DISRAELI ON LOWE.

Evening Star, Issue 3493, 4 May 1874, Page 3

DISRAELI ON LOWE.

i . | Mr Disraeli when addressing his conjstituents at Newport-Pagnall, in Buckingjhamshire, is reported to have spoken as follows : j No man has dragged down the Govern!mert of Mr Gladstone as Mr Lowe has done. !(Che6rs,) I remember someyears aga having, ;a most interesting conversation with perhaps ;the most eminent, man of the present time, ; Prince ismarck. He spoke with great firmness on the subject of his future. There was ;then no prospect of Count Bismarck becomjing Prime Minister of Prussia. He said, “ What I want to* do particularly is to get ;rid of thesa professors in my country. I ‘want to save Prussia from these professors.” •Now, Mr Lowe is a proiessor. (Cheers.) >He has no sympathy with the peop’e—no yespect for tradition He has confidence in ■his own individual infallibility. But from moment of his entry, into public life, j— and I will prophesy that it will be to the ■last—he has .offended the English nation, jwhich can have no Sympathy Tot a man who is proud of having ho heart. (Laughter and cheers.) tie is a most ungrateful man, for •he would not be in Parliament were it not for me. (l aughter.) Were it not for me the London University would not have had a member. . Everybody was opposed to it. My colleagues ' did hot much like it ; the pmseryative party did not much like it; but more strange than anything’else, thb Whole Liberal party were ready to oppose it; but ■T, with characteristic magnanimity—(laughtor) —said to myself, “ Unless I give a member to the London University, Mr Lowe cannot have a seat. ’ (Laughter. It was then impossible for bim, and probably still .is,, to shdw'himself upon a hustings with safety to his life. (Renewed laughter.) I said to myself,? M There-is so, much, ability dost to England.” And 1 pique myself on always upholding and supporting ability in every party, and wherever I meet it—(hear hear) ■ — aQ d I also said to myself—“ One mnst have an eye to tha Ministry.” If I keep Mr Lowe in public life -and this is his only chance—-I make sure that no Cabinet, even if it be brought into power iby ah? overwhelming majority, can long endure or long flourish. (Laughter.) And, gentlemen, I think what took place perfectly justified my prescience. (Renewed laughter.) Such things have happened in theyHou.se of Commons since Mr Lowe was in high office that cannot be equalled in the - Parliamentary records of this kingdom. Never was tliere a Chancellor of the Exchequer who quarrelled on two occasions with Secretaries of 1 the Treasury, and, in order to keep things tranquil, the Secretaries were otherwise provided for. Mr Ayrton, a man of ability, was obliged to be provided for'in other positions, because he could not agree with Mr Lowe,

itself. Assuming an air of sternness and dignity, he remarked that noblemen were not accustomed to be beheaded in a clumsy bungling manner, but that their heads were cut off by means of a sharp sword. The madman acknowledged the reasonableness and propriety of the suggestion, and went into an old cupboard and produced what he termed a sword—viz., a square piece of wood with blunt edges, and sharpened to a point at one of its ends. The wary doctor still had decided objections to instant decapitation, on the ground that noblemen when beheaded were despatched neatly. He urged that the sword should be well sharpened. The madman did not see this point very clearly, adding that if the sword did not cut the head off completely, it did not matter, inasmuch as be could use the sharp point as a bayonet, and so finish the business in that way. Dr Williams mildly hinted that Mr. Maniac should first exercise his beheading talents upon the man who had acted as messenger (and who had most unwisely locked the door upon. them). He further, remarked that; as a rule, corpses were not plesant things in a house, and pointed out.the desirability of opening the door before the. messenger w;as operated upon, in order that the corpse might be thrown more readily into the street. This was unhesitatingly agreed to. The locked door was opened, and then the maniac charged, the messenger with the wooden bayonet in the back. We need hardly say that this was the culminating point. A police officer was sent for, and the doctor returned home, thankful for his escape from so awkward a dilemma. He, however, informed' the officer that the man was a raving madman, and that he was dangerous to himself, to his family, and i the public. In the meantime, before the arrival of the policeman, the mad- ; man had left his house, and smashed a ; number of panes of glass in several | shop windows. The same night, the poor man was taken to the workhouse, ;and subsequently to the Denbigh Lunatic Asylum, where he had been an ; inmate previously for fifteen months.