wellington " specials" that Mr Perceval was to be the new Agent-general.

Next it came oat tbat Mr Gladstone was to havo an audience of the Queen while she was at Buckingham Palace for, tho first drawing room of tho season, Lastly, it became known that during a meeting of the Cabinet tho Speaker of the House of Commons had been Bummoned to Downing street. Bat on Monday evening tho Gladstnnian paper in Edinburgh, the Evening News, nsserted "on reliable authority" that Mr Gladstone, owing to failing eyesight, kid resigned tho Premiership, bat that ho would etill retain a position in the Cabinet and his seat for Midlothian, Lord Rosebery becoming Premier and Sir William Harcourt leader of tho House of Coraicoop. This was reproduced the same evening by sll tho London papers and created immense excitement.

All tho week long the storm of controversy has raged on the one great question—whether or not Mr Gladstone is on the verge of resignation. But to-day there is an appearance of something more definite. Tho papers generally assert that tho resignation will bo tendered to too Queen to-morrow, and will be announced formally to the House on Monday. List night those who were most confident in tho imminence of the resignation were inclined for a while to doubt. For slr Gladstone Rave the Houso yet ono more susprise. I hsve already described how ho surprised it in another way and saddened his Radical friends hut week. But ha made up for all that in their eyes last night. He had to announce the final decision of the Government respecting tha second of the measures as to which tho two Houses are in disagreement. When he announced the dropping of the Employers' Liability BUI he was tame and lifeless. When, last night, he intimated acceptance of the remaining amendments inado by the Lords in the Parish Councils Bill he was his old self again—brilliant, eloquent, vigorous, the supreme snd peerless orator of tho age.

Ifcwas after quietly and with dignity accepting the Parish Councils Bill as it last left tho Lord", rather than sacrifice it, or have it tossed backward and forward any more between the two Houses, that Mr Gladstone suddenly blew tho blast of defiance and eounded tho note ef battle with the Lords. He declared, amid tremendous excitement—deafening cheers and frautio waving of hats—that the record of the House of Lords had beon on tho whole "grievously unsatisfactory," and ho went on to say;—"We bnvo come to a more acute stage, and the question is whether the judgment of the Honso of Lords is not only to modify but to annihilate the work of the House of Commons," Ho added, after stating tho Government's acoeptance of the Lords' amendments, that the differences between tho House of Lorda snd tho House of Commons appeared to h»ve reached a development in the present yenr sush as to create a state of things of which the Government were compelled to Bay that in their judgment it could not cantiuua. Tho issue which had been raised was a controversy which when once raited most go forward to its issue. No doubt there was a. higher authority than the House of Commons. It was tho authority of the nation which must in tho last roiort decide.

You may imagine whattremendous enthusiasm these utterances created among the Radicals, and how deeply they moved tho wb»le Houseby this time packed everywhere under the {iwsi-mesoieric perception, common at such times, that something unsual was pending. All the disappointment and soreness and resentment which tho previous week's fiasco had left rankling in the minds of the patty vanished in a moment. Nothing remained but the wildest ccthusi&sm for the great leader, who was so great, so incomparable, to tho end. Surely, all at first thought, this splendid oratorical effort preluded a new career of combative vigour. But later, as tho first enthusiasm cnoled down, another i feeling grew. Ib was the idea that this great speech was the fitting prelude to the great statesmnn's retirement from the stage—a euperb finale to his political life's great drama. And to-day that is what everybody believes. Air Gladstsne is already looked upon as "history."

IKB RESIGNATION ACCEPTED.

March 9.

The die is cast! '(he fiat has gone forth, and the greatest actor who has ever filled tho English political stage, (he most commanding political figuro, save only that oE Bismarck, in modern European history, has voluntarily retired, has at last claimed the repose which at the ape of 84, and af tr-.r CO jears of continuous public life, few will deny to be his duo. In plain terms, Mr Gladstone has resigned ! That vivid and pregnant speech of yesterday week was, as many suspected it to be, bis " Swan Song"—bis characteristic farewell—his last utterance as Prime Minister of Great Britain.

On the following evening he went with Mrs Gladstone to Windsor to " dine and sleep." It is understood tint ha took an early opportunity of explaining fully to his Royal Mistress his reason or reasons for relinquishing the reins of Government, or at any rate his ostensible reasons. I use this qualifying term advisedly, as I shall explain later. „ Next day—Saturday last—a council was held at Windsor, and then Mr Gladstcna formally tendered his resignation which her Majesty is Btated to have accepted "very graciously, bub with much regret." The Queen offered Mr Gladstone an earldom, which tho G.O.M. " declined with thanks." Probably ho felt; that there would be some inconsistency in his consenting to enter a Chamber against whiob ho had just declared war. At all events, he did decline the offered peerage, and remains the "Mr Gladstone" of history. It is generally believed that ultimately the offered earldom will be oonferred on his son, and that thus the family will be ennobled while

