proportion must necessarily be absent, | intellect, but of his character, for the and it must be left for a later first and most obvious feature of Mr. time, and even, perhaps, for a later generation, accurately to appraise and appreciate that relation. My Lords, the same may also be said of his intellect and of his character. They are, at any rate, too vast a subject to be treated on such an occasion as this. But I may at least cite the words, which I shall never forget, which were used by the noble Marquess when Mr. Gladstone resigned the office of Prime Minister, that his was the most brilliant intellect that had been applied to the service of the State since Parliamentary Government began." That seems to me an adequate and a noble appreciation; but there is also this pitiful side, incident to all mortality, but which strikes one more strongly with regard to Mr. Gladstone than with regard to anyone else, and it is this-that intellect, mighty by nature, was fashioned and prepared by the labour of every day and almost every hour until the last day of health-fashioned to be so perfect a machine, only to be stopped for ever by a single touch of the Angel of Death. My Lords, there are two features of Mr. Gladstone's intellect which I cannot help noting on this occasion, for they were so signal and so salient, and distinguished him so much, so far as I know, from all other minds that I have come into contact with, that it would be wanting to this occasion if they were not noted. The first was his enormous power of concentration. There never was a man, I believe, in this world who at any given moment, on any given subject, could so devote every resource and power of his intellect, without the restriction of a single nerve within him, to the immediate purpose And subject and that object. the second feature is one which is also rare, but which, I think, has never been united so much with the faculty of concentration, and it is this: the infinite variety and multiplicity of his intellect. There was no man, I suspect, in the history of England-no man, at any rate, in recent centuries-who touched the intellectual life of the country at so many points, and over so great a range of years. But that, in reality, was not merely a part of his of that Gladstone's character was the universality and the humanity of his sympathy. I do not now mean, as we all know, that he sympathised with great causes and with oppressed nations, and with what he believed to be the cause of liberty all over the world; but I do mean his sympathy with all classes of human beings, from the highest to the lowest. That, I believe, was one of the secrets of his almost unparalleled power over his fellow men. May I give two instances of what I mean? The first time he visited Midlothian we were driving away from, I think, his first meeting, and we were followed by a shouting crowd as long as their strength would permit; but there was one man who held on much longer than any of them, who ran, I should think, for two miles, with evidently some word he was anxious to say, and when he dropped away we lisIt was this: tened for what it might be. 'I wished to thank you, Sir, for the speech you made to the workhouse people." I dare say not many of your Lordships recollect that speech; for my it does not purpose, particularly matter what its terms may have been. We should think it, however, an almost overwhelming task to speak to a workhouse audience, and to administer words of consolation and sympathy to a mass who, after all, represent in the main exhaustion and failure and destitution. class. Let me take another instance_ from the highest. I believe that the last note Mr. Gladstone wrote with his own hand was written to Lady Salisbury, to ask her about a carriage accident in which the noble Marquess had been involved. I think it is pathetic, and characteristic of the man, that in That was the lowest the hour of his sore distress, when he could hardly put pen to paper, he should have written that note of sympathy to the wife of the most prominent, and not the least generous, of his political opponents. My Lords, sympathy was one great feature of Mr. Gladstone's character. There was another with which the noble Marquess has dealt, which I will only touch on in a single word, for it is a subject not for this moment or for this purpose. I mean 66 word of are now Lords. Hushed the depth of his Christian faith. I have | pass to him, without a heard, not often, and have seen it made dissent, the honours which a subject for cavil, for sarcasm, for scof- universally conceded? My fing remarks. Those remarks were the that has all changed now. offspring of ignorance, and not of know- is the voice of criticism, hushed ledge. The faith of Mr. Gladstone, obvi- are the controversies in which he took ously to all who knew him, pervaded part, hushed for the moment is the every act and every part of his life. It very sound of Party conflict. I venture was the faith, the pure faith, of a child, to think that this is a notable fact in our confirmed by the experience and the con- history. It was not so with the elder viction of a man. And that last word Pitt. It was not so with the younger brings me to the other, and the only