Disraeli, at Wycombe. At Bath, Mr. Roebuck opposed Mr. Hobhouse, brother of Sir John Cam Hobhouse, then Minister for War; at Wycombe, the opponent of Mr. Disraeli was Colonel Grey, the third son of the Premier. Mr. Roebuck, like Mr. Disraeli, stood as a Reformer; and in the case of both one the other, Mr. Joseph Hume was the chief sponsor with the electors. Mr. Hume wrote a strong letter in favour of Mr. Disraeli.* But Mr. Disraeli was too energetic a man to be satisfied with a single letter of recommendation. Daniel O'Connell and Mr. Lytton Bulwer were then powerful in the Radical ranks,

The following is the text of Mr. Hume's letter:

66

Bryanston Square, 2nd June, 1832. "Sir,-As England can only reap the benefit of Reform by the electors doing their duty in selecting honest, independent, and talented men, I am much pleased to learn from our mutual friend, Mr. E. L. Bulwer, that you are about to offer yourself as a candidate to represent Wycombe in the New Parliament.

"I have no personal influence at that place, or I would use it immediately in your favour; but I should hope that the day has arrived when the electors will consider the qualifications of the candidates, and, in the exercise of their franchise, prove themselves worthy of the new rights they will obtain by the Reform.

"I hope the Reformers will rally round you, who entertain liberal opinions in every branch of government, and are prepared to pledge yourself to support reform and economy in every department as far as the same can be effected consistent with the best interests of the country.

"I shall only add that I shall be rejoiced to see you in the new Parliament, in the confidence that you will redeem your pledges and give satisfaction to your constituents if they will place you there. "Wishing you success in your canvass,

I remain your obedient servant, (Signed) "JOSEPH HUME. "To Disraeli, Esq."-(Bucks Gazette, June 9, 1832.)

and from both the one and the other he obtained notes of approval. He also succeeded in getting a few friendly lines from Sir Francis Burdett.*

* The following are copies of these letters in full :(From Edward Lytton-Bulwer, Esq., M.P., to B. D'Israeli, Esq.) "June 3rd, 1832.

My dear Disraeli (sic),—I have received from my friend Mr. Hume a letter addressed to you, which I have forwarded to Bradenham. In case you should not receive it in such good time as may be wished, I may as well observe that in it Mr. Hume expresses his great great (sic) satisfaction at hearing that you are about to start for Wycombe, his high opinion of your talents and principles-and while he regrets he knows no one at Wycombe whom otherwise he would certainly endeavour to interest in your behalf, he avails himself of his high situation in public esteem to remind the electors of Wycombe that the Reform Bill is but a means to the end of good and cheap government, and that they ought to show themselves deserving of the results of that great measure by choosing Members of those talents and those principles which can alone advocate the popular cause, and which Mr. Hume joins with me in believing you so eminently possess.

"You will receive his letter at latest on Tuesday morning, and so anxious was he in your behalf that he would not leave London, though on matters of urgent private business, until he had written it. "Assuring you of my cordial wishes, which, I trust, may be shared by all true reformers,

"Believe me, my dear D'Israeli, truly yours,
"E. LYTTON-BULWER,

"M.P. for St. Ives."

(From Daniel O'Connell, Esq., to Edward Lytton-Bulwer, Esq., M. P.) "Parliament Street, June 3rd, 1832.

"My dear Sir,-In reply to your inquiry, I regret to say that I have no acquaintance at Wycombe to whom I could recommend Mr. D'Israeli. It grieves me, therefore, to be unable to serve him on his canvass. I am as convinced as you are of the great advantage the cause of genuine Reform would obtain from his return. His readiness to carry the Reform Bill into practical effect towards the production of cheap government and free institutions is enhanced by the talent and information which he brings to the good cause. I should certainly express full reliance on his political and personal

Two somewhat untoward circumstances, however, intervened to spoil to some extent the effect of these recommendations. Mr. Joseph Hume, either suspecting the genuineness of Mr. Disraeli, or perhaps-for all the facts of the case are not quite clear-imagining that he had prematurely interfered, partially withdrew his first letter.* The second circumstance rather hostile integrity, and it would give me the greatest pleasure to assist in any way in procuring his return, but that, as I have told you, I have no claim on Wycombe, and can only express my surprise that it should be thought I had any.

