Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 21, 1898. The Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone.

Manawatu Herald, 21 May 1898, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 21, 1898. The Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone.

The deceased Statesman who has just departed this life was the fourth son of the late Sir John Gladstone, Bart of the county Kincardine, N. 8., a well-known merchant of Liverpool. He was born in Liverpool on 29th December, 1809. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, of which he was nominated a student in 1829, and graduated, taking a double first-class, in Michaelmas term 1831. He was returned to parliament, in the Conservative interest in December, 1832. Sir Robert Peel appointed him to a junior Lordship of the Treasury in December, 1834, and in February, 1835, Under Secretary for Colonial Affairs. He retired from office with his Party in the following April, and in 1 84 1, on their return to power, he was appointed Vice -President of the Board of Trade and Master of the Mint, and was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council. In January, 1846, Mr Gladstone resigned his seat for Newark and remained out of parliament until the general election of August, 1847, when he was elected tor the University of Oxford. In February, 1851, he separated himself from the great body of the Conservative party, but at the election in July he was re-elected for Oxford, after a severe contest. In December, 1852, under the Earl of Aberdeen Mr Gladstone was appointed to the Chancellorship of the Exchequer, and resigned 1 this office a short time after Lord Palmerston took office. In the winter of 1858-9 he accepted under Lord Derby's second cabinet a special mission to the lonian Islands and in 1859 resumed office under Lord Palmerston as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Having been rejected by Oxford at the general election in 1865 was returned, third on the poll, for South Lancashire. On the death of Lord Palmerston he became leader of the House ol Commons, and resigned lin 1866 on being defeated on the Reform Bill he had introduced. At the general election in 1868 Mr Gladstone was defeated for South-west Lancashire but the electors of Greenwich anticipating such a misfortune had elected him for that seat a few days previous. On the resignation of Mr Disraeli's Ministry in December, 1868, Mr Gladstone succeeded him as First Lord of the Treasury. In 1873 Mr Gladstone assumed the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer in addition to his other offices. He then had parliament dissolved and at the election his party was thoroughly beaten, and he had therefore to resign office, and Mr Disraeli returned to power. On 13th January, 1875, Mr Gladstone announced his retirement from the leadership of the Liberal Party, and the Marquis of Hartington was elected to the position. On the dissolution of parliament at Easter, 1880, Mr Gladstone was returned for Midlothian, and as the Conservative party were in the minority the Earl of Beaconsfield resigned and Mr Gladstone was sent for and formed a cabinet and retained office till June, 1885, but at the general election in November, 1885, his party were victorious and he again returned to office. On the subject of Home I Rule Mr Gladstone appealed to the electors and was defeated by an overwhelming majority, and he resigned without meeting parliament, and Lord Salisbury became Prime Minister for the second time on 3rd August, 1886, Mr Gladstone held the Premiership once again in 1892-94 and was succeeded by Lord Roseberry 1894-95 when the ConserAatives again came into power. Mr Gladstone was married in 1839 to Catherine, sister of the late Sir Stephen Glynne, M.P. Of his sons, the eldest sat in parliament for some time as member for East Worcestershire; the second, the Rev. Stephen Gladstone is the Rector of Hawarden, and tho third has sat, since 1880 for Leeds.