Pitt. It was not so with the elder Pitt, other point of his character, on which I in spite of his tragic end, of his would say a word. There was no expres- unrivalled services, and of his feeble old sion so frequently on Mr. Gladstone's lips age. It was not so with the younger as the word "manhood." Speaking of Pitt, in spite of his long control of the anyone I can appeal to his friends country and his absolute and absorbed behind me he would say, with an accent devotion to the State. I think that we that no one who heard him could ever should remember this as creditable, not forget, "So-and-so had the manhood to merely to the man, but to the nation. do this"; So-and-so had the manhood My Lords, there is one deeply melancholy to do that"; and no one, I think, will, feature of Mr. Gladstone's death, by far in the converse, ever forget the extremity the most melancholy, to which, I think, of scorn which he could put into the none of my noble Friends have adverted negative phrase, "So-and-so had not the I think that all our thoughts must be manhood to do this"; "So-and-so had turned, now that he has gone, to that not the manhood to say that." It was solitary and pathetic figure, who for 60 obvious, from all he said and from all years shared all the sorrows and all the he did, that that virile virtue of manhood, in which he comprehended courage, his every confidence and every aspira joys of Mr. Gladstone's life; who received righteous daring, the disdain of odds tion; who shared his triumphs with him, against him that virile virtue of man- and cheered him under his defeats; who, hood was, perhaps, the one that he put by her tender vigilance, I firmly believe, the highest. This country, this nation, sustained and prolonged his years. loves brave men. Mr. Gladstone was the think that the occasion ought not to pass bravest of the brave. There was no cause without letting Mrs. Gladstone know that so hopeless that he was afraid to undertake it; there was no amount of opposishe is in all our thoughts to-day. And tion that would cow him when once he yet, my Lords, putting that one figure had undertaken it. It was then faith, aside, to me, at any rate, this is not an marhood, and sympathy that formed occasion for absolute and entire and the triple base of unreserved lamentation. Were it, indeed, character. My Lords, this this is, possible so to protract the inexorable has been limits of human life, that we might have pointed out, a unique occasion. Mr. Gladstone always hoped that future years, and even future pressed the hope that there might be an generations, might see Mr. Gladstone's interval left to him between the end of face and hear his matchless voice, and his political and of his natural life. That receive the lessons of his unrivalled period was given to him, for it is more experience, we might, perhaps, grieve than four years since he quitted the to-day as those who have no hope. But He had long sphere of politics. Those four years have that is not the case. been with him a special preparation for exceeded the span of mortality, and his his death; but have they not also been latter months had been months of a preparation for his death with the unspeakable pain and distress. nation at large? Had he died in the now in that rest for which he sought and prayed, and which was to give him relief plenitude of his power as Prime Minister from an existence which had become a would it have been possible for a vigorous burden to him. Surely this should not be and convinced Opposition to allow to an occasion entirely for grief, when a life Earl of Rosebery. Mr. Gladstone's as ex I He is prolonged to such a limit, so full of injustice that clergymen, with their honour, so crowned with glory, has come largely diminished incomes, should be to its termination. The nation lives that rated, not only on their houses and their produced him. The nation that produced glebe, but also on their tithes. Morehim may yet produce others like him; over, if a clergyman chooses to let his and. in the meantime. it is rich in his glebe, he receives no abatement whatmemory, rich in his life, and rich, above ever. In the Midland counties, especially all, in his animating and inspiring in Northamptonshire, there are many example. Nor do I think that we should cases in which land has been allotted in regard this heritage as limited to lieu of tithes, and in those cases the our Own country or to our own clergyman does get relief; but the race. It seems to me-if we may general rule is that tithes pay rates but judge by the papers of to-day- get no relief under the Act of last Sesthat it is shared by, that it is the sion. I am sure we all sympathise with possession of, all civilised mankind; and the clergy in this matter, and will view that generations yet to come, through with equal sympathy any Measure which many long years, will look for encourage- might be proposed to alleviate their conment in labour, for fortitude in adversity, dition. That is the reason I ask this for the example of a sublime Christi- question. I feel that without legislation anity, with constant hope and constant it will be difficult to give any considerencouragement, to the pure, the splendid, able relief. I do not