LATE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1262, 18 October 1911, Page 7

LATE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE

AN INTERESTING BIOGRAPHY. Br Telerrripli-Prcse Aainciation-Copyricht London, October IC. Mr. Bernard Holland's "Life of the Duke of Devonshire." just published, is n notable contribution to history. The Duke is described as a scrupulously honest statesman, and there is a remarkable- chapter on tho crises of 1903, when thf Duke resigned from !!>e Balfoiir Cabinet after Sir. Chamberlain's advocacy of Tariff Reform. Mr. Chamberlain's letters at that juncture are published. . Mr. Chamberlain therein declares that ho would have delayed, perhaps abandoned, his advocacy of Tariff Reform had he known of the Duke of Devonshire's opposition, beforo committing himself to it. THE DUKE AND THE UNIONISTS. J n i m \ V, 10 lato Duko °t -Devonshire , Iμ? 1 1 rcsuleat °1 the Council in w , \ T. A<l » linis totio n "t the time when Mr. Chambenain, during the month ot ilav, made his iamous at Hi". mmgham in favour of Tariff Keiorm ior some time alter tho speech the Duke's position as a professed Free-trader remained ambiguous and uncertain, but at the beginning of October, somewhat to tho general surprise, and, as .Mr. llalfour contended, without any adequate reason he seceded iron: tho Government and !nni Ji 0 T" °PP° si ti«»- Early in pi the. publication of correspondence bearing upon this subject led to a crisis in the Liberal Unionist party, resulting V? a " lcctl . n S oi the Council, at which Mr. Chamberlain was found to have i great majority in his favour. On the 1 ' P leJ a iu ß it-sclt to thoroughgoing lariff Reform, tho riulto then withdrew from the association, and became president of tho Unionist Free Food Lea<*uo and tho Unionist Free Trado Club. The lato Duko was in his seventy-fifth year when he died in l!)0S. In a character sketch of him, ilr. Justice M'Carthev said: J

Ho entered tho House of Commons in his twenty-fourth year, and had held all manner of Ministerial and Labinet offices. During the far greater part of his public life ho was known as the Marquis of Uartingtan, and as such, being only tho eldest son of a peer and not a pear himself, ho was enabled to represent a Parliamentary constituency in the House, of Commons. It may seem like an attempt at paradox to say tli.it lie became a remarkable figure in political life, chiefly because of tho absence of any remarkable qualities in him, and yet I do not know how I could better convey a correct idea of tho impression which ho mado upon the public mind, lie was not a man of intellect, lie was not in any sense whatever a statesman, and novel , apparently made any effort or showed any ambition to become, one, although, owing to his high position and his great family influence, he held a?ain and asrnin somn of the foremost offices of the State. He was never an advanced Liberal—perhaps 1 con l<l not give a clearer idea as to his political complexion than by saying that he was a sort of negative. Liberal, if such a phrase might bo used; that at all events he could nnt during his working career bo described as a positivo Tory."