The Life of William Ewart Gladstone (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 Excerpt: ... 23rd he and Lord Granville saw the Queen together, with the result that her Majesty sent for Gladstone the same afternoon. He at once formed, without the slightest difficulty, a strong Administration, becoming himself, as he had been in 1873, First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Lord Granville, and Lord Hartington, whose conduct was irreproachable, both took office under him, the former as Foreign Secretary and the latter as Secretary for India. In other respects the Government much resembled that of 1868. Lord Selborne returned to the woolsack, and Mr. Bright, to whom official work was never congenial, became Chancellor of the Duchy. Lord Cardwell's health had failed, and Mr. Lowe was extinguished under a coronet with the title of Lord Sherbrooke. Sir William Harcourt, who had been for a short time Solicitor-General, became Home Secretary; while Mr. Chamberlain, whose political association, commonly called the Binningham Caucus, had been of great practical value to the Liberal Party, entered a Government and a Cabinet for the first time as President of the Board of Trade. Of the other Kadicals, Mr. Fawcett was made Postmaster-General, without a seat in the Cabinet, for which his blindness was held to disqualify him, and Sir Charles Dilke Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Mr. Goschen refused to join the Government because he was not prepared to vote for the extension of the county franchise, and he was sent as Special Ambassador to Constantinople. A good deal of feeling was excited among fanatical Protestants by the appointment of one Catholic, Lord Ripon, to be Viceroy of India, and another, Lord Kenmare, to be Lord Chamberlain. On May 7 the 'Daily News' announced that Lord Granville had sent a circular to the Powers, urging a jo...