know whether it the dauntless figure of William Ewart would be possible for the Local GovernGladstone. Question put. Motion agreed to. ment Board to issue an Order to the various Assessment Committees by which tithes would be exempted from rating. I trust, however, that if I cannot get a sympathetic answer from my noble Friend as to a Report being shortly laid on the Table, the time will not be far distant when Her Majesty's Government will see their way to bring in a Measure to relieve the heavily-rated clergy. RATING OF THE CLERGY. *EARL STANHOPE: My Lords, I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND it is likely that the Royal Commission on (Lord BALFOUR of BURLEIGH): My Lords,. Rating will soon be able to make an I have no hesitation in expressing my ad interim Report with respect to the sympathy with many of the views of the rating of the clergy. I am asking noble Earl. am asking noble Earl. I am afraid, however, that this inquiry of my noble Friend Lord this is a matter in which sympathy alone Balfour of Burleigh, not in his capacity will not be wholly satisfactory. I can as Secretary for Scotland, but as chair- assure the noble Earl that the Royal man of the Royal Commission on Rating, Commission over which I have the honour which, as your Lordships are aware, has to preside. has given, and is still giving, been sitting for some time. During a great deal of attention to the subject the last 10 years the clergy have suffered of the rating of tithe rent-charge. Weheavily owing to the fall of tithes, and have received a very considerable amount there is a strong feeling out of doors that of evidence from various representative some alleviation with regard to rating organisations. We have also been, I should be proposed in the present Session think I may say, almost inundated by the of Parliament. The hardship of the whole large number of communications from matter is that the Act of last Session- individuals which we have received, and the imperfect Act. known as the Agricul- received quite recently. We have also tural Rating Act—while it gives allevia- a very considerable amount of documen-tion to ratepayers, and does give allevia. tary information to look through, and I tion to clergymen who hold their own can assure the noble Earl that there are land, gives no alleviation to tithes. I still a very large number of those who think, my Lords, that it is a great have expressed a sincere desire to be selves able to go the whole length of meeting the wishes of those for whom the noble Earl has spoken. I think he will admit-I believe every member, or nearly every member, of the Commission will agree that, until we see our way clearly in the matter, it will be a dangerous thing for us to announce that the inquiry is wholly closed. I cannot, therefore, make a definite promise that there will be a Report. I do not wish to be understood, on the other hand, to say that there will be no Report in the course of the summer. It is not at present abso selves able to recommend a remedy. Some of the Reports which have been published in the usual channels of information have been entirely premature. I hope that, under all the circumstances in which we are placed as a Commission heard by the Commission for whom we have not yet been able to find a place. My Lords, I do not propose to go on this occasion into the history of the rating of tithe rent-charge, which is intricate and would require a considerable amount of time to explain; but I understand that in the main the case which is put forward by clerical tithe owners at the present time is that tithe rent-charge ha been unfairly and unjustly valued, and not assessed in accordance with the Parochial Assessments Act, 1836. I think it must be obvious to everybody that the principle laid down in this Act for ascer-lutely decided whether we shall find ourtaining the rateable value of properties generally was not very applicable to tithe rent-charge, and although the Courts have decided that tithe rent-charge is to be assessed, like all other property, according to what it might be reasonably expected to let for, a certain amount of hardship has been created by that decision. I may say that I came to the consideration of this matter with a strictly impartial mind, because until I was made a member this Commission, and heard the evidence which we have taken, I am afraid I must confess that I knew absolutely nothing about the matter; but I have, so far as I am personally concerned, come very distinctly to the conclusion that the tithe rent-charge, as a class of property, is rated nearer to the gross value than any other. I think I am justified in saying that on that ground the clerical tithe-owner at the present time does bear a heavier burden of local rates than any other owner of property. My Lords, we have got to that length that, while it goes to some extent to justify the anxiety of those for whom the noble Earl has spoken, it does not go very far in the direction of deciding what will be the best remedy to apply. I must say that in this matter I find with very considerable difficulty. I do not mony. think I should serve any useful purpose and if I were to express my own opinion upon of it here. I think