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F Jenkins Heliog Paris

HENRY BROADHURST, M.P.
THE STORT OF HIS LIFE FROM
A STONEMASON'S BENCH TO THE
TREASURY BENCH -^ ^

TOLD BY HIMSELF

AVITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
AUGUSTINE BIRRELL, K.C.

SECOND EDITION

London : HUTCHINSON ^ CO.
Paternoster Row t«» 1901

PRINTED BY
HAZELL, ¦WATSON, AND VINEY, LD.
LONDON AND AYLESBURY.

S^^A-.

Voo

INTRODUCTION

WHY Mr. Broadhurst, who has been both a
stonemason and an Under-Secretary of State,
should pitch upon me, who have never been either,
or done him any kind of injury, to write a wholly
unnecessary and therefore impertinent Introduction to
his sturdy Memoirs, would be beyond my power of
guessing, had I not often noticed the absurd timidity
of men who have reaped to the full all the advantages
of what is called an "imperfect" or "irregular"
education when they find themselves engaged in what
they conceive to be a literary enterprise. As this
timidity is often their only one, we may be thankful
for it. Yet it is absurd enough.
Here is Mr. Broadhurst, who stands foursquare
to all the winds that blow, who has earned his own
living ever since he was twelve years old, who got
married at nineteen, who knows all the mysteries of
the forge and has wrought in stone, who has faced
with ready wit and determined aspect every kind of
audience, big, little, and respectable, friendly, false,

iv 5ntro^uction
and furious, in almost every town in Great Britain,
who has defended his character from calumnious
assaults, frontal, side, and secret, who has drafted
reports, framed resolutions, considered amendments,
and made play with statistics, who has piloted Bills
through all their stages in the House of Commons,
who has spoken on innumerable occasions in that
difficult Assembly, both from the front benches and
the back, above the gangway and below it, who has
been greeted with every kind of cheer, not except
ing the ironical, who has known both failure and
success, what it is to win and what to lose an election,
to be in and out of Parliament — and yet when it
comes to the making of a little book, this hero of a
hundred fights, this tanned veteran, is as shy as a girl
at her first dinner party, trembles at the task he has
undertaken, and claims the aid of the first literary
gentleman he encounters in the lobby.
Hazlitt has written a famous essay " On the Shyness
of Scholars " ; an essay might be written " On the Shy
ness of Stonemasons when they commence Author." It
is a shyness perhaps not difficult to account for. To
a man who has learnt a regular trade, anything outside
it seems difficult. To despise the amateur is a sound,
healthy note of the skilled hand who has been taught,
peradventure with many kicks, both to learn and to
mind his own business.
So (after what rebuffs in other quarters I never

Jntrobuction v
cared to inquire), in what he took to be his necessities,
Mr. Broadhurst turned to me. It was in vain that
I assured him he needed no assistance either in the
preparation or revision of his own Memoirs. He
persisted that he did, and told me so often that,
though he could build a house, or the best parts of
one, he could not write a book, and depicted with
so much stormy eloquence the pitfalls and gins and
snares that beset (so he imagined) his path, that I
could not but place my poor services and hackneyed
experience at his disposal. I promised to do this,
and a promise is a promise when made in the lobby
of the House of Commons, even though its per
formance may make you ridiculous.
Of course, when it came to the point, my stipulated
services (save this Introduction) were not really re
quired. When Mr. Broadhurst left off bemoaning
his " imperfect " or " irregular " education, and sat
himself down to put his Memoirs together, he found
himself at no great disadvantage after all, and in
a space of time that would have brought no discredit
upon the nimblest-witted writer Fleet Street ever
bred, produced a manuscript which could hardly have
required less correction and revision had it been the
work of the most hardened of living biographers.
It is ungrateful to complain, as some may be heard
doing, of the multiplication of Memoirs ; for of all
the books that get themselves written in these bad

vi 3^ntrobuction
days. Memoirs are the most likely to contain some
thing worth reading, the least likely to be altogether
futile. The place where a man was born, the origins
and occupations of his parents, the kind of education
he managed to get, his friends and contemporaries, the
circumstances in which he first went out into the
world, and how he fared there — none of these
things can fail to be interesting. It is not Life that
is dull.
Mr. Broadhurst, for example, tells us in his first
paragraph that he was born at Littlemore, near
Oxford. What can be more delightfully unexpected
than Littlemore ? and in 1 840 ! During all Dr.
Newman's solemn years of retirement, when such
strange visitants, reserved for fates so varied as
J. A. Froude and Mark Pattison and the repulsed
Manning, came tapping at his door, the village lanes
resounded with the merry cries of the future Parlia
mentary Secretary of the Trades-Union Congress,
a body which records a movement certainly no less
significant than the one inseparably associated with
the name of the great Cardinal of Rome.
The chief significance of this Memoir is derived
from the fact that hitherto in England we have
had but if^ politicians who have found their way
to the Treasury Bench from a poor man's cottage.
There is a considerable sameness in the early histories
of even Under-Secretaries of State. They are apt

Jntto&uction vii
to come from the same places and to display a tedious
similarity of characteristic. Sometimes reports reach
the outer world of an Eton dinner, where Prime
Ministers past, present, and future sit cheek by jowl,
Bishops jest agreeably with Field-Marshals, Governors-
General of India and Canada exchange confidences
of a kind never likely to be published by the
indiscreetest of widows, Secretaries of State, old
Parliamentary hacks, palm off upon Ambassadors,
past-masters in the art of polite inattention, narratives
to which the House of Commons has long learnt
to turn its deafest ear, and all alike gaze with boyish
rapture upon each other's garters, stars, and ribbons.
At the given signal they rise in their places, clink their
glasses, and cry as one man, " Floreat Etona ! " How
hard they strive to believe that they owe it all to Eton !
It is an affecting scene, even when read about in a
copyright report. Gratitude to an ancient foundation
of learning, be it school or college, Is always pleasing,
and for my part I greatly prefer Johnson's filial regard
for Pembroke to Gibbon's contempt for Magdalen ;
though if it were a question of rational basis, it could
hardly be disputed that the historian had more reason
for his contempt than the moralist for his affection.
But in the matter of the Eton dinner, those who
stand outside in the raw air, blowing down their
fingers to keep them warm, would scarcely be doing
justice to whatever education they have picked up

viii Jntro&uctton
elsewhere if they did not take occasion to point out
that perhaps the majority of these well-decorated
guests owe their careers and their pleasant (if they are
pleasant) places in the sun, not to their old school,
famous as she is, but to the fact that they belong
(nor are they to be blamed for doing so) to the classes
of society from ranks of which the occupants of such
offices and posts as theirs have been of necessity
selected. Mr.' Broadhurst has done something to break this
monotony. He was not at Eton nor at Christ
Church, though his acquaintance with the latter seat
of instruction was at one time extensive, peculiar, and
lofty (see p. 8). This imparts zest and novelty to
the pages of the Memoir.
Mr. Broadhurst's entirely honest account of his
early education will hardly excite the approbation of
that solemn body the National Union of Teachers,
who see all things in the desk and the primer. In
the frankness of his aversion to his studies, his aloof
ness from his masters, his unfeigned delight in bidding
them a long farewell at the scandalous age of twelve,
his passion, still strong in him, for the open air,
and for all such sports and pastimes as are open in
" Merry England " to the sons of the cottager, the
youthful Broadhurst would have made, had his lot
been different, a first-rate public school boy. But,
indeed, of Englishmen it may be said generally that

Jntro&uction ix
they are all woven strangely of the same piece. "Were
I not a game-preserver, I must have been a poacher,"
said the old squire, in tones of sorrowful conviction.
In most of our Toryism there is a strong dash of
the Radical, and most of our Radicals are well-
bottomed in Conservatism. The task of our poor
teachers is indeed stupendous.
Of the animated and useful part Mr. Broadhurst
has played, for thirty years in what are called Labour
questions, a brief, modest, and somewhat too im
personal account will be found in the following pages.
He was fortunate in the hour of his birth, and has
been able to see the law as to workmen's combina
tions, conspiracy, and employers' liability placed
upon a firm, just, and, on the whole, rational basis.
Seldom has such rapid progress been made so peacefully
in matters so dangerously charged and stuffed to the
mouth with class prejudice and angry passions. If
there are any fine gentlemen left who sneer at the
extension of the suffrage and " Beales, M.A.," and
are not yet alive to the probable horrors the gift
of the vote averted, their attention may be called
to the questions they will find considered in this
Memoir. Mr. Broadhurst has most usefully devoted a
generous and well-informed page to the position,
often hard, always dangerous, of the Labour Member
in the House of Commons. Here he has his hand
b

X 5ntrobuction
on the very pulse of the machine. In that direction
lies the future of representative institutions in
England. The path is not yet clearly defined, it
cannot be seen climbing the distant hills — obviously
it must traverse a difficult and confused tract of
country ; but that it will lead to a place of honour
and safety It were cowardice to doubt ; and it is
as a forerunner that Mr. Broadhurst will be best
remembered, and his Memoir, frank and good-
tempered, be longest read.
A. B.

CONTENTS

PAGE
A FOREWORD  i
CHAPTER I
BLACKSMITH'S FORGE AND STONEMASON'S BENCH 3
CHAPTER II
"IN JOURNEYINGS OFTEN"  II
CHAPTER III
EARLY DAYS IN LONDON . . ... .28
CHAPTER IV
MY POLITICAL CAREER BEGINS .... 59
CHAPTER V
ON THE THRESHOLD OF PARLIAMENT . . . 70
CHAPTER VI
WITHIN THE PRECINCTS  94
CHAPTER VII
A CHAPTER OF REFORMS  HO
xi

xii Contents
CHAPTER VIII PAGE
THE PROGRESS OF LABOUR QUESTIONS . . .124
CHAPTER IX
MY VISIT TO SANDRINGHAM  142
CHAPTER X
THE 1885 CAMPAIGN  158
CHAPTER XI
I REACH THE TREASURY BENCH . . . . 187
CHAPTER XII
IN TROUBLED WATERS  21 3
CHAPTER Xm
A SOJOURN IN THE DESERT  249
CHAPTER XIV
ELECTIONS AND ELECTIONEERING . . . .262
CHAPTER XV
LABOUR MEMBERS IN PARLIAMENT. . . . 286

CHAPTER XVI
MEN I HAVE KNOWN

INDEX

294
313

A FOREWORD
MANY friends whose opinions on many questions
I value have from time to time urged me to
commit to writing some experiences of my life. After
many appeals to do so I commenced the task, only
to abandon it on the ground that the mistaken zeal
of friendship had prompted me to an act of folly
and presumption. But during the last few years
I have received numerous applications from divergent
quarters in Great Britain, and from persons outside
the United Kingdom, for notices of my career. And
these repeated applications have reawakened the Idea
of giving my life's story as a whole and In fairly
consecutive order, rather than in piecemeal articles.
It is a risky undertaking, and I must, with others
who have gone before me, prepare myself for the
consequences of my rashness. Diaries, memoranda, and
the like have not been in my line, and I must there
fore rely upon a fairly good memory, together with
such aid as I can gather from reports and other
printed documents concerning matters with which I
have been associated In later years. Let me at once
assure my readers that I never had a way marked out
In my own mind. I have gone from point to point
I

2 H 3Forewor&
as circumstances seemed to require me. " One step's
enough for me," as Cardinal Newman sang. I am
not conscious of ever having a goal for my ambition —
that is, If I have at any time possessed an ambition. I
have never burnt the midnight oil considering my next
move. Each succeeding morning I have done the work
nearest to hand. On the Saturday in November, 1872,
when I had done my last day's work as a stonemason,
I should have thought the man beside himself who
had then ventured to tell me that It was my farewell
to my trade. I left the firm which then employed
me, fuUy Intending to obtain employment In some
other firm the following week. That Is now twenty-
eight years back, and I have not yet sought the other
firm. Even at this distance of time I constantly
dream that I am working at my trade, and the sudden
awakening to reality dispels the delusion almost with
a shock. I still keep sufficient of my tools to make
another start, though I fear I should not be a first-
rate hand at It were I to try. Whatever positions
I have occupied, I have blundered Into them or
stumbled upon them without thought or premeditation.
With these explanations and apologies to those who
may care to read these pages, I commit myself to
the tender mercies and Indulgence of the public.

HENRY BROADHURST

CHAPTER I
BLACKSMITH'S FORGE AND STONEMASON'S BENCH
I WAS born in the parish of Littlemore, near the
city of Oxford, in the month of April, 1 840. My
father was a journeyman stonemason with a large
family, of which I made the eleventh or twelfth member.
Our cottage, which stood some distance from the
village, was the largest of a group of three, the two
smaller lying at the back after the style of an old-
fashioned pIgeon-cote. In the dark and dreary months
of winter, stoats, weasels, and field-mice abounded In
the surrounding fields, and my earliest recollections are
full of the keen delight which we children took In
the untrammelled life of the fields and orchards and
brooks. Chief among our pastimes we reckoned a
hedgehog hunt, In which we felt a keener zest because
of the reward gained from the sale of Its quills.
Money was scarce enough to make such considerations
of value, for the wages of a journeyman stonemason
at that time varied from twenty to twenty-four

4 Ibents Broabburst
shillings a week during nine or ten months of the
year, while the remainder were spent In enforced idle
ness. Yet, despite the narrowness and privations of
the life, I loved my home and the rough, free existence,
spent largely in the open air, working In the garden
and tending the pigs.
No life Is without its drawbacks, and Into mine came
the Inevitable and irksome restraint of education. I
was sent to a private school, and for the fee of sixpence
a week I received plenty of teaching combined with
plenty of stick. The schoolmaster doubtless possessed
an excellent capacity to teach, but my capacity to learn
was by no means equally large. We held divergent
views In the matter of spelling, and when a controversy
arose, I as the weaker naturally went to the wall,
and the man with the cane triumphed. Happily, my
services were frequently needed at home, and about
the age of twelve I finally escaped the taskmaster and
was able to apply myself to more congenial pursuits.
These pursuits possessed at least the advantage of
variety. When I could be spared from the garden and
other work at home I was employed on casual jobs —
anything that brought recompense was welcome :
digging neighbours' gardens, carrying messages, tend
ing pigs on stubble land after harvest — all was grist
that came to the mill. Gleaning was a special delight,
and the united efforts of our family In the harvest-field
would sometimes result In several bushels of wheat,
barley, and beans. In the fruit season we used to
take the garden produce to market in Oxford, and if

3Blacftsmitb's jfotge anb Stonemason's Bencb 5
prices proved good our reward took the shape of a
dainty called " short cakes " and a little extra sugar —
then costing eightpence and tenpence a pound. This
meant a little jam for the winter, and for present
enjoyment a fruit pudding or apple dumplings.
My first regular employment was In a blacksmith's
shop. Life In the forge I found full of new delights.
Blowing the bellows, taking the horses home after
shoeing, wielding the heavy hammer while the smith
fashioned the shoe with the smaller one, cutting threads
on bolts and nuts, all interested me hugely. I felt
myself a person of Importance. The blacksmith
himself was no inconsiderable person, under the shade
of his spreading sycamore. His opinion on all kinds
of subjects was eagerly sought by all sorts and con
ditions of people. In the village club he was a person
to be reckoned with ; at the village feast, bedecked with
blue and white ribbons Interwoven and festooned, he
would proudly bear aloft one of the banners. Big,
brawny, and sober, no one dare take liberties with
him, but all esteemed him highly. My father, as
a chapel-goer, did not believe In the frivolity of village
feasts, and therefore wore no ribbons ; nor were clubs
more to his Uking. What wonder then that I, a
hero-worshipper like all boys, should set up the black
smith on my shrine as the ideal man, with his great
frame neatly clothed In black, shoddy coat, and smart
trousers somewhere about six Inches too long, and
rolled up over the boots to show the bright yellow
calico lining.