yet ita greatest member will retain for all time the designation by which he is popularly known and adored. , . . , Lord Rosebery waa immediately requested by the Queen to form a Ministry, and at once undertook the task. The party were almost unanimous in supporting him. Practically they Ken unanimous, for the fierce growl of disapproval ia which Mr Labouohere at first indulged, and which was echoed by some oE his friends, seems to have died away how into an almost inarticulate murmur. Even Mr . Labouchere ii 3 contented to console himself with some 1 savage sarcasms on the intense love of the Radicals for Lords. Why did Mr Gladstoue re3ign ? " Failing eyesight" will bo the prompt reply of 99 out ot every 100 respondents. That Mr Gladstones Bight is not whst it was everyone can see without being told. That there are beginnings of cataract is unhappily also true as confirmed by his doctor. But that the failing of vision, or the possibility of six weeks' seclusion alter an operation, should this prove necessary, has caused Mr Gladstone thus suddenly to relinquish office, I for one do not believe, and I can find very few "iv the know" who really bo believe. Everybody who heard his last speech, or even read it, cannot but see that despite his 8* years, Mr Gladstone is in the unimpaired possession ot all thoso powers he needs. Nay. *° see him aday or two ago come out of his house in Downing street, walk up and down while awaiting his wife, shake hands and chat in a lively strain with a young lady whom he knew, who happened to pass by, then go for a walk in the park with his granddaughter, and noted the sprightly briskness and vigour of his whole carriage and demeanour, could not help feeling that ha is as "fib" now as he has been for 20 yeara past to | hold the reins of Government, and that " failing powers" constitute a very inadequate and unconvincing reason for his sudden retirement. True, his memory is much impaired, ; and that troubles him in debate. But it would have been a mere nothing had not other causes " raado for " his resignation. What can these be? It is quite certaia that Mr Gladstone was deeply moved and f everely hurt by some of the criticisms with which the Government was assailed for the ourious collapse of tho expected attack on tho Lords over tho dropping of tho Employers' Liability Bill, and by the openly brutal demand made by some that if he was too old to fight he should stand nside and let somebody else take the lead. It may have been but the sting of a gnat, but it stung. Tho effect on the ever-sensitive old statesman was probaWy accentuated by the knowledge which he must have possessed that sigus ot restiveuess under his guidance had shown themselvis in moro than one direction among his party. The dwindling of his original majority of 42 to below 30—once to ft beggarly two—wai a sinister omen. The absence of any general outcry against the decisive rejection by the House of Lords of the Great Home Rule Bill, which had occupied the Commons so many months, waa another sign that the return swieg of the political pendulum wa? well on its way, and that defeat loomed large on the horizon of tho future. . „ Tho danger, too, of disintegration in tnn Liberal party itself, composed, as it now is, ct so many somewhat discordant elements— Liberals, Radicals, Labourites, Paroellit<;s, \nti-Faruellite9, Littte-Ecglauders, &c, may also hive Bttuck him as tending to disaster. An anticipated deficit of two millions in the coming Budget, with its unpopular consequence, increased taxation, was not cheering. Everything seemed to point to the early setting of his star iv the dark clouds of defeat.

' But this is not all. It is well known tbat a very ucrious difference of opinion had occurred in tho Cabinet oa tho vital question of the nations! dafences. Lord Spencer and Lord Kosobery had insisted with quite unusual , determination—uuusual as against the_ strongly held and expressed opinions of their chief—that much more must be done for tho extension of the British navy tuan Mr Gladstone deemed nesess&ry'or Sir William Harcourt financially desirable. Tho difference assumed bo acute a stago that the resignation of Lord Spencer aud of one or two other Ministers was distinctly intimated a3 the alternative of tho adoption of tho measures which they held to ba indispensable to tho national safety. It is known that the Cabinet Council separated without arriving at any flnal decision. It is also known that this was held by Ministers to bo a virtual certainty that the dccidioo, when definitely arrived at, would b» against tho views so strenuously held by the Premier and in favour of those pat forth by Lord Spencer and his adherents. Many people, especially those who aro in some degree "behind the scones" of the political stage, oro therefore convinced that Mr Gladstone's resignation wsb due to political and not physical circumstances. It is notorious that ho is "not very tolerant of defeat or opposition. One paper "even speaks of him as having "retired in a fit of the Bulks." A belief ia growing that he resigned partly in pique for being outvoted in the Cabinet, and in repugnance to swallowing his own words by assenting to extensive naval expenditure, after having deliberately and solemnly declared thi3 to bo unnecessary ; partly in the dasire to retire while yet in power, rather than go out of publio life a defeated Premier and a beaten mau.

Stesuwhilo Mr Gladstone has certainly gone, and Lord Rosebery reigns in his stead. No difficulty has been experienced in forming the new Ministry. Somo doubt was felt as to the expediency of including Mr Herbert Gladstone, not at all as regards his fitnes?, which is entirely recognised, but because there is grave doubt whether ho will be able to secure his re-election in any new Ministry, including oven the members of tbe reconstructed Cabinet, having to face bia constituents for re-electiou before he is confirmed in oifics. Mr Herbert Gladstone had rather a narrow "squeak" for it last time, and U likely to have a still narrower one on this occasion if ho eveu escapes defeat. Mr Gladstone hae beeu "flying about" with his customary vigour since his release from the care* of office. He was to havo gone to Brighton to-morrow, bafc managed to catch cold, and Dt Bond, his medical adviser, insists on his stopping iv bed instead. There are numerous proposals for a great national memorial to the wonderful old man, wham oven his bitterest opponents must in their hearts admire for bis many marvellous qualities and for his real greatness. No decision has yot been come to as to the shape it shall take.