that it had better be reserved for the Commission. We have not, as a Commission, ventured as yet entirely to close the inquiry. We frankly admit that there is a grievance, and it is quite possible that, when we do come to issue a report, we shall find ourThe Secretary for Scotland. the somewhat difficult circumstances the noble Earl, and those for whom he speaks, will accept my assurance that we are thoroughly alive to the fact that the state of things, as they exist at present, constitutes a real grievance, and that we shall not delay longer than is absolutely necessary in endeavouring to find a solution. PARISH CHURCHES (SCOTLAND) BILL The Report of the Amendments to this Bill was received. Amendment proposed Clause 2, page 1, line 12, after 'consent,' insert of the heritors, if any, and.'”. "-(Lord Tweedmouth.) LORD TWEEDMOUTH: My Lords, I have an Amendment to this Bill that I desire to ask your Lordships' acceptance The object of the Bill is one which I am entirely in har of. It is to enable churches manses to be removed from places where they have ceased to be of where they are more required; but, in use to other parts of the same locality making the provisions for the change of site, it seems to me that one class of per 93 Licensing (Disqualification {20 MAY 1898} of Justices Removal) Bill. 94 liability of heritors is carefully reserved, | allowed to act on the Licensing Comwhereas in the preceding clauses, with mittee of the district in which his inregard to the removal of the churches or manses, no reference whatever is made to the heritors. The object of my Amendment is to secure that, when it is proposed that churches and manses should be removed under the Bill, the heritors of the parish should be consulted in the matter, and their consent obtained. or LORD BALFOUR. OF BURLEIGH: have no hesitation in accepting Amendment. The Bill will really come into operation in any town borough in which heritors are likely to have an interest in the church. I believe that in most cases the churches affected will be churches which are vested in the magistrates and the town councils. The terest lies, or in the neighbouring district. It has been determined that this applies to any magistrate who has shares in any railway company which has refreshment rooms in the district, or, in other words, shares in any railway which runs through the district in which, or near which, this magistrate resides. It is quite clear that the shares in a railIway company would not be appreciably this affected-would not be affected in the not smallest degree by the amount of liquor sold at these small refreshment rooms, and that his interest in them is nominal. The present state of the law has been found to deprive the licensing committees of the services of many useful men. The Bill which I am asking your Lordships to read a second time provides that a justice of the peace shall not be disqualified from acting for any purpose under the Licensing Acts, 1872-74, or under any Act for regulating the sale of intoxicating liquors, or the granting of licences for such sale, by reason of his holding any share or being otherwise interested (whether beneficially or otherwise) in any railway company which is a retailer of any intoxicating liquor in the licensing district, or in the district or districts adjoining to that in which such justice usually acts, or which is wholly or partly the owner, lessee, or occupier of any licensed premises. Care has been taken not to alter the Statute more than is necessary, or to weaken the action of the law in other respects. I hope your Lordships will not object to give this Bill a second reading. Amendment suggested by the noble Lord Amendment suggested by the noble Lord was the subject of some discussion in the Standing Committee, and, after full consideration, I have come to the conclusion that the words suggested to be added, if they do not do any good in those cases to which we think the Bill will apply, cannot do any harm. Therefore, I am willing to accept the Amendment. Amendment agreed to. ATTENDANCE OF CHILDREN AT SCHOOL (SCOTLAND) BILL. LICENSING (DISQUALIFICATION OF JUSTICES REMOVAL) BILL. THE EARL OF KIMBERLEY: My EARL COWPER: My Lords, I beg to Lords, I quite agree with the noble Earl move the Second Reading of this Bill. opposite. I know from personal exThis is rather a small Bill, but its object perience that very great inconvenience is to remedy a practical and a very has been caused by the present state of appreciable grievance. It is recom- the law. There are so many disqualificamended by the Society of Chairmen of tions of magistrates from acting on Quarter Sessions, which is composed of licensing committees that some of the the most able local men in the country, best men for the duty are excluded. I who would not cordially support the second reading of be likely to give this Bill. other than good advice. The Bill has nothing to do with the main *THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (Viscount question of licensing. It appears, CROSs): My Lords, as chairman of the my Lords, that no justice having any Society of Chairmen of Quarter Sessions, interest in the retail sale of liquor is I highly approve of this Bill. Cases |