6 ibenrs Broabburst
But I was not allowed to worship my hero long.
The time came for me, as It had come for my brothers
before me, to learn my father's craft. Reluctantly I
bade farewell to the forge and the fields, where I
had found many friends among the beasts and birds
and living things. My work In the forge had
lengthened my limbs and hardened my muscles till
I was In a physical condition to meet the demands
of any employment. I had by this time reached
the age of thirteen, and was big, strong, and active
beyond my years.
My father's employers gave permission for me
to enter the shop as a beginner, and thus opened
out the new and broader life of a stonemason. As
the youngest employee many duties besides the
acquisition of a knowledge of my trade fell to
my lot. At eight o'clock in the morning I had
to see that hot tea and coffee were ready for thirty
or forty men. Then at ten I must start on my tour
of " the shop " to see how many pints of beer would
be wanted at eleven, and this task had to be repeated
at three o'clock. There were plenty of public-houses
close at hand, but I must fetch the beer from one
nearly a mile away, because the landlord was foreman
of the yard — a position invested with large authority.
Therefore the duty of fetching the beer meant a
long trudge twice a day for me. If a man did not
drink beer he was regarded by his fellows as a muff
or a " Ranter." Such men were, however, the
exceptions. Most of us found It advisable to obtain

Blacftsmltb's fovQC an5 Stonemason's Bencb 7
our Saturday night and Sunday beer at the same
house, so that the foreman must have found the
custom from the shop a profitable affair. Such
circumstances would be hard to find to-day ; the
trades-unions have changed all that, as well as the
once common practice of paying wages In the public-
house, which has now been made illegal.
About this time the second cholera epidemic
broke out In England. Oxford did not escape
the contagion, and our shop, being situated in a poor
district by the river-slde, became the centre of the
plague's ravages. I can vividly recall the scenes
of terrible wretchedness that took place round about
the wharf where we were at work, as victim after
victim was brought out of the houses by the plague
authorities, and carried away to the temporary hospital
on the outskirts of the town. Strangely enough,
these scenes Inspired me with no terror, and every
day my father and I walked through the midst
of the plague-stricken district to the scene of our
labour. Amid such conditions I speedily passed
through the stage of initiation Into the stonemason's
craft. My experience of those days convinces me
that most lads will learn their father's trade quicker
than any other ; while a father naturally Interests
himself more In the advancement of his son than
in that of one who Is not related to him.
I continued to work in and about Oxford for two
or three years, chiefly occupied In repairing and en
larging churches and colleges. I must turn aside

8 Ibenrg Broa&burst
here to tell an amusing Incident which occurred many
years afterwards In connection with the university city.
Some time after I had entered Parliament I remember
having a conversation with dear old Sir John Mowbray,
who represented Oxford from 1868 until his death
In 1899. Our talk ran on the university, and on his
remarking that I seemed to have a good deal of know
ledge about the various colleges, I informed him that
I had been at Christ Church. I shall never forget the
look of bewildered Incredulity that passed over his
benevolent countenance, pain mingling with pity at
the thought that I was trying to delude him Into
a belief that I had been a student at " The House."
His relief was Instantaneous and perceptible when I
gently explained that my connection with Christ
Church College was confined to the roof, where I had
assisted In fixing a number of new chimney-pots.
I conceived a great affection for the old city which
I have never lost. Its grey walls and ancient build
ings were always a source of delight, and I would
gaze with awe and wonderment at the great men In
their caps and gowns as they paced the quiet quad
rangles and the broad walks of the college gardens.
An Incident which occurred during this period
strongly Impressed my mind with the necessity of some
kind of technical Instruction. I obtained employment
at Wheatley, some half-dozen miles from Oxford, where
a new church was being built. By this time I had
become fairly competent at my work, and greatly liked
It. The first task set me was to work a huge block

Blacftsmltb's jfotae anb Stonemason's Bencb 9
of stone, weighing probably a ton or more. Into a base
to carry one of the columns of the church. The
design was a square tapering to an octagon and finish
ing with a circle. The square and the circle offered
no difficulties, but how to obtain eight equal sides
was utterly beyond my comprehension. To add
to my distress my work lay at some distance from
the men in the shop, and I was under the constant
surveillance of a hard-hearted and uncouth foreman.
I only realised my difficulty between the breakfast-
and dinner-hours, so that I could obtain no assistance
from my mates. My perplexity reached the height
of distress. I knew the foreman was no friend of
my father, and therefore would give me but a short
shrift If he found me In such a dilemma. I was
also fully alive to the fact that if I took an undue
time over the task my wages would suffer at the
end of the week. How I prayed for the dinner-hour
as the weary hours dragged by ! But all things have
an end, and at last my opportunity came. The
persuasive power contained in a pint of beer soon
induced one of the masons to describe the procedure,
which I realised in an Instant, with amazement that I
had not intuitively discovered the simple process for
myself. While on this point I may digress a moment in
order to point out how different was the treatment
meted out to a youth In the workyard In those days.
Generally the language and manner of the men were
coarse and brutal in the extreme. The man was never

IO ibenrs Broabburst
recognised in the boy, who was regarded as created
for the sole purpose of ministering to the fancies of
his elders ; any lack of ready obedience brought down
upon the victim's head a storm of abuse, not un
frequently accompanied by more substantial admonitions
in the shape of kicks and cuffs.

CHAPTER II
"//V JOURNEYINGS OFTEN"
WITH the completion of the church at Wheatley
began what I may call the third phase of
my life. As every student of political economy Is
aware, there Is a certain percentage of the Industrial
life of the nation which must be migratory In character
by force of circumstances. Just as when you look
into a kaleidoscope, after taking your fill of one pattern
you give the Instrument a turn, and the pieces of
glass fall away Into new positions, some scarcely
moving, others covering a wide area before they find
a fitting resting-place, — so in the sphere of labour the
changes and chances of commercial life and the caprices
of fashion keep a large army of working men In a
state of motion, sometimes over short distances, some
times from the southern counties to the western, or
the eastern to the northern. Few men escape this
experience ; my turn now arrived, and for five years
I was like Cain, a wanderer on the face of the earth.
As I have said, the church at Wheatley was nearing
completion, and the discharge of the hands In the
mason's yard began. My turn soon came, and I found
myself — a hobbledehoy — out of employment. All my

12 ibenrp Broabburst
endeavours to get work In Oxford and the surround
ing district failed. Business was slack, and masons
were a drug In the market. So, as It happened In
Robinson Crusoe's case, " my head began to be filled
with rambling thoughts." I quickly made my decision
to seek my fortune farther afield, and from that
moment I never again permanently resided under my
parents' roof. I started on my venture into this
new life one Monday morning with high hopes and
a cheerful countenance. The night before my foot
had kicked against something In the pathway, and a
patient search In the blackness of a pitch-dark night
had been rewarded by the discovery of a rough purse
full of coppers. I took this treasure-trove for a
happy omen ; and. Indeed, before the end of the
week I had found employment In the town of
Buckingham. My life there, and subsequently at
Banbury and In Bedfordshire, where I stayed nearly a
year, passed uneventfully In the exercise of my trade.
About this period I paid my first visit to the
Metropolis, where I found employment for a short
time in the firm of George Myers & Son. Like all
country-bred lads, I was astounded at the life and
movement of London. The teeming masses of humanity
rushing In all directions, bent, as it appeared to me,
on getting clear of their neighbours, yet never succeed
ing In shaking off thfeir pursuers, the roar of the
streets, the glare of the lamps at night-time. Inspired
in me a curious mingling of fascination and distaste.
The same conditions were reproduced In the workshop.

"5n Jonrnesings ©ften" 13
Above, below, and around me machines throbbed and
whirled ceaselessly. The homely surroundings and
social Interests of country life had no existence here :
life seemed a new thing, almost unearthly. I began
to long for the sunlight on the quiet fields, the green
hedgerows, and the music of the woods. Even the
Houses of Parliament, with the great Clock Tower,
my chief delight, could not compensate for the absence
of the joys of rural life. A month's stay In modern
Babylon was quite sufficient for me, and, gasping like
a fish out of water, I set my face towards the open
country. After a week's wandering I found employment
at a country house near Pangbourne, In Berkshire,
a most delightful spot. The beauty of these new
surroundings, and their contrast to the close air and
grimy streets of London, inspired me with a strong
desire to make a long stay here. Unfortunately, the
work I was engaged upon was soon completed, and
in a short time I found myself back In London. My
return route lay through Reading and Windsor, and
as I possessed a little money I made the journey
by easy stages. In those days railway fares were
much higher, and most working men, even though
they had the means, regarded travelling by rail as
an expensive luxury, only to be Indulged In by the
lazy and foolish.
On my arrival In London I found that a firm
of builders, Lucas Brothers, were In want of masons
at Lowestoft, and that they were paying the passage

14 fbaxt^ Broabburst
by sea to Great Yarmouth of employees engaged in
London. Here was a chance offered which just
suited me. I had never seen the sea, much less
sailed upon Its heaving breast. Accordingly, I found
myself aboard a crazy old tub of a steamer pounding
heavily down the Thames. Besides ordinary passengers,
I found a number of other masons bound on the same
errand as myself. In such company the day and
night passed rapidly and jovially, and so liberally
did I contribute my quota of the entertainment
that when the steamer reached Great Yarmouth I
had not a halfpenny to bless myself with. My
companions were In no better case, so we had perforce
to tramp to Lowestoft, though this proved less of
a hardship than we expected, as the distance turned
out to be only ten miles.
After a stay of a few months I left the coast and
found my way to Norwich, little suspecting that
my wanderings were to cease for some six years.
My employer was a Mr. Lloyd, who had a thriving
business In church erection and renovation and
also In gravestones. He was a splendid master, and
a bit of a character In his way. He insisted upon
thorough accuracy and finish in all work done for
him, with the natural consequence that In his " shops "
was displayed some of the finest mason's work I
have ever seen. I well remember my first conversa
tion with him. I had asked him, as Is usual In the
trade, If he were in want of hands. He asked me
what I was, and I replied, " A mason." Turning a

**3n Journesings ©ften" is
keen and searching glance on me, he suddenly rapped
out In a grating voice, " Are you a mason, or only
a man calling yourself a mason ? " Somewhat taken
aback, I assured him that I had gained my livelihood
as a worker In stone for some years ; and after a
few moments' consideration he consented to give me
a trial. Apparently he found his starthng question
satisfactorily answered by the manner In which I
handled the chisel, for after eight hours' work he
readily complied with my request for an advance
of half a sovereign (two and a half days' wages), of
which I stood in sore need.
In Mr. Lloyd's " shop " I spent some of the happiest
days of my life. The wages were only twenty-four
shillings a week of sixty hours. If you were late in
the morning you forfeited a quarter of a day's pay,
not, as is now the case, simply half an hour's or an
hour's wages, according to the time lost. On the other
hand, there were many compensations. Frequently I
have taken a half-holiday without any deduction of
wages, and as frequently I gave a few hours' work
late at night or early in the morning without putting
It down as overtime. It was a give-and-take system,
and I am not far wrong In saying that I took a
great deal more than I gave, though always with
Mr. Lloyd's approval. I remember one autumn
being in his yard six weeks without doing a stroke
of really profitable work. Twice during that period
I gave notice to leave, promising to return when work
was found for me, but on neither occasion would my

1 6 ibenrg Btoabburst
generous employer listen to my request. Fortunately,
when matters were beginning to look desperate orders
came In, enabling me to make up for the period of
inaction. A particular feature of this firm was the friendly
and Indeed famUiar relations of master and men.
Mr. Lloyd was In special request for small repairs
and rectifications in churches and country houses,
which could only be carried out by a mason. Con
sequently, we were often obliged to drive a long
distance to the scene of our labours. Many a score
of miles did I travel with Mr. Lloyd in his little
trap on such journeys, taking our lunch together In
roadside Inns and enjoying our pipes while the pony
was baited. Pleasant times were these. Jack was as
good as his master, and his master scorned to be
better than Jack. Times have changed since then, and
manners with them. The struggle for a living wage
has put an end to the friendly relations often sub
sisting between employer and workman, and to-day I
fear it would require a long and exhaustive search to
discover such conditions of employment as I have
described. During a period of terrible depression in trade — I
think It must have been the winter of 1858-9 — I left
the city of Norwich In search of work on what proved
to be a disastrous journey. My time of setting out
was not well chosen, but necessity knows no law. I
started about the middle of December, only to return
after nearly four months' absence, during which I

'*3n Joumesings ©ften" i?
tramped about twelve hundred miles without suc
ceeding in finding a single day's work. I directed my
steps in a southerly direction, making Southampton and
Portsmouth my goal. My reason for steering In that
direction was that I had heard of the construction of
the Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley, and that many
hundreds of masons had found employment on the
works. Unfortunately for me, the same Idea had
attracted many others out of work by reason of the
slackness of trade, and I found the road swarming
with men imbued with the hope of finding employment
on the Government buildings. Alike In our hopes, we
were also destined to be alike In our disappointment.
When I arrived, footsore and weary, at Portsmouth,
my boots refused to be held together any longer by
string, or any other device of the mechanical mind,
and utterly collapsed — like the famous " One-hoss
Shay." The hard and flinty southern roads had done
their work, and through the holes In the leather the
stony ¦ places had Inflicted wounds and sores on my
feet. Faint, weary, with spirit broken, I knew not
where to turn. Happily, In my hour of need I met
some good Samaritans. They were fellow-masons who,
tired of the weary search for non-existent work, had
enlisted in the Militia Battalion of the Cheshire
Regiment, called out for service at Portsmouth to
replace the regular battalions decimated in the terrible
Crimean War. Tolerably well fed, warmly clothed,
and securely housed, these militiamen appeared the
picture of prosperity and happiness.

