. Life and public services of Hon. Wm. E. Gladstone . enced by his admir-ation for a statesman whose life closed just as the ardent admirerentered upon manhood. Mr. Gladstone was an intimate friend of the young Earl of Lin-coln, the son of the Duke of Newcastle. That high-born oppon-ent of Reform had demanded of the Reformers : Have I not aright to do as I like with my own ? The question of course re-ferred to the boroughs of which he was the patron; and passedinto a political maxim. The new law decided the answer—thatthe boroughs were no longer his own but the property of a con-siderably incr
. Life and public services of Hon. Wm. E. Gladstone . enced by his admir-ation for a statesman whose life closed just as the ardent admirerentered upon manhood. Mr. Gladstone was an intimate friend of the young Earl of Lin-coln, the son of the Duke of Newcastle. That high-born oppon-ent of Reform had demanded of the Reformers : Have I not aright to do as I like with my own ? The question of course re-ferred to the boroughs of which he was the patron; and passedinto a political maxim. The new law decided the answer—thatthe boroughs were no longer his own but the property of a con-siderably increased number of electors, whose franchises werebased on a property qualification much smaller than such a re-quirement had been under the old order of things. But HisGrace had not accepted the answer, and resolved that he wouldstill have the disposal of his borough of Newark. Accordingly,he invited his sons friend to stand for it. It was this invitationwhich cut Mr. Gladstones continental tour short; he hurriedback to England, to make his THE LAST SPEECH IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONSAS PRIME MINISTER The Beginning of Public Life. 53 The country was in a state of feverish expectation. Whatwould be the composition of the first Reformed House of Com-mons ? The Whigs looked for an immense majority, the Toriesshook their heads and prophesied dreadful things. The last ofSeptember saw the young candidate busily canvassing the bor-ough j a little later, his first election address was issued, which,as it was the first public utterance of the man who for more thanfifty years has been a prominent figure in the English Parlia-ment, we append in full: Clinton Arms, Newark, Oct. 9, the Worthy and Independent Electors of the Borough of Newark: Having now completed my canvass, I think it now my duty aswell to remind you of the principles on which I have solicitedyour votes, as freely to assure my friends that its result hasplaced the result beyond a doubt. I have not
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