randum on the
political situation. It was much more elaborate than the ordinary official
submissions. Lord Granville was the only colleague who had seen it, and
Mr. Gladstone was alone responsible for laying it before the sovereign. It
is a masterly statement of the case, starting from the assumption for the
sake of argument that the tories were right and the liberals wrong as to
the two bills; then proceeding on the basis of a strongly expressed desire
to keep back a movement for organic change; next urging the signs that
such a movement would go forward with irresistible force if the bill were
again rejected; and concluding thus:--

I may say in conclusion that there is no personal act if it be
compatible with personal honour and likely to contribute to an end
which I hold very dear, that I would not gladly do for the purpose
of helping to close the present controversy, and in closing it to
prevent the growth of one probably more complex and more
formidable.

This document, tempered, unrhetorical, almost dispassionate, was the
starting-point of proceedings that, after enormous difficulties had been
surmounted by patience and perseverance, working through his power in
parliament and his authority in the country, ended in final pacification
and a sound political settlement. It was Mr. Gladstone's statesmanship
that brought this pacification into sight and within reach.

The Queen was deeply struck both by the force of his arguments and the
earnest tone in which they were pressed. Though doubting whether there was
any strong desire for a change in the position of the House of Lords,
still she "did not shut her eyes to the possible gravity of the situation"
(Aug. 31). She seemed inclined to take some steps for ascertaining the
opinion of the leaders of opposition, with a view to inducing them to
modify their programme. The Duke of Richmond visited Balmoral (Sept. 13),
but when Mr. Gladstone, then himself on Deeside, heard what had passed in
the direction of compromise, he could only say, "Waste of breath!" To all
suggestions of a dissolution on the case in issue, Mr. Gladstone said to a
confidential emissary from Balmoral:--

Never will I be a party to dissolving in order to determine
whether the Lords or the Commons were right upon the Franchise
bill. If I have anything to do with dissolution, it will be a
dissolution upon organic change in the House of Lords. Should this