18 1benri5 :teroabburst
They lent a ready ear to my necessities, and at
their suggestion I entered my name on the sick-list
of my trades-union, and obtained a week's lodging
In Its headquarters In that town. My militia friends
generously guaranteed to provide me with food during
that period. Accordingly, they proposed to their
comrades in barracks that they should be allowed to
introduce an old chum, fallen on evil tiraes, to the
mess, that he might share the bounties provided by
the garrison commissariat. Tommy Atkins, true to
his traditional character for good fellowship, agreed
to the proposal with acclamation. I was at once
installed In barracks, and, so far as meals were con
cerned, became a private In the Cheshire Mllltia,
Discipline, especially in the militia, was much slacker
in those days, and I had no difficulty In eluding the
notice of the sergeants. For the time being I lived,
as it seemed to me, like a lord, while the accumulation
of my sick-pay (ten shillings a week) meant the possi
bility of new boots. With such a contrast as was
afforded by my past destitution and misery and my
present plenty and comfort, It was little wonder that
the service of " the Widow at Windsor " presented an
alluring prospect. Moreover, just at this time two
of my militia friends were transferred, at their own
request, to the Royal Engineers. The bounty received
for this transaction was temptingly large. I resolved
to don the scarlet tunic, and accordingly presented
myself to the recruiting officer. But for some reason
or other her Majesty was at the time not anxious to

*'^n Joutnesings ©ften" 19
avail herself of my services— I believe my height
was below the standard ; so I was obliged to content
myself with joining In the high jinks which accom
panied the spending of the bounty received by my
two friends.
Restored In health and spirits, not to mention shoe-
leather, by my week's rest, I set out again on the
tramp. I was at all times a good pedestrian, and I
felt so full of life and vigour that I resolved to walk
to Brighton in one day. The distance to be traversed
was about fifty miles, and I had no misgivings about
my power to accomplish It. But the fates were against
me. I started from Portsmouth on a bright, wintry
morning, the air keen with frost ; but before the lapse
of an hour I walked into a storm of rain, which
Increased as the hours went on, until long before I
reached Arundel I had not a dry thread on my body.
Dragged down by the weight of my soaking clothes,
the water squelching out of my boots at every step,
I was only too glad to call a halt for the night at
Arundel. I soon had reason to wish myself back
In barracks, for the hostelry at which my slender re
sources permitted me to stay was not distinguished
by Its comforts, lacking especially a respectable fire
to restore warmth to my rain-chilled frame and to
dry ray clothes. In fact, next morning, when I rose
to resume my journey, some of my garments were
alraost as wet as when I took them off the night
before. The rain had ceased In the night, and the
damp weather had given place to frost. Welcome

20 Ibenri? Broabburst
as this keen, sparkling air was to a pedestrian, I soon
discovered Its disadvantages ; for before I had covered
two miles of my day's journey every stitch of clothing
I was wearing became as stiff as a board. So far as
comfort went, I might as well have been arrayed in
Greatheart's suit of mail.
Notwithstanding ray Irapeding clothes, I made
good progress, and arrived in Brighton at an early hour.
A brew of hot tea and a chop sent me to bed in a
happy frame of mind, believing my troubles were over,
for the frost had every appearance of holding. When
morning arrived I found I had reckoned without my
host. The frost, gripping my sodden boots, had turned
the leather to the consistency of cast iron. With great
difficulty I got them on ; but when I came to walk, their
unyielding surface chafed my feet sorely, reopening the
wounds which had aU but healed. Walking under
these circumstances keenly tormented me ; but in spite
of all I managed to cover the ground between Brighton
and Tunbridge Wells in ten hours. The next day I
walked Into London ; lame and well-nigh exhausted, I
thought the long New and Old Kent Roads would
never come to an end, while Westminster Bridge
appeared to my leaden limbs like a little mountain. I
crawled past the Houses of Parliament, little thinking
that their corridors and lobbies should one day become
as familiar to me as any place on earth, until In
Johnson Street, Westminster, I hailed with delight the
masons' club-house, where I was entitled to four days'
and nights' rest and the sum of one shilling per day.

"5n Journegfngs ©ften" 21
I remained the prescribed period In London, and then,
having been totally unsuccessful in ray search for work, I
once again set out upon the high-roads, and by devious
routes found my way back to Norwich. As I have
said above, rriy tramp had lasted nearly four months, a
time of rauch suffering and considerable privations, and
totally unrewarded by any work.
I think my readers would be Interested If I turned
aside for a moment to describe the conditions under
which such a long tramp was possible to a man with
scarcely any means. Before I started on this un
fortunate journey I had been out of work for a week
or two, so that my entire capital amounted to less
than ten shillings, and I finished the tour with the
sum of sixpence in my pocket. At no time during
my progress did I possess more than ten shillings, and
on many occasions I was without even a penny. My
trades-union had rellevlng-statlons in nearly every
town, generally situated In one of the smaller public-
houses. Two of the local masons are appointed to
act as rellevlng-officer and bed-Inspector. The duty
of the latter is to see that the beds are kept clean,
In good condition, and well aired, and the accommoda
tion Is much better than might be expected. When
a mason on tramp enters a town, he finds his way
to the rellevlng-officer and presents his card. On
this card Is written the applicant's name and last
permanent address. In addition he carries a printed
ticket bearing the stamp of the last lodge at which
the traveller received relief. He is entitled to receive

22 ibenrs Broabburst
a relief allowance of one shilling for twenty miles
and threepence for every additional ten miles traversed
since his last receipt of relief money. Thus, if fifty
miles have been covered the man receives one-and-
nlnepence. In addition he Is allowed sleeping accom
modation for at least one night, and If the town where
the station is situated Is of considerable size, he Is
entitled to two or three nights' lodging. Besides a
good bed, the proprietor of the official quarters Is
bound to furnish cutlery, crockery, and kitchen con
veniences for each traveller, so that the relief money
can all be spent on food. There is also no temptation
to spend the small sum received on intoxicating drink,
unless its reclpent chooses to do so. The system Is
so perfect that It is a very rare occurrence for an im
postor to succeed In cheating the union. Unfortunately,
the stations did not exist everywhere, and when they
were separated by forty or fifty miles — not a rare
occurrence In the southern counties — the traveller's
life became a hard one. I have frequently had to
provide supper, bed, and breakfast on less than a
shilling, so It raay be readily imagined that my resting-
places were never luxurious hotels. When I look
back to those days, and compare my condition and
surroundings with the present time, it Is like a peep
into the Dark Ages. During the whole of that tramp,
and over all those hundreds of railes, I do not re
member more than one occasion upon which I got
a lift on the road. Even an ordinary drayman little
cares to pick up for ever so short a distance any

"3n 5ournestngs ©ften" 23
person having the appearance which I presented at
that period. But this was my last big tramp, and
It was the longest lapse from employment that I
have ever experienced In my life.
The hardships of these journeys In search of work
were sometimes lightened In a less official manner.
Members of ray trade were always ready to relieve
to the best of their power a distressed mason,
provided he could prove his hna fides. The system
worked something after this fashion. A man In search
of employment, If a member of the trade society,
always carried his card of membership In his pocket.
As he went along he gathered the names and places,
between town and town, where work was going on.
It might be a public institution like an asylum, prison,
or workhouse, or it raight be a village church or
a country mansion. The practice was to make
one's way to these on the chance of obtaining work.
If, however, no hands were wanted, a friendly gossip
would ensue with one or more of the men In the shop.
If there was a society man amongst them, he would
ask whether you had your " card," and if this was
produced it was an established custom for him to
endeavour to collect what he could to assist you on
your way. If it was nearing night-time, one or other
of the masons would, in addition to the collection,
offer you accommodation for the night, and send you
off In the morning with such addition as his raeans or
his raind might Incline hira to add to your possessions.
Of course, If there was a rellevlng-statlon at hand

24 fbcnvs Broabburst
the official lodging-house would be your sleeping-place,
except In the frequent Instances where you would
meet an old shopmate, who would insist upon your
sharing his sleeping-quarters and sitting at his more
liberally provided board. The probability was that
you had previously offered the same hospitality to
him or to some Intimate friend under similar circum
stances, or that you would be called upon to do so
at a future time.
In the course of ray wanderings I fell In with many
men bent on the same search as rayself, though be
longing to different trades. Soraetiraes It would be
a bricklayer, soraetiraes a tanner, and soraetiraes an
engineer. If our goal was the same town or village,
we would journey together as long as our ways lay
in common. Whatever our callings might be, the
member of the party who had met any luck seldom
failed to publish the fact ; and on several occasions I
have either received or provided a homely but welcome
meal. The old saying, " The best friends of the
poor are the poor," was exemplified in my experience.
I have a vivid recollection of reaching a town within
fifty miles of London one cold Christmas Eve. I had
a shilling to draw and two beds — i.e., two nights'
lodging — to ray credit, besides an extra shilling for
Christmas Day. My pockets were entirely innocent of
coin, so that I was obliged to exercise great frugality.
Accordingly, I hit upon the obvious expedient of taking
ray Christmas cheer in a lump, combining dinner, tea,
and supper in one meal. But the landlady of the Inn —

"5n 5ournesfngs ©ften" 25
good soul ! — would have none of it. Nothing would
satisfy her but that I should freely share In the good
things of her own table. Many a time have I wished
to meet again this kindly hostess who turned my
semi-starvation into a feast of fat things.
The larger part of the next two or three years,
until I became a permanent resident in the Empire
City, I spent in Norwich. The intervals, when
slackness of trade drove me forth, were passed entirely
In the Eastern Counties, in Beccles, Ipswich, and
Colchester. The first employment I obtained after
my weary tramp cost rae a palnfiil experience. I
was employed upon some stone steps worked out of
what Is called " Rag Portland." This Is a rough
stone full of little shells with knife-like edges. From
long disuse of the chisel my hands had grown so soft and
delicate that almost directly I set to work they becarae
a raass of blisters, which quite disabled .rae for two
or three days. With ray straitened raeans a long
rest raeant starvation ; so I had recourse to drastic
treatment. First I dissolved a quantity of salt In
warm water, and then, having pierced the blisters with
a large needle, I held my hands in the water until the
salt had soaked well Into the wounds. A constant
repetition of this treatment rendered me fit to resume
work at the end of two days. After sorae un
important changes, I obtained employment In the firm
of Lucas Brothers, reraaining with them until my
removal to London.
From the very first I took a great liking for

26 fbenri? Broabburst
Norwich, which the lapse of time did not diminish —
in fact, I believe that had there been a wider choice of
employment I should have settled down for life under
the shadow of the cathedral. I found much solace
and delight In the surrounding country ; In particular
the village of Thorpe appealed to me with ever fresh
charms. I have always regarded It as the prettiest
village in the country. The charming old church, the
red-tiled houses, the green slopes running down to the
river's edge, backed by high, wooded land, with
Whitlingham In the foreground, all combine to produce
a scene of exquisite peacefulness and beauty. Even
to-day, after the lapse of forty years, I can never
pass the view without renewed admiration.
During this long stay at Norwich the American
Civil War was in progress. Arald the strong feeling
of sympathy with the Confederates then prevailing in
England, I well remember the power and energy
with which Mr. Jacob Henry Tillett championed the
cause of the Northern States In the columns of The
Norfolk News. In later years I becarae personally
acquainted with Mr, Tillett, and for a time we sat
together in the House of Commons, enjoying frequent
talks of old days in Norwich and the Eastern Counties.
A notable feature In the religious life of the city
was the sixty minutes' afternoon service in St. Andrew's
Hall, conducted by the Rev. Thomas Wheeler. Mr.
Wheeler was a natural orator, possessing in a remarkable
degree the ability to tell quaint and effective stories
to Illustrate his subject. I have never met another

"5n 5ournei3ings ©ften" 27
man possessing such skill In enchaining the attention
of an audience of children, a feat not over easy to
compass. At this time I lived every hour of my life ; I do
not think the wealthiest or most exalted person in
the land obtained half the joy frora raere existence
that I did.

CHAPTER III
EARLY DAYS IN LONDON
I THINK It was In 1865 that I removed to
London. I quickly found work In a firm of
sculptors. Farmer & Brindley. They were then engaged
on the carving work In the block of Government
offices adjoining Downing Street. I do not mean
to Imply that my engagement with this firra meant
that I was in any sense competent to do carving
work. My duty was to chisel down the rough
blocks of stone as they were fitted In the building
until they assumed the roughest outline of the Intended
decoration. Then the carver took up the work,
shaping the stone in accordance with the artistic
design until the finishing touches were given. The
branch of masonry on which my energies were em
ployed Is called in the trade " roughlng-out," and
was a higher class of work than I had hitherto
experienced. Masons engaged on this kind of work
received a halfpenny or a penny per hour raore than
the wages paid for the raechanlcal labour in the
workshop, besides other little advantages of no interest
to the public. Spurred by an arabltion to Iraprove
ray prospects, I conceived the Idea of myself becoming
28

JEarl^ H)ags in 3Lonbon 29
a carver, and to this Intent I bought some cheap
books containing sketches of ornamental work in
foliage and the like on one page, with a blank sheet
opposite for copying. The study Interested me
greatly, and for some time I persevered in my Inten
tion ; but ultimately I grew tired of the work, which
Involved considerable exposure to the weather, for
nearly all the carving had to be done upon the building
Itself, and not In the workshop.
The last straw, however, which led to my final
resolution not to continue In this branch of the trade
was ray eraployraent on the Houses of Parliament.
For a considerable interval I had been working In the
" shop " of ray old eraployers, George Myers & Sons,
who were carrying out some decorative work on the
Guildhall. Tempted by the superior rate of payment
I returned to " roughlng-out " under Mr. Herp, who
had received the contract for the carving work on
the Clock Tower and the new corridor which joined
It to the raain buildings of the Houses of Parliament.
The time of year was Noveraber, and the north-east
wind blowing up the river made my task a cruel
one. At times the bitter blast would numb my
hands until it was Irapossible to hold a chisel. My
very bones would be penetrated with its Icy edge
until I felt as If clothed In a garraent of lace. Little
wonder that I gladly went back to the raason's shop,
where some shelter, at least, was afforded.
From this period till the end of 1872 I was era
ployed by many different firms. My old acquaintance

36 Ibenrg Broabburst
with ecclesiastical stonework was renewed by my
engagement with a firra of church decorators In
Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square. They worked both In
stained glass and the stonework In church Interiors —
communion tables and altars, altar rails, fonts, pulpits,
and so on. They had business connections with the
Continent and also with the United States, but the bulk
of their productions was supplied to English customers.
This class of work possessed great Interest to those
engaged in It and demanded considerable skill, though
scarcely as rauch as the uninitiated would iraaglne.
There was also a third department, In which mosaic
and Incised work was carried on. The partners were
young raen of exceptional abilities, and but for un
fortunate circumstances I am convinced they would
have attained the position of one of the leading firms
in the world. Subsequently I was employed upon
many of the best-known buildings In London, and
traces of my workmanship might be found In West
rainster Abbey, the Albert Hall, St. Thoraas's Hospital,
Burlington House, the Guildhall, and the aristocratic
residences in Grosvenor Place, Grosvenor Gardens,
and Curzon Street, Mayfair, though I am certain
that the prolonged and minute search necessary to
find such traces would not be rewarded by any
startling artistic discovery.
The even tenor of my life was now broken by the
first considerable Labour dispute in which I had taken
a part. In the spring of 1872 the men engaged In
the building trades agitated for a reduction In the

J^nvVa i>ai5s in 3Lonbon 3t
working hours and an Increase of one penny per
hour In their wages. The union officials had given
the usual six months' notice to the employers, the
period to expire In the month of May ; but the
employers decided to anticipate a strike, and locked
the raen out. The result was a month of enforced
idleness. I was elected chairman of the lock-out
raoveraent In ray own trade. Rarely, I suppose. In
the history of Labour disputes was a lock-out con
ducted on a raore amicable basis. No breaches of
the law occurred, and so quiet was everything that
scarcely anyone save those Interested in It was aware
of Its existence.
Ultimately, a conference was agreed upon, consisting
of a coraraittee of the Masons' Society (of which I
was a raeraber), and an equal number of representa
tives of the Master Builders' Association. The joint
coraraittee was presided over by Mr. Hannen,
the brother of the late Lord Hannen ; and
the chief figures on the employers' side were
Mr. Charles Lucas and Mr. Bird, the secretary of
their association. After two meetings the con
ference drew up the conditions of the resumption of
work. They consisted of an Iramedlate advance
of a halfpenny per hour, a further advance of the
same amount to be conceded In the following year
If trade was good, and the reduction of the hours
of work from fifty-six and a half to fifty-two and
a half per week for nine months In the year, and
to forty-seven for the reraaining three raonths. One

32 ibenrg Broabburst
signal advantage gained was that work should cease
at noon on Saturdays. Under the system then In
force work was continued on Saturdays till one
o'clock, an hour after the usual dinner-hour. A
serious consequence of this custom was that the
men frequently celebrated the end of the week's work
with a glass of beer, and, Imbibing it on an empty
stomach an hour after their usual meal-tlrae, rapidly
became Intoxicated. Nothing succeeds like success,
and the practical capitulation of the masters on the
men's terms Induced raany employers who had hitherto
refused to recognise the Masons' Society to change
their policy ; some firms even going so far as to
Instruct their foremen to give the preference in taking
on new hands to members of the society.
This was my last experience of direct responsibility
for the conduct of a trade dispute, not greatly to
ray sorrow, for during the progress of the lock-out
and the conference I conducted all the negotiations
on behalf of the masons. I had to attend all the
meetings, speaking on occasion several tiraes during
the day, and always confronted with the dread of
doing or saying anything that raight Increase the
differences of the contending parties. It was rarely
before raldnlght that I reached horae, worn-out
with worry and fatigue ; and for fulfilling this
iraportant office I received only a shilling a day more
than those who took no active part in the proceedings
beyond drawing their strike-pay. How little the
superior critic of the Labour world knows of the

