1884

GLADSTONE AND HAYWARD

ton. He said, turning to one of his chiefs: "You see it was not so very long ago since they fought, as we do, without clothes."

On July 18th the proposed compromise was defeated in the Lords by 50.

Miss Laura Tennant and her sister Margot came to Wanborough, and paid us a delightful visit, which, to me, was only marred by the news of the death of my old friend, Jervoise Smith, to whose sad funeral I went. Their visit was a long one, and each day added to their charm.

On August 6th I heard that Lord Northbrook was to go to Egypt, for troubles there were thickening and Mr. Gladstone had persuaded him to proceed on a financial mission to Cairo, where, in co-operation with Evelyn Baring, he was to prepare a report for the Cabinet. It was a great demand to make on the First Lord of the Admiralty to enter into such a difficult field, which of course entailed his leaving naval affairs at home to other hands; and the result was very prejudicial to Lord Northbrook himself.

Some time after the fall of Mr. Gladstone's Cabinet it was discovered in a committee of the House of Commons that the accounts at the Admiralty had been mismanaged, but Northbrook, with a loyalty which some people thought almost Quixotic, took the whole responsibility, which should really not have been his, on his own shoulders.

On the 12th I went to a country - house built by P. Ralli, on ground which Lord Granville had once bought. Ralli reminded me of a dinner at his house when Hayward shocked us and Mr. Gladstone as to his views on a future state. Sir Andrew Clark was there. The following day Mr. Gladstone wrote twelve pages to Abraham Hayward, who, when he was dying, said: "Tell Mr. Gladstone I do not die an unbeliever."

Mr. J. S. Morgan asked me to go with him to America for a long visit, which, of course, I had to decline with many regrets.

On August 26th I heard of Lord Ampthill's death at Berlin; my friendship with him dated back to the days when I lodged with my brother Richard in Queen Street, and he used to come and sing and play by the hour together. Two years ago he begged me to go with him to Carlsbad to get assured health. How delightful will his Memoirs be one day, and his letters from the German headquarters in the Franco-German war, every page of which was full of interesting accounts of his long interviews with Bismarck!

In September we were at Wanborough, where Lord Granville paid us a visit. We had long talks on Gordon's extraordinary despatches, and heard that there was an idea afloat of Lord Wolseley's going out to replace him in Egypt.

One evening we had a long argument as to whether a Chancellor of the Exchequer who was prudent in his domestic affairs would necessarily be equally so in the affairs of the nation. William Pitt was extravagant, but a prudent financier; or, as Lord Rosebery puts it, he watched over the Treasury like Sully, and conducted his own affairs like Charles Surface.

CHAPTER XIX

1884-1885

Dinner at Brooks's-Mr. Gladstone on Lord Lytton-His Views on the Chiltern Hundreds and on Mr. Parnell-Sir William Harcourt on Disraeli's Reform Bill-Visits to Netherby and the Glen-Mr. Childers as Chancellor of the Exchequer-Sir Charles Trevelyan's Dispute with Mr. James Wilson-Introduction of the Franchise Bill-Conflict between the two Houses-Death of Mr. Fawcett - Laborers' Views of the Franchise - Lord Dufferin Starts for India-Negotiations with Walter Northcote -Secret Meeting between Sir Stafford Northcote and Mr. Gladstone-Letter from Mr. Leonard Courtney-Death of Mr. Henley His Views on Asylums- Conversation with Mr. Charles Villiers-His Views on Social Morality, Money-making, Protection Huskisson's Remark on Peel- Croker's Memoirs -Guizot's View of Croker-The Duke of Wellington's PolicyMme. Jane Hading in "Le Maître de Forges" and "FrouFrou" - Anecdote of Charles Matthews-Letter from Lord Aberdare-Walter Northcote's Report-News from the Soudan -Explosion in the House of Commons.

IN October everybody came up to London, and on the 7th Eddie Hamilton and I gave a little dinner at Brooks's, consisting of Mr. Gladstone, Lord Spencer, Sir William Harcourt, Mr. Buckle, editor of the Times, and Spencer Lyttelton.

The conversation at first was over my head at any rate -St. Thomas Aquinas and Roger Bacon, where the Scotch got their Sabbatarian views from, and when English pronunciation of Latin began, probably at the time of the Reformation, which was a bad time for

English literature. Then about Lord and Lady Lytton, whose Memoirs had just been published. Mr. Gladstone said he was a curious mixture of a Radical and a Protectionist; the latter prevailing drove him to the Tories. The general moral tone of the House of Commons he held to be much higher since the extension of the franchise, but offences of individual members more frequent.

Mr. Gladstone condemned the practice of allowing Chancellors of the Exchequer to give the Chiltern Hundreds to any Member of Parliament who applied for them. In Lord Aberdeen's government he had tried to alter the practice, but had only so far succeeded as to have the words, "in consideration of your shining virtues," eliminated.

Mr. Gladstone said that he had a sneaking liking for Parnell, and thought Home Rule for Ireland would be a matter for serious consideration before ten years were over. Lord Spencer told us of a curious speech of Davitt's, in which he said separation was impossible. Sir William Harcourt amused us about Disraeli's Reform Bill of 1866. Delane had told him that months before its production Disraeli had actually given him a copy of a Bill enfranchising householders, and that he had accepted Hodgkinson's amendment to include them. entirely on his own responsibility.

Some time after, on visiting Derby on Inland Revenue business, I came in as one of the audience for a good speech from Sir William Harcourt; and the following day went to Netherby, Sir Frederick and Lady Hermione Graham's, where I fished a great deal, with no success, though the river was full of fish.

While we were there Lady Hermione was sent for to her mother, the Duchess of Somerset, who was very ill. I recollect her as the Queen of Beauty in the Eglinton.

1885

VISIT TO THE TENNANTS

Tournament; she was very witty as well as beautiful. Once, holding a stall at a charity bazaar, she asked Lord Suffolk, who was a short and fat man, to buy something; he declined, saying he was not the prodigal son. "No," she replied, "you are much more like the fatted calf."

My wife, my daughter Constance, and I went on October 18th to pay a visit to Lady Tennant at Glen, our first visit to a place where I was afterwards to spend so many happy days.

It is impossible to exaggerate the charm of the place, situated in a green valley with a small trout stream losing itself in the woods of birch, looking purple in autumn tints, while the house was full of lovely pictures collected by Sir Charles Tennant. The inhabitants it would be idle to describe and impertinent to praise; but it is true to say that a happier or cleverer family never made a country-house more delightful.

On November 1st, after inspecting several Revenue offices and joining and again leaving my wife at Francis Grey's at Morpeth, I returned to London; and on the 4th had a long interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

I used always to wonder at the satire of events that put Ward Hunt at the Exchequer in succession to Disraeli; but it is equally wonderful to think of Mr. Childers as successor to Mr. Gladstone, though, of course, from his experience at the Treasury, where he had been instrumental in passing the Exchequer and Audit Act, he had gained a great knowledge of figures, of which he was always a clear exponent. He was one of the few who thoroughly mastered finance accounts and the statistical abstracts, but beyond that he hardly appeared to possess the qualifications necessary for the office.