. Life and public services of Hon. Wm. E. Gladstone . noone had the least doubt but that Mr. Gladstone would be PrimeMinister ; and it was equally certain that certain men would beincluded in his Cabinet. But there was considerable surprise ex-cited by one appointment which he made. This was the nomin-ation of John Bright to be President of the Board of Trade. Itwas thought that Mr. Bright would not consent to be hamperedin the expression of his individual opinions, as a Cabinet Minis-ter must be when he is not in full accord with his colleagues;Lord Palmerston had humorously complained, some
. Life and public services of Hon. Wm. E. Gladstone . noone had the least doubt but that Mr. Gladstone would be PrimeMinister ; and it was equally certain that certain men would beincluded in his Cabinet. But there was considerable surprise ex-cited by one appointment which he made. This was the nomin-ation of John Bright to be President of the Board of Trade. Itwas thought that Mr. Bright would not consent to be hamperedin the expression of his individual opinions, as a Cabinet Minis-ter must be when he is not in full accord with his colleagues;Lord Palmerston had humorously complained, some years be-fore this time, that a Prime Minister was no longer able to do justas he liked; men with consciences, ideas, abilities of their own,were in office, and would not consent to be the mere clerks oftheir chief. It was indeed with some reluctance that Mr. Brightaccepted this , and he was careful to explain to his constitu-ents that they must not think he had changed his opinions, ifthe measures of the Ministry were sometimes opposed to his. Wm. E. Gladstone at Age of Fifty-nine. m The First Gladstone Ministry. 267 known ideas, unless he himself should announce such modificationto them. It had been originally planned to make him Secretaryfor India, but the possibility of circumstances arising in which hewould be obliged to direct military operations made it desirableto place him in some office where he would not be called upon todo that which was in direct antagonism with his opinions as amember of the Society of Friends. If the Government was a strong one, it had need of all itsstrength. The task before it was an exceedingly difficult onejand although the policy of the party had been approved by sucha vast majority of the people, there were not wanting those whoregarded the disestablishment of the Irish church as an act ofsacrilege, and did not hesitate to say so. At public meetings itwas characterized as a wicked, ungodly and abominable measure,framed in a spirit of i
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