JSarls 2)ai5S in Xonbon 33
circumstances under which those who are sometimes
called " unscrupulous agitators " gain for their fellows
a fair reward for their labours ! I do not raean to
iraply that I was the only prorainent representative
of the raen affected by this lock-out. On the
contrary, the leaders of the allied trades — the brick
layers, carpenters, etc. — were entitled to quite as much
credit for the successful ending of the dispute and
the furthering of the cause of Labour. But I, have
not alluded specifically to them because I desire to
confine rayself strictly to those affairs in which I
had a personal Interest.
It raust not be supposed that ray failure to proceed
far with the free-hand drawing studies, which would
have qualified rae for the higher branches of ray
trade, arose frora laziness. The fact Is that I was
beeoraing raore and more Immersed In trades-union
interests, and this course gradually led me Into the
political arena. Soon after ray settleraent In London
I becarae attached to a political organisation called
a "Working Men's Association," and I also joined
the Reforra League. The labour of organising In
connection with the trades-union and the pohtical
delegations In which I was interested were peculiarly
congenial to ray teraperament and aspirations ; but of
course they left me no spare time for study. Those
were stirring tiraes in both spheres of activity — vast
processions, great deraonstratlons organised by the
united trade and political associations ; and only those
in the inner circle can realise what self-sacrifice and
3

34 ibenrs Broabburst
arduous labour working men who took an interest
in the advancement of their class were called upon
to endure, and all, be It reraerabered, without
monetary reward. The sole Incentives were ardent
convictions and a deep sense of patriotism. I think I
was present at all the great demonstrations of this time,
generally In the character of a delegate of my trades-
union. I reraeraber particularly the long raarch from
the Mall, past Marlborough House, to the great field
at Fulhara, through drenching rain and seas of mud
on a bleak wintry day, when the men of London
met to demand that extension of the franchise which
was eventually conceded In the Reform Act of 1867.
Equally vivid is my recollection of the vast pro
cession through the West End of London to the
Agricultural Hall at Islington. I took part, too, in
the meraorable occasion of the pulling down of the
Hyde Park railings.
Concerning this great demonstration, which was for
bidden to enter Hyde Park at the whim of the
Tory Government, I must enter Into rather more
detail, because, although my personal experiences
of this eventful day were not particularly striking,
the whole business contains an element of dramatic
interest, and marks an epoch In that struggle for
liberty and free speech which reactionary rulers have
vainly endeavoured to crush. The affair arose out
of the rejection of the Franchise Bill. The Reform
League deterrained to hold a gigantic mass meeting
in Hyde Park to protest against the Government's

}earlB S»ass in 3Lonbon 3S
action. Due notice of this intention was given to
the police, when, like a bolt from the blue, the
Home Secretary, Mr. Spencer Walpole, blankly refused
permission for the raeeting to be held In the Park.
A considerable discussion In the newspapers followed ;
great indignation was everywhere expressed against
this obscurantist and tyrannical action, and the leaders
of the League determined to pursue their Intention,
despite the official prohibition. Accordingly, on the
day fixed — July, 1866 — two processions were formed
and raarched to the Park. The first was led by
Mr. Beales, the President of the Reforra League, and
It Is Interesting to recall that two of his corapanlons
were Professor Thorold Rogers (who represented the
Oxford Reform League) and Mr. G. J. Holyoake.
This procession started at six o'clock In the morning
from the offices of the League in Adelphi Terrace,
and proceeded by way of Regent Street to Hyde Park
Corner. At Oxford Circus Its numbers were swelled
by a large contingent from the Holborn Branch, who
were preceded by a brass band and a large tricolour
of red, green, and blue. Amid the jeers, the laughter,
and the cheers of the spectators who lined the streets
In large nurabers and filled every window on the
route, the Iramense procession moved forward towards
the gates of the Park. So vast were the numbers
that when the leading carriage was traversing Bond
Street the rear rank had not left Holborn. Meanwhile,
tremendous preparations had been raade to bar the
way of this great multitude Into the Park. Before

36 Ibenrs JBroabburst
the Hyde Park Corner gates, the Marble Arch gates,
and In the immediate vicinity, over sixteen hundred
constables, mounted and on foot, were stationed.
The scene about Hyde Park Corner when the
carriages of the Reform Leaguers reached the spot
was extraordinary. Barricades of omnibuses were on
every side; the carriages of the wealthy blocked the
way ; and right across the entrance to the Park was
drawn a double line of mounted constables. Behind
them stood a crescent-shaped line of foot-police. The
leading carriage of the demonstration was driven up
to where the police were stationed, and its occupants
descended and, surrounded by the Holborn contingent,
walked up to the gates. Their progress was checked
by an inspector of police, who informed Mr. Beales
that he could not enter the Park, by order of the
Commissioners. Sorae little scuffles between police
and demonstrators took place here and there, and then
Mr. Beales and his comrades remounted their carriage
and proceeded to Trafalgar Square, where they ad
dressed a huge meeting from the base of Nelson's
Monument. It had been arranged that the members of the
ClerkenweU Branch of the League should assemble
on the Green and march to the Marble Arch, and
there join forces with the other branches. A pro
cession of several thousands followed the band, and
before Oxford Street was reached the union with
other demonstrators had swelled their numbers to
at least fifteen thousand. Banners of aU hues fluttered

JBntVg 2)ass in Xonbon 37
in the air, the raen tramped steadily to the music
of the bands, and the whole scene, except for the
absence of glittering arms and uniforms, resembled
the orderly progress of a disciplined army rather than
a hastily arranged procession of civilians. From
one of the banners the portrait of Gladstone smiled
his approval on the crowded ranks ; beneath it ran
the appropriate motto, " Gladstone and Liberty : An
Honest Man's the Noblest Work of God." A com
panion banner bore the effigy of John Bright, with
the inscription, " John Bright : Manhood Suffrage."
Nearing the Marble Arch soon after seven, all
kinds of rumours concerning the police and the
other demonstration met them. Some said the gates
had been thrown open by the police, others asserted
that the police had been overcome and the gates
forced by the crowd. But when the head of the
procession reached the Marble Arch they were con
fronted by firmly closed gates and a strong cordon
of constables before them. Some part of the pro
cession passed on in the direction of the Bayswater
Road, but the greater nuraber turned down Park Lane
with the intention of trying the Hyde Park Corner
entrance. It was just at this raoment that my own experiences
of the deraonstration began. I was working for
Farmer & Brindley at the time on the Foreign Office
In Downing Street, then In the course of construction.
Anxious to take sorae part In the projected gathering
in Hyde Park, I hurried home to PImlico as soon

38 ibenrs Broabburst
as ray work was done, and reached Hyde Park Corner
at seven. Great masses of workmen were hastening
to the same spot from Westminster and Lambeth,
and so formed a large body of reinforcements.
Finding the police In possession of the gates, we
edged round Into Park Lane. Here a scene of
indescribable confusion and tumult prevailed. The
narrowness of the thoroughfare, the pressure of the
demonstrators from the Marble Arch, Increased by
the sympathisers and onlookers from Hyde Park
Corner, turned the Lane into a huge, swaying, shouting
mob. Luckily, I fell In with a squad of my own
shop-mates, and keeping well together we managed
to protect ourselves from Injury. A curious Incident
occurred just as we left Piccadilly. A hansom cab
drove past, whose two occupants were accompanied
by a big, black retriever dog. Either from love of
sport or Incited by its master, this dog suddenly
leaped from the cab and made a dash at us. One
of our number, a brawny, North Country mason, met
the attack with a blow of his fist, which caught the
brute just under the jaw, and, as Bret Harte puts It,
" the subsequent proceedings Interested him no more."
If the men in the cab had not hastUy bidden their
driver to put on full speed ahead they would have
shared the fate of their dog, for the feehng of
exasperation had risen higher and higher till the crowd
was In just the mood which, If provoked too rudely,
leads to desperate deeds and revolutions.
The vast crowd surged this way and that, endeavouring

lEarls Da^s in Xonbon 39
to find an outlet ; every Instant seeraed to threaten
wholesale suffocation unless the pressure were relaxed.
Suddenly the Iron railings bent and cracked, either frora
the exertion of Intentional force by some active spirits
or else from the unpremeditated and Irresistible raove
raent of the crowd. The barriers down, a vast body of
men poured through the breaches, raany Injuries were
received, and the police, hearing of the occurrence,
carae tumbling up from the main gates and charged the
struggling raass with drawn truncheons. They raight
as well have charged the Falls of Niagara. Mrs.
Partington confronting the Atlantic with her broom
was not a more ludicrous picture. They belaboured
the front ranks with their batons, but were swept
aside like flies before the waiter's napkin. The cries
of distress, the angry shouts, the hoarse voices of the
constables, and the tramping of thousands of feet filled
the air with a confused din utterly beyond description.
I did not see any actual personal violence done, but I
could hear the angry noises which denote rough work
In my Imraediate vicinity. One raan was carried out
on a stretcher, his head a raass of wounds frora the
truncheon of a constable ; six persons received severe
injuries, and were taken to St. Mary's Hospital ; and
for many weeks after this eventful day I used to see
the constables about King Street Police Station with
their arms In sHngs and their heads In bandages.
Soon after the crowd entered the Park a meeting
was convened, and resolutions denouncing the action
of the Tory Government were passed. Of this I saw

40 ibenrs Broabburst
and heard nothing, for ray attention was centred on
a more exciting subject. Finding themselves over
powered, the police sent for assistance, and presently,
above the heads of the crowd, I could discern the
plumes of the Horse Guards Blue and the dark bear
skins of the Foot Guards. Two companies of the
latter and two troops of the cavalry, under Colonel
Lane-Fox, composed this force. The soldiers received
quite an ovation from the people In the Park. Cries of
" Three cheers for the Guards — the people's Guards ! "
were raised and warmly taken up. There must have
been quite two hundred thousand demonstrators In
the Park, and the spectacle as the Household troops
advanced, followed by the Grenadiers with fixed
bayonets, was a striking one. Amid loud and pro
longed cheers the soldiers marched and wheeled and
raarched again ; but the crowd seemed quite confident
that there would be no firing and no resort to cold
steel. The commanding officer possessed more dis
cretion than the Home Secretary, otherwise Peterloo
might have been re-enacted on a hundredfold larger
scale. But after watching the soldiers for a short time
the crowd gradually and without uproar dispersed, and
the Park was left In quiet. For myself, I had gone
home sorae time before without having sustained any
more serious Injury than a bruised arm and a sore
spot or two on my feet, where the enthusiasm of the
crowd had got the better of me.
Those were years of extraordinary exertion, making
heavy demands upon one's physical strength. During

Earli? Bass in 3Lonbon 41
the whole of this period I scarcely ever lost a single
hour's work In the morning, though I seldom retired
to bed before midnight, and was always up again at
4.30 a.m. Nearly aU my work as a delegate was
entirely gratuitous ; occasionally, Indeed, I received a
shilling a day when engaged on behalf of ray trades-
union, but this sura never sufficed to remunerate me
for my out-of-pocket expenses, such as cost of travel
ling and similar outlay. The scanty leisure which
my eraployraent left me was divided between the
affairs of my trades-union and the Reform Move
ment. Thus I gradually became deeply engrossed In
political and Labour questions. It was difficult to
distinguish between the two, for those were the days
when men began to concentrate the political power of
the trades-unions, and to bring It to bear upon
Parliament to secure reforms in the laws relating to
Labour and trade corabination. This absorption In
what I may call, for want of a better terra, public life
at length grew so great as to demand all my energies.
In September, 1872, I was appointed delegate of the
Stonemasons' Society to the Trades-Union Congress,
and at the Congress I was elected a member of the
Parliamentary Coraraittee. A month later ray employ
ment on the Curzon Street works came to an end,
and from that time I bade a final adieu to the stone
mason's bench.
My appointment as delegate and my election to
the Parliamentary Coraraittee were a recognition of
activity in ray own Union. After the passing of the

42 fbcnrs Broabburst
Franchise Act of 1867 I had largely devoted my
energies to coraraittee work In the Stoneraasons' Society.
My personal experiences had taught me the necessity
of raany changes In the Union rules. It Is part of
our constitutional practice that the rules should be
open to revision every three years ; and accordingly,
at the due tirae, I brought forward several proposals.
In the face of much opposition I succeeded In carrying
a resolution that this revision of rules should be con
ducted by a coraraittee of delegates from every district,
elected for this purpose. I next proposed the estab
lishment of a Superannuation Fund, by which a small
pension was to be granted to raen who had been
raerabers of the Union for a minimum number of
years on condition, not of the attainment of a certain
age, but of certified Inability longer to pursue the
trade of mason. The amount of this pension was
decided by the number of years during which the
recipient had been a member of the Union. After
a struggle extending over several years this pro
posal was also added to the statute-book of the
Union. I then turned ray attention to the question
of allowances to the uneraploycd. My experience
of the traraping systera led me to the conclusion
that the search for employment on foot from county
to county, often continued over a long period, was
liable to develop In men of weak character permanent
demoralisation,, and to Instil a distaste of settled life.
WhUe not desirous of putting hindrances in the way
of a man's leaving his home to find fresh employ-

JEarls Da^s in Xonbon 43
raent elsewhere, I was convinced that he ought not
to be compelled to go on the tramp In order to make
himself eligible for relief. I therefore advocated a
System of small weekly allowances for a limited period
to men out of eraployraent, payable In the town where
the applicant resided. Although this reform was not
immediately carried out, its eventual success was well
assured ; and I believe the scherae has worked out
without substantial Injury to or fraud upon the funds
of the Union.
But I was not satisfied with these changes. In those
days the Central Lodge, which formed the executive
government of the Union, was not permitted to remain
In one town for a longer period than three years. As
the members of the lodge were perforce local masons,
this rule meant that, with the exception of the secre
taries, every third year saw a new executive caUed
Into existence. Such a systera could not but be
highly detrlraental to the Interests of the Union,
as I succeeded In proving to the raajority of the
members. After some discussion we resolved that
the headquarters of the Union should be permanently
fixed in London, an innovation which has proved
highly beneficial. For a tirae I occupied the position
of Chairman of the Central Coraraittee. The chair
man, It must be understood, had no emoluments
attached to his position beyond those received as a
raeraber of the Central Committee — viz., one shilling
for each raeeting attended. This sura, In an era
when plentiful tramcars and cheap oranlbus rides

44 fbcnrs Broabburst
were unknown, frequently fell short of the expenditure
necessary to reach the place of meeting. During
my chairmanship, after frequent failures, I succeeded
In inducing the Central Coraraittee to exercise execu
tive powers. I was moved to do this by the
conviction that with a firmer control from the central
body raany strikes In various parts of the country
might be prevented, while others would be consider
ably shortened. Employers and their representatives
were then, and I have no doubt are stIU, too apt to
treat their own workmen with very little consideration,
often displaying an unreasonable repugnance to talk
over what the men consider to be grievances. This
failure to observe the minor courtesies of life is
equally shared by the men, so far as my observation
goes. I reasoned that if an outside body, exempt
from local prejudices, could intervene and act as a
go-between, interviewing raasters and raen, the causes
of dispute might frequently be adjusted without having
recourse to the extreme measure of a strike. In
course of time I irapressed ray conviction on the
coraraittee, and it was agreed to add this executive
function to its duties.
The first occasion on which this new departure came
Into operation was In connection with a strike at the
Avonmouth Docks. The Central Coraraittee received
a telegrara announcing the sudden cessation of work
by a large nuraber of raasons, and requesting, in the
name of an Improvised strike committee, the immediate
dispatch of a sum of money wherewith to pay a