"I have the honour to be,

"My dear Sir, yours very faithfully,

"DANIEL O'CONNELL."

-Ibid.

It will be remembered that it was uncertain for some time whether Sir Thomas Baring really intended to resign or not. Mr. Hume's first letter was probably written when the rumour of the vacancy got abroad. The second refers in all likelihood to the period when the report was still denied, and had not been confirmed by the resignation of Sir Thomas Baring. This is the text :

"Bryanston Square, June 6th, 1832. "Dear Sirs,-A handbill has just been put into my hands, containing an abstract of a letter of mine sent to Mr. B. D'Israeli, in which I express my hopes that, as a reformer, I should be happy to see him a Member of the new Parliament; but, at the same time I wrote that letter, I was not aware that he would come in opposition to either of you, to disturb you in your present seats, and I feel concerned that I should in any way, by my statement in favour of Mr. D'Israeli, bave tended to disturb the seats of two gentlemen with whom, for so many years, I have had the pleasure to sit in Parliament. I am anxious to state to you that it would really give me considerable pain to have inadvertently done anything to weaken the confidence which your constituents ought to have in you both, who have, for so many years, supported Liberal measures, and in particular during the last eighteen months, given such important support to the cause of Reform, now near its completion.

"I have this day written to Mr. D'Israeli, stating to him the cause of the mistake by which my name has been used against you, and

to Mr. Disraeli's success with the Liberal electors was that he was mercilessly assailed by the Liberal,* and as strongly supported by the Tory,† organ.

Between the abilities of the two candidates no attempt at comparison was made. Colonel Grey, at that period of his career at all events, was not a speaker. He himself, on the day of his first appearance in the town, declared with great naïveté that this was the first time he had ever addressed a public meeting, and craved indulgence. This ample admission allows us to form a sufficiently humble estimate of the natural abilities of the gallant Colonel, though perhaps it did not justify the Tory organ in declaring that "a more perfect simpleton" never sought the representation of a constituency.

expressing my hope that he will not attempt to disturb the seats of two gentlemen who have given their aids to bring about that Reform for which the country has so long been in need.

'Hoping that you may neither of you suffer any inconvenience by the manner in which my name has been used,

"I remain, your obedient servant,

"JOSEPH HUME.

"To the Hon. Robert Smith, M.P., and

Sir Thomas Baring, Bart., M.P."-Ibid.

"He intruded himself on the borough," said the Bucks Gazette decisively, "as a Reformer, but the electors saw reason to suspect that he was an impostor."-Ibid. June 30, 1832.

"We do not," wrote the Bucks Herald (June 16, 1832), "concur politically with either of the gentlemen, but we prefer most decidedly the independent and manly declaration of Mr. Disraeli to the puling protestations of Colonel Grey. Mr. Disraeli, moreover, is not a Whig. He is an independent, not tied to party, but, having talents and self-dependence, may cut out for himself a career of honour and distinction in the Senate which the Colonel cannot hope to aspire to. We weigh fairly the merits of the two, and the scale preponderates towards Mr. Disraeli most powerfully."

On the 13th of June the candidates made their public entry into the town. Colonel Grey stumbled through a short speech, winding up with the frank admission already quotod.

But not so Mr. Disraeli. He entered the town in an open carriage, drawn by four horses, and he was accompanied in his march by a crowd of admirers. This crowd was, either spontaneously or by arrangement, joined by another a mile outside the town, and so, escorted by a band, banners, and a troop of admirers, Mr. Disraeli made his triumphal appearance. "The candidate," wrote our contemporary and malicious chronicler of Mr. Disraeli at this great moment of his career-"the candidate ... kissed his hand or blew kisses, we cannot say which, to all the females who were at the windows, bowing profoundly at times to his friends." *

Mr. Disraeli's next act was equally characteristic. The "Red Lion" was then the chief hostelry of the town, and the "Red Lion" had a porch before the door. Mr. Disraeli perched himself on the roof of this porch, and, in this commanding position, could be seen and heard by any crowd, however large. For a whole hour, at least, did the future Premier then pour forth his rhetoric, and, from the reports, meagre as they are, which come down to us, it is evident that in those days Mr. Disraeli was the model of a mob orator. A mob, above all things, likes hard blows and broad jokes, and Mr. Disraeli, in this speech, * Bucks Gazette, June 16, 1832.