Ji^arls 2)ass in Otonbon 45
strike allowance. The cost to the Masons' Society
would have amounted to nearly ^^100 a week during
the continuance of the strike, and the payment of
the first week's allowance would have Intensified the
difficulty of a settlement. The General Secretary in
London Immediately summoned a special meeting of
the Central Committee, which promptly appointed two
of Its raerabers to investigate the case and report
upon It to the coramittee. I was one of those
chosen for this mission. Early next raorning we
proceeded to the scene of action, and at once
summoned a meeting of the men and heard their
complaints. Accompanied by a delegation of the
masons we next proceeded to the docks ; a brief
conference with the contractor and the chief engineer
followed, ending in the adjustment of the differences
and the resuraptlon of work the following morning.
My next experience of conciliation work was less
satisfactory. Curiously enough, the scene of operations
was in the same district, but on the other side of
Bristol. A strike had been proceeding for six weeks
when I, with other members of the Central Coraraittee,
went down to try to bring the dispute to a close.
When we arrived In the neighbourhood we found
among the men a widespread spirit of antagonism to
our mission. To such an extent did this spirit exist
that threats of violence if we dared to visit the works
were freely indulged in. On the principle that
threatened raen live long, we paid little heed to these
raenaces and proceeded with our task. But the

4<5 Ibenti? Broabburst
stubbornness of the raen baffled all our efforts at
conciliation. Had their persistency been exercised In
a better cause It would have been raagnificent ; under
the circurastances It was merely fatuous. On the
other hand, the employer displayed an unusually
reasonable spirit, readily expressing his willingness
to submit the whole question to arbitration. He even
went so far as to agree that our Central Committee
should act as the court of arbitrators, offering to pay
a handsome subscription to the Bristol Hospital If
we found him In the wrong, on condition that If
the judgment went against the men they should
subscribe a donation to the sarae institution. But
nothing would Induce the men to subrait to arbitration.
At a raass meeting of the men we warned them that
our report to the Central Committee raight lead to the
cessation of their strike pay, but aU to no effect. The
threats of violence were not executed, but the strike
went on. On receipt of our report the committee
gave them a week's notice to close the strike, and
at the expiration of the limit cut off supphes, with
the result that soon after the raen carae to terms
with their employer.
In the third case which I shall chronicle our presence
was equally unpleasing to the raen, but terminated
with a happier result. Like the preceding one, this
strike, which took place in a town in the north of
England, had lasted six weeks when the Central
Committee intervened. I, with another member, was
again appointed to institute an Inquiry into the causes

Earls S)ags in tHonbon 4i
of the dispute. The General Secretary telegraphed to
the men on strike to arrange a meeting In readiness
to receive us, and he also asked the employer to
be within reach in case we wanted to see hira. When
we arrived we found the raen assembled, but their
attitude was anything but reassuring. Before the
meeting had proceeded far we were threatened with
expulsion frora the room. Both of us, however, had
had plenty of experience of the value of such threats
at similar gatherings, so they had little effect on us.
We persevered In our mission, with the result that,
having arrived on Saturday afternoon at four o'clock,
we raade such headway in establishing a line of
comraunication between contractor and workmen that
on the following Tuesday work was resumed. A
fortnight later these very raen who had received us
with strong opposition sent a vote of thanks to the
Central Coraraittee, acknowledging the great services
rendered by us, and expressing regret that our visit
had not been raade at an earlier period of the
dispute. During this period of my life I becarae greatly
Interested In a co-operative experiraent. After the
quieting down of the political agitation for reforra in
1867 Mr. Alfred Walton, a retired clerk of the
works In the building trade and a stoneraason by
training, gave a series of addresses to the building
trades and operatives of London in favour of Co-opera
tive Building Societies. The theory was a sound one
and the object raost desirable. After prolonged effort

48 Ibenrs Broabburst
and the expenditure of much labour a start was made
to put Mr. Walton's theory into practice. A company
was formed, a board of directors appointed, and business
premises were taken in Euston Road. The directorate
consisted of representatives of various branches of buUd
ing trades, and I was a member of the board. Several
of ray colleagues were raen of exceptional ability and
large experience, both as experts in estimates and In
quantity taking. We began by tendering for small
contracts, but met with little success. The premises
we had hired were the property of the Aerated Bread
Company, and fortunately this company was able to
supply us with a considerable amount of repairing
work In their various premises in London. Had
we been content to confine ourselves to this class of
work, which soon became sufficient to make it profit
able, until we had established the concern on a firm
basis, I believe the company raight have grown into
a perraanent institution. Unfortunately, the sin by
which the angels feU wrought our ruin. We succeeded
in obtaining a contract for raore arabltious work in
the shape of the erection of a raisslon-hall and schools
in St. John's Wood. Paradoxical as It may sound,
this success proved a disaster. For some time the
enthusiasm of our shareholders had been graduaUy
evaporating. To carry out building operations capital
is an absolute necessity, but raore capital the share
holders apparently had no intention of supplying.
Having obtained the contract, we caUed a meeting of
shareholders for the purpose of appealing to them to

iBatVs SJags in Xonbon 49
pay up arrears. Very few attended beyond the directors ;
but the contract had already been signed, and we were
corapelled to proceed. We had recourse to all the
expedients we could think of, except borrowing money
at a high rate of Interest. Each of the directors, In
addition to paying up the full value of his shares,
advanced money from tirae to tirae according to his
raeans to raeet the corapany 's expenses. A serious
source of inconvenience and loss was the fact that
merchants would not extend to us the sarae credit
which they granted to private building firms.
Our theory was to employ the shareholders as far
as possible on the company's work. The managing
director, who lived on the premises In Euston Road,
was a workman of superior education, with a high
ideal of the future of Labour ; but I had more than
once harboured a suspicion that his practice fell far
short of his preaching, and doubted his Industry and
close application to his duties. All the directors were
raen who had to work frora ten to twelve hours a
day at their trade, so that it was Irapossible for thera
to take an active part In the direction and raanageraent
of the building operations In St. John's Wood, which
were of necessity left to the entire control of the
raanaging director. None of the directors except the
raanager received any fee for his services. Most of us
lived at least two or three miles from Euston Road,
and the directors' meetings usually kept us from horae
tUl midnight, while we were obliged to be up next
morning at a very early hour. Under these clrcum-
4

5° ibenrg Broabburst
stances It will be recognised how irapossible it was for
the board to exercise personal oversight on the works.
But a time came when some of the directors felt that
the works were not progressing as rapidly as might
reasonably be expected, and suspicion arose that the
fault lay at the door of the raanaging director. So
strongly was I Irapressed with this view of the matter
that out of my working time, which of course meant
a considerable loss to me, I determined to pay a
surprise visit to the works. I left ray home at 4.15
one morning, and arrived at the works before 6. I
Imraediately secreted myself in a favourable position,
where I could not be observed, but from which I
could see all that passed. Six o'clock was the time for
comraencing work ; but when a neighbouring clock
chiraed the hour, out of thirty men engaged on the
building operations less than half were ready to begin.
Some arrived ten minutes late, others were twenty
minutes behind time ; while the managing director,
who should have been there without fall to blow the
whistle at six o'clock, turned up half an hour late.
His consternation at my sudden appearance Is not
easily imagined. I will pass over the scene that
followed ; suffice it to say that I had discovered one
big leak in our good ship, and hastened to lay my
discovery before a special raeeting of the board.
Unhappily, ray exposure carae too late ; for when the
building was at length completed we were reduced to
bankruptcy, and the company on which we had set
such sanguine hopes was wound up. For my part,

iBatls 2>ass in Xonbon 51
I lost not only my share capital and the money I had
advanced at various tiraes to raeet pressing calls, but
three years of hard work at the sacrifice of much
individual comfort.
Such was my first and last personal experience of
productive co-operation, and In truth it was a desperate
venture. All the influence of the trades Interested
In building was dead against us ; obstacles real and
artificial barred our way at every turn. Yet I am
convinced that had the remnant of that board of
directors joined together to carry on the business as
a private venture, there was amongst them sufficient
ability, energy, and experience to have made the
undertaking a success In the long run.
I think this is a favourable opportunity to digress
a little frora the high-road of ray narrative in order
to dweU upon the wide contrast between the present
condition of the working class and that which existed
In the early fifties, conditions which I clearly re
member in ray own experience. The great strides
made in every point of life — working-hours, wages,
education, quality of food and clothing — amount to
little short of a revolution. To take the question
of food, In ray early boyhood ray mother has often
given me a shilling to purchase a four-pound loaf,
and the change out of the shIUIng only amounted
to twopence and occasionally a penny. Its quality
was equivalent to loaves baked of the flour doled
out to persons In receipt of outdoor relief, coarse
enough to turn the stomachs of even the poorest.

52 ibenrs Broabburst
Sugar was a luxury Indulged In only on rare occasions ;
farm labourers and other poorly paid workers fre
quently flavoured their cup of tea with a pinch of
salt. Fresh meat was then a rare event on the
table of the ordinary labourer. In clothing we fared
no better ; our garments were coarse and uncomfortable.
Portions of the workaday dress of a stoneraason were
coraposed of raaterlals not found now even in the
cheapest slop-shops ; yet these poor garraents were
frequently used for Sunday wear before they descended
to workshop service.
The status of Labour has advanced with equal
strides, for where now the employee may meet his
employer on equal terms at the Arbitration or Con
ciliation Board, in ray early years Labour had
practically no rights and no recognition. The natural
outcome of this neglected condition was degraded habits,
brawling, and drunkenness ; for however widespread
and deplorable the insobriety of the working class
raay still be, there Is no coraparlson with the drinking
habits of fifty years ago. As I have said In an earlier
chapter, it was quite a coraraon occurrence for the
foreraan of the works to be a licensed victualler also.
As In the raajority of cases the foreman acted as
paymaster, It is not a matter of surprise that wages
were paid over the bar of his public-house. We can
scarcely be surprised that the raen who received their
pay thus readily believed the best way to propitiate
the foreraan and retain their eraployraent was to spend
freely on his liquors. Work did not cease then as

lEarli? 2>ass in Xonbon S3
it does now at midday on Saturday ; usually the time
of leaving was very little earlier than on the other
days of the week. This fact combined with the
custom described above mostly resulted In the wage-
earner's arriving home in a state of Intoxication, before
the housewife could manage to obtain any of his
hard-earned money for the satisfaction of the domestic
needs. Sometimes, Indeed, an energetic wife would
raeet her husband outside the works ; but even then
she had to accorapany him to the public-house where
the wages were handed over. Consequently, she too
would have her glass, often with the gravest results
to her sobriety and good name. When I look back
upon the revolting sights witnessed In my boyhood,
wherein both men and women took part, some of
the worst of the cases happening almost under the
garden wall of a bishop's palace, I look upon the
present condition of my fellows with a lively sense
of thankfulness. To maintain that the world Is not
moving upwards, notwithstanding temporary checks
and drawbacks, Is to Ignore demonstrated facts.
This optimistic view must not be taken as Indicating
any lack of knowledge of or syrapathy with the
lamentable condition of the seething masses of poverty-
stricken and neglected beings stUl to be found in
our great centres of Industry, and forming a constant
menace to our coraraon well-being. But practical
Soclallsra has made vastly greater progress in this
country than anywhere else In the world ; and in
all probabiUty Great Britain wIU continue to lead in

54 Ibenrs Broabburst
the van. I believe it to be the duty of every civilised
nation to regard aU her citizens as a father looks after
the children of his household, giving all, as far as
possible, equal opportunities for betterment, and pro
viding for an old age of peace and freedom from
anxiety. The present system of treating all applicants
for relief alike, differentiating in no way between the
meritorious and the incurably Idle, borders on criminal
neglect. To the latter class the Poor Laws have no
terrors or shame ; to the deserving they are cruel
alraost to death. I am far from believing that the
wealthy desire that the poor shall pass their declining
years herded together In barrack life. But If only
they could be Induced to share for a few days the
lot of their poor brethren they would, I am sure,
willingly make sacrifices to provide a more accept
able refuge for the wounded In the great battle of
competition. Another respect in which the amelioration of the
lot of the working classes Is conspicuous Is in the
means of transit. Upon this subject I must confine
ray coraparisons to the metropolitan area. Though
the tremendous growth of London has outpaced the
capacities of the railways, still, those who remember
the condition of affairs as recently as forty years
ago have seen a wonderful Iraprovement. When I
first came to live permanently in London there
was no Underground Railway, whUe bus fares
were fifty and soraetiraes seventy per cent, higher
than at present. The great systera of tramways.

Earls 2)ass in Xonbon 55
binding the north, south, and east with the centre
of the raetropolls, and affording the working classes
a cheap and corafortable mode of transit, was utterly
unknown. During the years I lived In Pimlico I worked
for sorae tirae on a new police-station In Worship
Street, which meant a walk of at least one and a
quarter hours. As this was on paving-stones which
soon tire the feet, I had to allow an additional ten
to fifteen minutes for a rest before beginning work.
Thus I was compelled to leave my house at 4.30 a.m.
At night It was possible to obtain a bus ride part of
the way, but the charges were quite beyond the means
of a workman.
One of the greatest dangers to the health of
the worker who has a long distance to walk to
his work is the risk of getting wet In the early
hours of the morning without an opportunity of
changing his clothes until work Is ended and horae
regained at night. Many times In ray mason's life
I have begun ray day of ten or twelve hours In
soaking garraents, shivering with damp and misery.
The Underground Railway has changed all that ;
and though I am not unmindful of the constant
complaints raade by workers against the London
raUway companies — often with much justice — still, I
feel certain these complaints would be robbed of
much of their bitterness had those who make them
the experience of the tribulations we endured in my
early London days.

56 ibenrg Broabburst
The first section of the Underground Railway was
not opened till 1863. In 1 870 the hne frora Blackfriars
to South Kensington was constructed. In 1871 It was
extended to the Mansion House, and In 1875 to
Bishopsgate Street. The circle was not completed
till 1884. Innumerable extensions have been and
are still being made In this mode of transit. To
day a working man can travel fifteen miles on the
Metropolitan and District Railways for twopence,
nineteen miles for fourpence, and twenty-eight miles
for sixpence. In 1897 the two underground railways
issued something like ten millions of cheap tickets,
representing a total of twenty million passengers.
These tremendous figures are, of course, exclusive of
the working class passengers carried by the suburban
trains of the great aboveground companies, which,
roughly speaking, carry an additional twelve or thirteen
millions at cheap rates In the twelve months.
Taking aU means of transit Into consideration,
I am Inclined to believe that the worker of to-day
has secured an additional hour a day for himself
as compared with the worker of 1870 — a most
substantial advantage, without reckoning the saving
In pocket and the better preservation of his health.
Of all the larger railway companies which feed
London the Great Eastern Railway is the most con
spicuous in Its relation to the working classes, not
only because of the iraraense nurabers — enough to make
up a respectably sized, provincial town — It daily brings
Into and carries away from London, but because It

Earls Dass in Xonbon 57
was the pioneer in the matter of issuing cheap tickets.
Cheap tickets were first Issued to workpeople on this
line in 1871, but only in a very restricted fashion.
To-day a workman can buy a packet of six return
tickets for sixpence on Saturday or Monday for the
ensuing week. In 1896 more than five and a half
mUlions of these cheap tickets were Issued, as com
pared with 902,556 In 1874. The same railway
now Issues another grade of cheap tickets for the use
of clerks, shopmen, and warehousemen. These tickets
cost half the ordinary return fare with a minlmura
of fourpence, and are available Immediately after the
departure of the last workmen's trains, arriving at
the London termini not later than 8 a.m. In 1890
1,855,460 persons availed themselves of this conces
sion ; In 1896 the number Increased to 3,964,517 —
a marvellous Increment!
As regards present-day problems I ara entirely In
favour of the munlcipallsatlon of tramways, and rejoice
in the County Council's acquirement of this form of
transit. If It were found practicable, I would
equally support the State ownership of railways.
At any rate, I consider that serious inquiry might
be made into the possibihty of the purchase by
the State of the Metropohtan and District Railways.
This suggestion cannot be termed extreme, and Its
comparatively limited responsibility Is not calculated
to alarm the apprehensions and excite the strenuous
opposition of those averse to State ownership. Indeed,
I conceive It to be one of the essentials for solving

58 ibenrg Broabburst
the vitally Iraportant question of over-crowding that
the State and the municipal authorities should join
hands In controlling the transport of the vast army of
workers who find eraployraent In the heart of the
Empire City.

CHAPTER IV
MY POLITICAL CAREER BEGINS
MY entry Into the arena of political strife was
gradual, but I think I raay fairly reckon the
year 1872 as the real starting-point in my pohtical
career. I have already said that in November of that
year I finally ceased to work at ray trade. As it
happened to be winter-tirae, I did not hurry myself
to obtain a fresh engagement, but preferred to take
a week or two's rest In the cold, dark days of a
London November. But his Satanic Majesty did not
find a client In me ; my holiday was spent in change
of occupation rather than in Idleness.
The success which had attended the movement for
higher wages and shorter hours In the building trade
had given an impetus to the Labour cause generally,
more especially In the metropolitan district. Among
the various branches of the industrial army encouraged
to place their affairs on a better footing were the gas-
stokers of the South of London Gas Works. They
were agitating for a reduction of their working hours,
and I was approached by one of their number, a man
named Webster, for advice in the task of organising
their forces ; indeed, the stokers repeatedly Invited
S9

6o Ibenrs Broabburst
rae to place myself at the head of their raoveraent.
But this I refused to do, insisting that they would be
better served by a raan of their own craft who knew
the Ins and outs of the business, and who would thus
be better qualified to understand their desires and give
effect to them. At the same time, I assured their
representatives that I should be glad at any critical
moraent to give them advice, should they apply for it.
The movement made rapid progress for a time, but
the raen became excited, and showed signs of taking
the bit between their teeth. Perceiving their state
of mind, I repeatedly warned them against extreme
measures, especially against anything In the nature of a
strike, for their Union was almost destitute of funds
and entirely lacking In experience of Labour disputes.
Unfortunately, some of the wilder spirits managed to
secure control of the organisation and at once rushed
to extremes. The consequence was a partial strike,
followed by a prosecution ; the strike corapletely
collapsed in a few days, and what under abler guidance
and more cautious procedure might have grown into
a strong and perraanent association, fell entirely to
pieces. Before Chrlstmastlde had fairly arrived the extra
ordinary number of five hundred summonses were
issued against the gas-workers. The charge preferred
was one of breach of contract under the Masters
and Servants Act of 1866. , But eventually they
were indicted under the Conspiracy Laws, which
rendered thera liable to two years' Imprisonraent

^S political Career Begins 6i
with hard labour. The case came up for hearing
at the Old Bailey before Mr. Justice Brett, afterwards
Lord Esher. The Gas Companies were represented
by the present Lord ChanceUor, then Mr. Hardinge
Giffard, Q.C. ; but the raen had neither the knowledge
nor the raeans to draw up a defence for themselves.
In their extremity they appealed to me, and although
I protested that as they had disregarded my warnings
I had washed my hands of the whole business,
I could not turn a deaf ear to their entreaties and
abandon them to their fate. Besides, I saw clearly
that the undisputed victory of a powerful corporation
like the Gas Companies could not fall to have an
extremely hurtful effect on the cause of industrial
progress. Accordingly, I hastily consulted a number
of the members of the Parliamentary Coramittee
of the Trades-Union Congress, and In the course
of a few days a special Defence Committee was
formed and funds were collected. By this means
we were able to retain the services of a well-
known firm of solicitors, Messrs. Shaen and Roscoe,
who in turn Instructed Mr. Straight and Mr.
Montague Williams to conduct the case for the
defence. After a long trial five of the defendants
were sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment.
This sentence Instantaneously evoked a loud and
widespread outcry against its injustice, and a move
ment quickly followed for the repeal of the iniquitous
Masters and Servants Act and the abolition of
the jurisdiction of the Conspiracy Laws over trade

62 ibenrs Broabburst
disputes. Concurrently with this agitation strenuous
efforts were raade, with the valuable aid of the London
Trades Council, to raise raoney to pay the costs of
the defence of the strikers and to raalntain their
farallles while they were In prison.
I well reraeraber the Christraas of 1 872. I had been
ordered by the Defence Coraraittee to visit the famUies
of the imprisoned men and to report on their neces
sities. Some lived on the south side and some on
the north of the Thames, so that I had not corapleted
ray task before night fell. I was then groping my
way about West Ham and Barking Creek, and as the
night was exceptionally dark I found great difficulty
In steering straight In the badly lit and straggling
district. At one point I discovered ray way entirely
barred by a high wall. Ignorant of my whereabouts,
I climbed up some railings to reconnoitre, only to
find that the railings had been freshly tarred, and my
garments clung lovingly to them. With difficulty I
managed at length to detach rayself without leaving
behind any essential portion of my clothes. I was
in the midst of congratulating rayself on this escape
when ray foot slipped and I found rayself sprawling
headlong In a pool of liquid raud. My appearance
when I reached horae late that night was enough to
terrify the stoutest heart ; plastered frora head to foot
with raud, my clothes torn and smeared with tar, I
felt readier to turn scarecrow than enter a decent house.
The combined forces denouncing these outrageous
sentences now represented so large an industrial army

/iftS Ipolitical Career Begins 63
that we felt strong enough to bring pressure to
bear upon the Government for a mitigation of the
sentences. A petition was accordingly drawn up and
presented to the Home Secretary, Mr. Henry Bruce,
afterwards the first Lord Aberdare. By dint of
strenuous agitation the Government was at length
induced to release the prisoners at the end of four
months. In the meantime the coraraittee had provided
for the prisoners' farallles and kept up their payraents
to the benevolent societies to which they belonged.
I raay here mention that twenty-two years later,
during the sitting of the Royal Commission on the
Aged Poor, over which Lord Aberdare presided, I
happened to corae across a letter received from hira
during the agitation of which I have been speaking.
I was surprised to find, on reralnding him of the matter,
that he remembered every detail of the case as If It
had occurred only the year before.
The law that persecutions ultimately end In a
great accession of strength to the persecuted was not
falsified in this business. The prosecution and im
prisonment of the gas-stokers rendered a great service
to the Labour cause by awakening the pubhc
conscience to the iniquity and Injustice of these old
laws. Mr. William Harcourt and Mr. Henry James
in a debate in the House of Commons raised the
whole question of the amendment of the criminal
law, the Masters and Servants Act, and the law
of conspiracy. The Parliamentary Coramittee of the
Trades-Unions hastened to seize the opportunity, and

64 "Ibenrg Broabburst
by raeans of floods of hterature and frequent public
meetings and demonstrations In the Industrial centres
of the midland and northern counties assiduously
educated public opinion. The success of this pro
paganda was witnessed at the General Election of
1874, when most of the candidates, on appealing to
their constituencies, were compelled to promise support
to the demand for the repeal of the obnoxious Acts,
The result was the passing of two new Acts in 1875 —
the Workmen and Employers' Act and the Protection
of Property Act. Much of the credit of these Acts
Is due to two of the raost able Parllaraentary lawyers
of the day. Sir WiUIara Harcourt and Sir Henry
Jaraes. At the end of this agitation In 1873 ^ "^^^ appointed
Secretary to the Labour Representation League. This
body was established to proraote the return of working
raen representatives to Parliament and to assist
candidates favourable to the Labour cause. One
of the first electoral contests In which I was officIaUy
concerned was on my own behalf. The League
possessed an active and enthusiastic band of supporters
In Greenwich, who were burning to try their strength
at the London School Board Election of 1873, and
insisted on running me as a candidate. So great
was their eagerness that my narae was entered before
I had given my assent. However, I threw myself
Into the contest, and addressed meetings in all parts
of the division, which. If my memory does not play
me false, then stretched frora Woolwich alraost to

/lbs political Career Begins 65
the Crystal Palace. We had very little electioneering
raachlnery to speak of, and not more than half a dozen
helpers— all of them working raen, who could 111 afford
to give tirae from their employment to aid us ; but
we managed to make a right good fight. Altogether,
I do not think the contest cost more than thirty
pounds, exclusive of small sums spent in travelling
and other petty-cash expenditure. We had some
splendid meetings, and I polled something like six
thousand votes, falling to secure a seat on the Board
by only a few hundred votes. It was a fortunate thing
for rae that I did not succeed, for It would have been
impossible to have given the necessary time to the
educational requirements of so vast, and In some parts
so densely populated a district of the metropolis.
In connection with this contest an amusing Incident
occurred which may be worth the telling. I was on
my way from Cannon Street to address a large open-
air meeting at Woolwich In support of my candidature.
In the same compartment sat a well-dressed man,
who, after a few general remarks, Introduced the
subject of the School Board Election. He informed
me that he understood the working man candidate
was making considerable headway and, although a
stranger to the district, had earned the good opinion
of a large number of voters. He went on to ask
me what I had heard of the candidate and whether
I knew hira. When I had answered the latter
question in the affirmative, he wanted to know
my opinion of him. Preserving a grave demeanour, 5

66 Denrs Broabburst
I assured ray questioner that I had known the
candidate for the greater part of his life, and though
I had forraed no extravagant opinion of his ability
or fitness for this responsible position, I thought
It a very proper thing for such a raan to be on
the School Board, and that the constituency would
be doing the right thing to elect hira. I added that
I personally would do all in my power to secure
his return, and I advised my friend to go to the open
square In Woolwich where the candidate was to address
a raeeting, and where he would have an exceUent
opportunity of judging the raan's suitability for him
self. We parted at Woolwich Station ; and as soon
as my turn came to speak I spotted ray raan In the
crowd, and was highly amused to see his bewildered
expression as recognition of the speaker gradually
dawned upon him. I believe he becarae an enthusi
astic supporter of ray candidature, and ray failure
at the poll was certainly not due to his abstention.
For twenty-three years I raade no further attempt
to gain a seat on any School Board ; but at the
end of that time I became a candidate for the Cromer
School Board and was elected without opposition.
The Labour Representation League, though not
Imraediately successful In realising its aim, still,
effected a good purpose by attracting public attention
to the question of the rights of Labour to representa
tion, as well as by Inspiring the rainds of working
men with high and laudable aspirations. There had,
of course, been attempts to return working men

/lbs political Career Begins 67
to Parliament before the formation of the League,
but the General Election of 1874 was the first occasion
on which such efforts were attended with success.
Two Labour representatives were elected, Mr. Thomas
Burt for Morpeth, and Mr. Alexander Macdonald for
Stafford. With the former election the Labour Repre
sentation League had no direct connection. But In the
Stafford contest the League was not only responsible
for the Introduction of Mr. Macdonald to the
constituency, but also played a prominent part in
securing his success at the poll. As Secretary of
the League I was In direct communication with
working men in many of the English and Welsh
boroughs, and the Committee of the Stafford branch
of the League asked me to go down to Stafford to
submit to the local executive the names of several
working men from whom a candidate should be elected.
I was strongly urged to allow my own name to be
included In the list ; but this I refused to do.
Ultimately Mr. Macdonald was chosen, and threw
hiraself into the contest with great vigour, receiving
all through the struggle the constant support of the
League. When he was at length returned triumphantly,
public opinion outside the county assigned his success
to the action of miners, he at that time being at the
head of the National Union of Coal-miners, whereas,
of course, there was not a miner In the borough. It
was entirely an affair of working men of all trades,
supported by a number of sturdy Liberals not of
the working classes, but who saw in the contest a

68 ibenrs Broabburst
good prospect of winning a seat for the Liberal
party. The Stafford contest did not by any raeans engage
the undivided attention of the League during that
General Election. On the contrary, I was busily
occupied In furthering the causes of other candidates
in various parts of the country. Suddenly, at the
eleventh hour, I found myself Involved In an election
on my own account. The constituency which had
the honour to be the scene of my first attempt to
enter Parliaraent was the ancient borough of High
Wycorabe, and ray opponent was Colonel Carrington,
who had held the seat In the Liberal interest since
1868. The atterapt was foredoomed to failure, for
I only arrived In the town about twenty-four hours
before the time fixed for the poll. As a matter of
fact, when I received the invitation I was electioneering
three hundred railes frora London, and the Idea of
contesting High Wycorabe had never entered my
mind. Nevertheless, I could not have had a more
pleasant introduction to Parliamentary contests. The
Wycorabe people were a warra-hearted and open-
handed community, they took the keenest Interest in
the election, and my active supporters were by no
raeans confined to the wage-earning class ; in reviewing
the incident I ara strongly inclined to believe that
If I had had a week's notice of my candidature I
should have captured the seat, notwithstanding the great
and well-deserved Influence of the Carringtons.
I have been engaged In many contests in many parts

/lbs political Career Begins 69
of this country, but I never took part In a raore
thoroughly good-humoured one than that at High
Wycombe; my opponent treated rae with the utraost
courtesy, which I was wUlIng enough to reciprocate.
The enthusiasm of the electors found an artistic vent
in a profusion of ribbons, rosettes, and posies, and on
the day of the election they adorned me with so many
of these party emblems that I bore the appearance
rather of a prize ox at Smithfield Show than an
ardent politician. Our side canvassed every dwelling
In the constituency, no slight task In so short a time ;
and we held some capital meetings In the Sunday
schools belonging to Nonconformist places of worship ;
In some cases we even obtained the use of the chapel
Itself. A few months after my unsuccessful attempt
I paid a second visit to High Wycombe, when, greatly
to my surprise and gratification, the people presented
me with a purse of twenty sovereigns, an Illuminated
address, and many other little tokens of sincere friend
ship Even to this day I never travel on the Great
Western Une through Wycombe without recalling with
a sense of pleasure how I set out on my forlorn
hope from Maidenhead on a raw and foggy raorning
in the winter of 1874.

CHAPTER V
ON THE THRESHOLD OF PARLIAMENT
IN October of the next year the Trades-Union
Congress, which met In Glasgow, elected me as
their Parliamentary Secretary, a post I retained until
IU-health compeUed my resignation in September, 1 8 90,
after an unbroken merabership of the Executive Com
mittee for eighteen years. This new appointment did
not Interfere with ray duties as Secretary of the Labour
Representation League, which I continued to discharge
until Its dissolution. Frora that tirae I devoted ray
energies to the work of the Congress, though con
tinuing to take an active part In political movements.
There was rauch to occupy the attention of the
leaders of Labour In those days. Continuous watch
fulness was iraperative to guard the administration of
the Labour legislation of 1875. Each year revealed
new wants and new opportunities ; each year Increased
the demands on our time and energies, as the records
of the Congress will reveal.
My own duties were largely concerned with the
dissemination of literature, preparing reports, recording
the work which the Executive Committee had accom
plished each year, and pointing out the objects yet
70

©n tbe Ubresbolb of parliament 71
to be attained. In addition, we endeavoured to
extend our sphere of influence by holding public
meetings in most of the great provincial towns. One
of the first objects on which our efforts were centred
was the passing of Mr. PllmsoU's Merchants' Shipping
BiU, which became an Act In 1876. In Its support
we > organised one of the largest deputations ever
brought together in London, composed of delegates
from aU the trades-unions in Great Britain.
It was In 1876 that I first tried ray hand at
legislation. I drew up a BiU for the abolition of the
property qualification attaching to merabership of local
governing authorities. My object was, of course, to
enable working raen to become raerabers of town
councils, vestries, and similiar bodies. Few people
remember that at the time of which I speak legislation
existed which effectually debarred wage-earners frora
these bodies. The qualification was dependent upon
the number of wards constituting a town. In small
towns it was a ^^15 assessment or ^^500 deposit
in the bank, but In the case of towns with large
populations the amount of the qualification was
doubled. I entrusted this measure to Mr. MundeUa,
who introduced it in 1876, and two years later it
was added to the Statute Book. As a result the only
qualification necessary for election to local authorities
at the present raoraent Is that of being a ratepayer.
So far as legal disqualifications are concerned, there
is nothing to prevent the poorest ratepayer In the
country becoming the^^chlef magistrate of his town.

72 ibenrs Broabburst
The next question to be tackled was that of the
liability of eraployers to compensate their workpeople
for Injuries sustained in their employment. In 1876
Mr. Macdonald, to whose election to represent Stafford
I have already alluded, introduced a measure dealing
with this subject which the Executive Committee had
drawn up. It was entitled the Compensation for
Injuries BIU, and was read a second time, with the result
that the Government appointed a Select Coramittee to
deal with the whole question. By a curious concidence
the witness who gave the strongest support to the
workmen's demands was the very man — Mr. Justice
Brett — who four years earlier had sentenced the poor
gas-stokers to twelve months' Imprisonment. Not
withstanding the unanswerable arguments of this learned
judge In support of our case, we were unsuccessful
in obtaining any legislation during the life of that
Parliament, though the work done both Inside and
outside the House of Coraraons proved of the utraost
value In educating public opinion on this important
subject. Two other questions occupied the attention of the
Executive Coraraittee during this year. The first
concerned the lamentaole loss of life and destruction
of property arising ^om boiler explosions, due either
to neglect or to me eraployraent of unqualified men.
We brought the matter before the House of Commons,
and drafted a BIU, /Which In later years it was my
privilege to intrpdizce for the first time to Parliaraent.
The other subject was the eraendation of the Trades-

©n tbe Ubresbolb of parliament 73
Unions Act of 1870, which experience had shown to
require iraprovement in some Important particulars.
We induced the Government to bring in a short
measure (which became law the same session) enabling
unions to hold real property and removing other
irritating little obstacles to the growth of the raove
raent. These legislative triumphs were followed in
1877. and 1878 by the introduction of the Consoli
dating Act dealing with factory and workshop laws
by the Home Secretary, Sir Richard Cross. By
carefully fraraed araendraents the Coramittee secured
several Iraportant Iraprovements in the Bill, which
was a great advance on previous legislation, especially
in the raatter of reducing the hours of labour of
women and children.
Before leaving this somewhat tedious but necessary
account of the legislative labours of the Executive
Coraraittee, I must devote a little space to a very
important and direct outcorae of the Coraralttee's
action — viz., the proposed codification of the criminal
law of Great Britain.
The harsh treatment accorded by the law to
the representatives of the Labour cause for so many
years had plainly opened their eyes to the uncertain
ties as well as the severities of our criminal law,
and under the advice and with the assistance of
men Uke Mr. Frederic Harrison and Mr. Henry
Crompton, the leaders of the trades-unions resolved
to utilise the political power and influence behind
them in endeavouring to obtain a clear and in-

74 Ibenrs Broabburst
telUglble statement of the criminal law of the country
and to purge the Statute Book of sorae of its
antiquated and obsolete criminal enactments. Such
a codiflcation would, it was thought, remove sorae of
the pItfaUs and uncertainties frora which the working
man had suffered in the past In his endeavours to
raise his condition to a higher level In the body politic.
The subject was fully debated In every trade In
the kingdom ; Innumerable resolutions In favour of
the proposal were passed ; and paraphlets advocating
this legal reform were Issued in large numbers by
the Committee. Turning to raore practical methods
of attaining this object, the Committee at length
approached Sir James FItzJaraes Stephen, the greatest
living authority on the criminal law, and a strong
sympathiser with the cause of legal reform. After
several Interviews and a good deal of correspondence,
Sir James consented to the Committee's request that he
would deliver a lecture on this important topic under
the auspices of the Parliamentary Committee of the
Trades-Union Congress. The lecture, which took place
at the Society of Arts under the presidency of the Right
Honourable Lord Coleridge In the enforced absence
of Lord Chief Justice Cockburn, proved a great
success, attracting much public attention, and giving
cohesion to our labours and direction to our efforts.
Arrangeraents had been made for a fuU report of
the proceedings, and In returning a corrected proof of
this report which I had sent him, Sir James wrote
the foUowing letter : —

©n tbe ^bresbolb of parliament 7S
" My DEAR Sir, —
" I return the copy of the lecture with the altera
tion of a few words. On looking over the report of what
passed on that occasion I have been pleasantly reminded
of what was a memorable meeting to me. I hope it
may be of service to the public. I doubt whether any
other class of persons in England would have shown
half the interest in the subject which was shown by
the members of the trades-unions. I can only say that
if it is ever in my power to show particularly how deeply
I am sensible of their kindness, it wiU give me pleasure
to do so. " Believe me,
" Ever faithfully yours,
{Signed) "J. F. STEPHEN.
" H. Broadhurst, Esq."
Shortly after this Lord Cairns, then Lord ChanceUor,
Invited Sir Jaraes Stephen to draft a Crirainal Code ;
the draft Code was duly drawn up, and submitted
to a Coraraission of legal experts at the Instance of
the Government. After passing safely through this
ordeal, the Code was Introduced to Parliament in the
shape of a Bill. But there the matter ended so far
as any further progress Is concerned. In 1883 Sir
James pubhshed In three volumes his " History of the
Criminal Law of England," which, I believe, Is con
sidered by those capable of forming an opinion the
raost valuable publication on the subject ever compiled.
In February of that year I was gratified to receive
frora him a copy of the work with the following
inscription on the title-page: "Henry Broadhurst,

76 Ibenrs Broabburst
Esq., M.P. With the Author's kind regards and
grateful recollections."
From this It will be gathered that for some years
previous to 1883 I had been Infrequent coramunlca-
tlon, both by letter and by personal interviews, with
this distinguished lawyer. The recollection of my
first Interview with him I retained very vividly for
many a long day. Not that he showed me the slightest
lack of civility. On the contrary, he was raost con
siderate and courteous ; but his great stature and his
hard, penetrating look filled me with awe till I felt
like a pigmy In the presence of a giant. But this
not altogether unnatural feeling soon wore off, giving
place to a warm regard and admiration during our
soraewhat lengthened acquaintance, which I believe I
raight truthfully say ripened into friendship.
Another eralnent raan with whom I became ac
quainted at this time was Professor Toynbee. I first
met him at the Trades-Union Congress of 1877,
which he attended entirely unknown to those present.
He asked my permission to occupy a seat where
he raight closely follow the proceedings. I saw him
on many subsequent occasions, continuing to meet
him at Intervals until his death In 1883. I especially
remember hearing him deliver two lectures in the
Cambridge Hall, Newman Street, Oxford Street, in
the course of which he criticised Henry George's book
on Land Nationalisation with great zest and freedom.
But the second of the lectures made too great demands
upon his enfeebled frarae, and I fancy he never

©n tbe Ubresbolb of parliament 77
fully rallied frora the physical exhaustion Its delivery
entailed. He put into these lectures a vast amount
of Intense feeling, both passion and pathos, and his
strength was Inadequate to the iramense mental strain
to which It was subjected. I never met a man raore
absolutely In earnest, a soul so full of Its therae. His
intensity reserabled the spirit which actuated the
Hebrew prophets rather than the Laodicean attitude
characteristic of the modern reformer.
The reform of the criminal law was by no raeans
a solitary example of the way In which the efforts
of the Parliamentary Committee were exerted, not
merely for the working classes, but on behalf of the
' community at large. In fact, we fulfilled the functions
of the Radical wing of the Liberal Party. Reform
of the Jury Laws, amendment of the Summary
Jurisdiction Act, reduction and restriction of legal
costs and payraents to the Clerks of the Peace, modi
fications of the Shipping and Patent Laws were all
planks In our platform, which, affecting the working
man chiefly, undoubtedly touched much wider In
terests. This phase of our work procured for us the
co-operation of many raen entirely unassociated with
the Labour cause, who raanlfested a keen Interest In
the wider aspects of our work. Some even went so far
In their appreciation as to offer liberal contributions to
our funds. One of these distinguished admirers was
the late Lord Bramwell, who, to say the least of It, was
no thIck-and-thin supporter of the combination of
Labour against Capital. Yet he called on me one

78 Ibenrs Broabburst
day to express his personal thanks to the Committee
for our labours In the public Interest, and handed me
a cheque for ^^lo as a mark of his appreciation of what
had already been accomplished, and as an earnest of his
faith in the Committee's capacity to secure many of
the objects on which we had set our minds. But to all
such well-wishers I had but one reply — that while fully
conscious of the high compliment paid to the Committee
by the offer of raoney frora raen of such eminence, the
Coraraittee had raade it an Invariable rule to accept no
contributions from other sources than the trades-unions.
During the fifteen years of my secretaryship that rule
was never broken, and I believe I am justified in saying
that neither before nor since that period has money
been accepted from the general public by the Committee
in aid of its propaganda. This must not be taken to
mean that our wealth was so abundant that we could
afford to regard lightly any offers of financial help
from the outside. On the contrary, the Coraraittee had
difficulty in obtaining sufficient contributions from the
trades-unions to carry on Its work at all, and the
infrequence of our raeetlngs was dictated by the
raeagreness of funds to raeet the travelling expenses of
the members of the Committee. In those days the
holding of a coraraittee meeting involved considerable
expenditure. One or two raerabers traveUed from the
West of England, others from Scotland, and not a few
from the northern and midland counties of England.
Their railway fares and the regulation allowance of
twelve shillings and sixpence a day — not too liberal an

©n tbe ^bresbolb of parliament 79
allowance, considering the expensive nature of London
lodgings — made a serious drain upon our exchequer.
A raeeting of the full Committee seldom cost less
than forty pounds.
The next popular agitation In which I was Interested
had no direct connection with the cause of Labour.
Between 1875 and 1880 occurred the devilish atrocities
of the Unspeakable Turk in Bulgaria, and a voice was
heard in the land calling for vengeance upon the
murdering and ravishing crew let loose by the black
hearted tyrant at Constantinople. I became associated
with the Eastern Question Association, of which the
Duke of Westminster was President, but Mr. Gladstone
supplied the motive power. I was present at the first
gathering of a few people interested in the subject,
out of which the association grew. Among these few
were Mr. George Howard, the present Earl of Carlisle,
and William Morris. I devoted all my spare time
to the furtherance of the movement. I organised
a Workmen's Coraraittee to the Association and
personaUy conducted Its operations. On one occasion
I succeeded In obtaining In less than a week sorae
fifteen thousand signatures to a petition condemning
the Bulgarian Atrocities, and urging the Government
to take iramedlate action against the Turk, the
signatories consisting alraost wholly of office-bearers
of the various branches of the trades-unions in the
United Kingdora. This petition was conveyed to the
House of Commons on top of a four-wheeled cab,
and presented to Parliament by Mr. John Bright. To

8o Ibenrs Broabburst
complete the task of preparing this petition I was
compelled to employ relays of men night and day for
nearly a week. A continuous streara of postraen
staggering under sacks filled with letters containing
signatures flowed into ray offices. The whole affair
was a remarkable Illustration of what can be accom
plished in a week by a well-organised body. Mr.
Jaraes Rowlands, for some time Parliamentary repre
sentative for Finsbury, was ray chief assistant In
this great effort.
The first proceeding of the Eastern Question
Association was to convene a national conference
In St. James's Hall. The delegates were drawn from
the accredited representatives of Liberal Associations
and the Nonconformist Churches, as well as many
distinguished individuals belonging to all denominations
and all grades of Society. It Is difficult to give any
adequate Idea of the excited state of the popular raind
In London at that time, though the regrettable
occurrences at Exeter Hall in March, 1900, and the
uproar which followed upon the news of the relief
of Ladysmith, may enable my readers faintly to realise
the condition of affairs. Jingoism had grown rampant
under the glamour of the Beaconsfield Government ;
the Great Macdermott was trumpeting the Jingo
hyran, " We've got the ships, we've got the men,
we've got the money, too ! " nightly from the music-
hall stage ; and everywhere the fashionable club-lounger
and the raan in the street were possessed by the demon
of brutality and openly glorified the Turkish Empire In

©n tbe Ubresbolb of parliament si
their frenzied hatred of the Russian. In the midst of
this uproar the Eastern Question Association resolved
to hold their first public raeeting In Exeter Hall.
I had by this time attained some reputation as an
organiser, and so the arrangements for this gathering
were to a large degree entrusted to me. With the
aid of a number of well-known and experienced
working men I consented to organise this assembly,
whose voice was to condemn the Eastern policy of
the Government, and support Mr. Gladstone's efforts
on behalf of the Balkan States.
It was a great undertaking, demanding much careful
planning, but we spared no pains to make the gathering
a thorough success. Admission was by ticket only,
and these tickets were distributed among the political
and trades-union associations of the metropolis. We
had a large staff of stewards present at the entrances
and In the hall itself, supported by a numerous body
of police to regulate admission. It was arranged that
the doors should be opened an hour before the time
fixed for the commencement of the meeting. How
to entertain the huge crowd during this Interval was
a problem that beset us, and we solved it by pro
viding some music. One of my former mates at the
mason's bench was organist at a West End place of
worship, and I knew that his choir was composed
entirely of working raen and women. Having secured
the consent of the proprietors of Exeter Hall to
use the organ, I Induced my friend and his choir to
lend us their services. I then proposed to William
6

82 Ibenrs Broabburst
Morris that he should write an inspiriting song to
be rendered as a prelude to the Chairman's address.
The following Is a copy of Morris's verses, which
were sung to the air of " The hardy Norsemen's
home of yore " : —

WAKE, LONDON LADS!
BY WILLIAM MORRIS
Wake, London lads ! wake, bold and free !
Arise, and fall to work.
Lest England's glory come to be
Bond-servant to the Turk !
Think of your sires ! how oft and oft
On freedom's field they bled.
When Cromwell's hand was raised aloft,
And kings and scoundrels fled.
From out the dusk, from out the dark,
Of old our fathers came.
Till lovely freedom's glimmering spark
Broke forth a glorious flame :
And shall we now praise freedom's dearth
And rob the years to come,
And quench upon a brother's hearth
The fires we lit at home?
O happy England, if thine hand
Should forge anew the chain.
The fetters of a tortured land,
How were thy glory vain !
Our starving men, our women's tears.
The graves of those we love.
Should buy us curses for all years,
A weight we might not move.

©n tbe Ubresbolb of parliament 83
Yea, through the fog of unjust war
What thief on us might steal.
To rob us of the gifts of yore.
The hope of England's weal?
The toilsome years have built and earned.
Great men in hope have died;
Shall all the lesson be unlearned,
The treasure scattered wide?
What ! shall we crouch beneath the load.
And call the labour sweet.
And, dumb and blind, go down the road
Where shame abides our feet?
Wake, London lads ! the hour draws nigh,
The bright sun brings the day;
Cast off' the shame, cast off the lie,
And cast the Turk away !
A copy of this song was handed to every person
entering the hall, and the Rev. G. M. Murphy, a
Nonconforralst minister of much note In South London,
read It out verse by verse In the old Methodist
fashion, after which the choir sang It twice to accustom
the audience to the time and tune. The effect when
the burning words were thundered forth by the vast
assembly was electrifying. I believe this was the first
occasion on which music and singing were introduced
to while away the time of waiting at a political
raeeting ; since then the practice has grown rapidly Into
favour, until It has now become practically universal.
A trusty band of sympathisers had been drawn
up at the two entrances of the hall. They were
all acquainted with the features of the leaders of the
Jingo mob, and their experience of the London rough

84 Ibenrs Broabburst
gave thera an almost Intuitive knowledge of the kind
of individuals who would seek adraission for the pur
pose of raaking a disturbance. Notwithstanding these
precautions, raany Jingo syrapathisers raanaged to
get in ; but their efforts to interrupt the proceedings
proved abortive In face of the overwhelming mass
of sympathy with the objects of the meeting. I took
my turn at one of the doors In order to see what
was going on, and I marked one powerful young
fellow, who I felt certain was bent on mischief, making
a rush for the haU. Seizing him by the collar, I
threw hira to the floor, and a policeman — over six
foot four, one of the finest specimens of humanity
I have ever seen — caught him up by the extremities
and carried him bodily out into the street. This
action had a striking effect on the mob outside, and
no further attempts at disturbance occurred. The
result of the raeeting was a great success In the way
of enheartening the association and its supporters,
and all who were present agreed that it marked a new
epoch In the public attitude towards the Eastern
Question. A second venture In the same direction, however,
proved abortive. It was proposed to hold a mass
meeting In the Agricultural Hall, at which Mr.
Gladstone was to be present and make a speech. After
a considerable amount of time and raoney had been
spent on the preparations and the raost elaborate
precautions against Interruption and attack from the
outside had been arranged, Mr. Gladstone was induced

©n tbe Ubresbolb of parliament 85
by his friends, who were alarmed at the uproar created
by the announcement of the meeting, to advise the
Workmen's Committee to abandon the Idea. Wide
spread and acute disappointment was felt by the
working classes all over London ; but our chagrin was
lessened by the receipt of the following letter from
Mr. Gladstone explaining his reasons for withdrawing
his promise to speak : — " 73, Harley Street,
"February loth, 1878.
"Dear Sir,—
" I have to acknowledge the receipt of the Resolution
passed yesterday at a Meeting of the Workmen's Neutrality
Committee ; and I cannot feel any surprise that you and
your coadjutors, promoters of the Meeting at the Agricul
tural Hall, should, after the passing of such a Resolution
by a body so trustworthy, have resolved to proceed no
further with the plan at the present moment.
" In your end and aim, which, as I understand them, were
to support the Government in all measures taken in the
interest of peace and of freedom, I have received ample
evidence that the great mass of the working men of this
country are firmly united with you. Nor can I think that
your preliminary labours have been thrown away, when
I learn that they have supplied you with proof of the
anxiety, not of thousands only, but of tens of thousands,
without reference to domestic politics, to testify this feeling
by their presence and attention at a calm and orderly
assemblage. " As to the means you had chosen, the question is a nice
one, what amount of urgency in the actual state of public
affairs is such as to justify you exposing masses of the
people to the possible inconveniences which, in Meetings

86 Ibenrs Broabburst
on a vast scale, it is often practicable for a few handfuls
of persons, opposed to sober discussion, to bring about.
The courage with which, upon a new change of circum
stances, you have taken upon yourselves the responsibility
of this choice appears to me to increase, and not to
diminish, your claims to the confidence of the great bodies
of working men on whose behalf you act.
" I remain, dear Sir,
" With sincere respect,
" Faithfully yours,
"W. E. Gladstone.
"Mr. H. Broadhurst."
About the same tirae a large meeting of repre
sentative working raen was summoned to consider the
advisability of holding a demonstration in Hyde Park
In support of Mr. Gladstone's position. Unfortunately,
a division of opinion on the question of the day on
which the demonstration should be held occurred, and,
if I remember rightly, Mr. Bradlaugh threw all the
weight of his great influence into the scale for holding
It on a Sunday, with the result that when a vote was
taken Sunday was decided upon by a majority of one.
I Iraraedlately withdrew from the proceedings, for I
felt certain that the trades-unions would not turn
out on a Sunday, whereas if a working-day, especially
Saturday, had been fixed upon, I knew there was every
chance in favour of unanimous co-operation. Sunday
meetings for trade or political purposes were then
almost unknown In London. My misgivings were
confirmed by the event, for the demonstration resulted
In a fiasco, partly due to faulty organisation. Great

©n tbe ^bresbolb of parliament 87
confusion ensued, and Mr. Bradlaugh and others were
personally assaulted.
As my readers will notice frora the address on his
letter, Mr. Gladstone was at this time living In Harley
Street. The rampant Jingoism of London subjected
hira to every forra of brutal and vulgar Insult, and
Indeed for him, as for many other prominent opponents
of the Turk, it was almost unsafe to go out unattended.
In the provinces, however, quite another state of affairs
obtained, and the tide of public opinion was over-
whelralngly on Mr. Gladstone's side. One of the
raost enthusiastic and brilliant gatherings ever held in
Birmingham asserabled In Bingley Hall to support his
policy. His arrival In the midland city reserabled the
return of a great and victorious warrior. It required
all the skill of the renowned police force of Birmingham
to maintain order in the streets among the thousands
of people, almost delirious with excitement, who lined
every street through which Mr. Gladstone passed to
and frora the raeeting — In fact, I believe in all the
raain thoroughfares strong barriers were erected to
keep back the admiring crowds. I shall never forget
the scene in the hall itself. Three speeches delivered
that night indelibly Impressed themselves on my
memory — the speeches of Mr. Gladstone, the late
Dr. Dale, and Mr. (now Sir) Henry H. Fowler. I
think I am right In saying that this was the first
occasion on which Mr. Gladstone raet the Methodist
lawyer who was so soon after to become closely
associated with him in the House of Commons.

88 Ibenrs Broabburst
The soul of the country was stirred to Its very
depths by the marvellous eloquence, the touching
pathos, and the burning passion of the great Liberal
leader's speeches. I shall not be guilty of exaggera
tion if I say that the Nonconformists of Great Britain
to a man, ay, and a woman, had ranged themselves
on his side. They looked upon him as the deliverer
of nations, the Inspired leader of peoples, as a
giant of unsurpassed strength wrestling with and
conquering the powers of Injustice and oppression.
His country was the world ; mankind of every colour
and creed were his brothers. Not once In many
centuries does a nation possess a son who commands
such universal and almost Inexhaustible admiration
as was lavished upon William Ewart Gladstone In
those days. I have often felt that at this period
many a raan would have esteemed it an honour and
counted it a happy martyrdom to die for the great
Chieftain. In those days I saw much of Mr.
Gladstone, frequently having to caU at his house.
Sometimes he would visit me at my offices at Charing
Cross ; and frora that tirae until his retlreraent from
the political arena no man gave me a firmer grip of
the hand, a heartier greeting, or raore encouraging
words, than our beloved leader on every occasion
when I came In contact with hira. I took part in
nearly every public event connected with the Eastern
Question and the Bulgarian Atrocities, and this brought
me into close contact with a class of people whom
I otherwise should never have met.

©n tbe trbresbolb of parliament 89
Before I leave this account of my pre-ParHamentary
days I must refer to one other event connected with
trades-unionism, an event disastrous In many ways
to men and to employers. It happened In this way.
The masons employed on the new Law Courts asked
for an increase of wages amounting to a penny an hour.
The contractor responded by offering a halfpenny
an hour by way of compromise. But this the men
refused, and a prolonged strike resulted. There was
nothing at all remarkable about that ; but a new
move was made by the employers, who, for the first
time In the history of Labour In this country, took
carefuUy planned and effective measures to Import
foreign labour on a large scale. France, Germany,
and Italy were ransacked by the Employers' Association
for masons, and raen were even Imported from New
York. This procedure Introduced a new feeling of
bitterness into the eternal struggle between Capital
and Labour. The difficulty of reasoning with the
Italians and Germans, owing to linguistic differences,
rendered picketing practically useless ; with the French
no trouble was experienced, for the all-sufficient reason
that, so far as I reraeraber, not a single Frenchman
crossed the Channel to oppose us. But a large number
of Italians and Germans, particularly the former, were
brought over under the auspices of the Employers'
Association. The only way to open up communica
tions with these foreigners was to organise an efficient
band of Interpreters ; and this, with our limited
resources, proved by no means an easy task. We had

90 Ibenrs Broabburst
to secure reliable men In syrapathy with the cause
of Labour, and having obtained them, one of the
Committee had always to be on the spot to see that
our desires were duly carried out, and that the
Interpreters were not " got at " by the employers.
The first batch of Germans came from North
Prussia ; to raeet these raen and to get between them
and the employers' agents without bringing ourselves
within the meshes of the law demanded considerable
skill, sorae daring readiness of resource, and above all a
free expenditure of money. The Germans took kindly
to the liberal supply of food, drink, and tobacco
gratuitously provided by our Coraraittee ; but I must
do them the justice of saying that I never remember
seeing one of them Intoxicated. We entertained them
as royally as our circumstances admitted, and they
enjoyed our companionship, what was lacking In know
ledge of the two languages being supplied by signs and
tokens of good fellowship. We gave them the best
views of London obtainable by drives through the
streets and trips on the river ; we showed them all
the sights by day, and the nights we passed in con
viviality and the singing of our respective national
songs, which seemed to be enjoyed with a zest in
proportion to our Inability to understand each other's
language. When subsequently we " rounded up " our
flock (to use a shepherd's metaphor) and carried them
in triumph down the river for reshipment home, we had
the satisfaction of feeling that at last we were relieved
of one of the greatest burdens ever imposed upon us

©n tbe XTbresbolb of parliament 91
In strike or lock-out. The fraternal farewells were
prolonged and hearty, and an onlooker might well
have fancied he was witnessing the parting of beloved
comrades-in-arms, rather than the farewells of men,
strangers alike by nationality and tongue. We were
greatly struck by the smartness and superior intelligence
manifested by a number of the Teutons hailing from
Berlin ; and It required no extraordinary acumen to
see that if these men had stayed we should have found
In them formidable competitors. Fortunately for us,
these very men were the most willing, not to say
anxious, to yield to our wishes and to return to their
native land when they discovered the false pretences
under which they had been lured to London.
The Italians were men of a very different type, by
no means as intelligent or possessing the same physique,
and we found them difficult to get hold of. In fact,
our atterapts to Intercept them mostly fell through ;
the greater number reached the works and continued
in eraployraent until the end of the dispute. But the
most difficult of all to deal with were the New York
men, though I do not think they were American-born.
They were about the keenest men at a bargain I have
ever corae across. Their Inexhaustible wants araazed
us ; try as we would we could never satisfy thera ;
and after squeezing our organisation like a sponge,
they deserted to the eneray and started work !
Of course these endeavours to wean the foreigners
frora the employers entailed an enormous cost on
the Masons' Society. The provision of food and

92 f)enrs Broabburst
lodging for the Immigrants, the expenditure on sight
seeing to keep thera In good humour, added to the
burden of supporting our own members out of work,
had a devastating effect upon the financial resources
of the Union. Resort was had to a general levy, with
the usual chlUIng effect upon the weak and less
enthusiastic members. During a part of the time
those members of the Union who were In employment
In London paid a shIUIng a day In addition to the
usual contribution, and this brought their weekly pay
ments to a total of seven shillings — a severe strain on
the loyalty of the men. In addition, those members
who had saved any money advanced it or sorae part
of It (as the case might be) to the central office. By
this means, coupled with the credit obtained from the
licensed houses to which our lodges and relievlng-
statlons were attached, we were able to discharge all
our pressing liabilities, and none of the sick or infirm
suffered any considerable inconvenience by reason of
deferred payments. In those days It was a common
practice in times of stress for the landlord of the public-
house at which the branch of the Union was located,
to aUow payraents due to hira to stand over till it was
convenient to discharge the account. He would even
advance money out of his own pocket to the Union
without charging interest, and without using the in
fluence thus obtained to induce the men to drink more
than their custora.
This was the last Labour struggle with which I was
personaUy associated. At the time I was not working

©n tbe ^bresbolb of parliament 93
at ray trade, and I took no part in the executive work
of directing the strike. Indeed, I had been opposed
to the policy which led up to It, being convinced that
with a little raore caution and discernraent this
disastrous struggle, like raany of the wars history
records, raight have been avoided. But the majority
decided otherwise : an open rupture with the employers
followed ; and when that had occurred I felt It my
duty to assist In strengthening a position undesirable
in Itself. But I only entered the arena when specially
Invited to do so by the Strike Committee. There
was one occasion during the dispute when It raight
have been settled by arbitration. Mr. George Godwin,
the editor of The Builder, offered his services
through rae as arbitrator or Intermediary to bring
the contending parties to a settlement. The offer
was coraraunlcated to a specially convened meeting of
delegates, but unfortunately was rejected by them.
Two raonths later they deeply regretted their mistake ;
but It was too late : the contest was fought out to
the bitter end, to the loss of both sides and to the
disorganisation of the masons and their Society. One
consequence of this dispute and the importation of
foreign labour was the revival of the question of
an International coraraittee representing the workers
of all European countries and the United States.
Although even now this matter has not advanced
far, certain steps were taken which brought this
desirable goal nearer in view.

CHAPTER VI
WITHIN THE PRECINCTS
DURING the period when the Eastern Question
occupied men's minds to the detriment of all
other questions, the subject of Labour representation
in Parliament was not entirely forgotten. Although
the League specially formed to proraote the cause
had practically ceased to exist, the seed sown by
it was taking root. The Parhamentary borough of
Stoke-upon-Trent had twice been contested In the
Interest of Labour without success. In 1878, in view
of the approaching General Election, the Liberal and
Labour Party of the borough met, and after consultation
Invited Mr. William Woodall, a local manufacturer,
and myself to contest the constituency against the
two sitting members, both Conservatives — Mr. Robert
Heath, who owned large coal and iron works In the
neighbourhood, and was very popular, and Dr.
Kenealy, the defender of the Tichborne Claimant.
From this time until the election I was naturally a
frequent visitor to the Potteries towns Included in
the borough of Stoke. I addressed many public
meetings during the two years of ray candidature,
though none of thera, curiously enough, were exclusively
94

Mitbin tbe precincts 95
trades-union gatherings. I found the work-people of
these towns the raost intelligent and broadralnded
of any industrial coraraunitles I had hitherto met.
Their one desire was that I should succeed, and
to secure success they wisely recognised the necessity
of obtaining the support of all classes. They were
consequently content that I, though prImarUy a
representative of Labour interests, should fight the
election on general political principles. I had, when
first approached on the subject, refused to listen to
the proposal, feeling that ray time was fully occu
pied by my duties as Secretary of the Parliamentary
Committee, and the prospect of contesting a con
stituency consisting of some half a dozen towns, each
of sufficient Importance to possess Its own local
governing authorities, and representing large com
mercial Interests, looked too serious to gain an easy
consent from me. Besides, I considered ray slender
income totally inadequate to meet the demands of a
House of Commons life. But the combined pressure
of Liberal and Labour Parties In the constituency was
too strong for rae ; my own feelings were overruled,
and I accepted the Invitation.
When the dissolution carae at last, I becarae
painfully alive to the difficult project to which I
was pledged. With ray colleague, Mr. Woodall, I at
once embarked on a series of raeetlngs which in
about six weeks had totalled up for each of us be
tween sixty and seventy separate gatherings. The chief
towns were TunstaU, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Fenton,

96 Ibenrs Broabburst
and Longton, with districts like Etruria, Cobridge,
Longport, and others thrown In. I found In my new
occupation all the elements of excitement. We seldom
finished our last meeting before midnight, and occa
sionally it was nearer one o'clock than twelve before
I could end my day's round of oratory and sit down
to dinner. As the next day's work began at 7.45 a.m.
with a round of the polling-stations, my margin of
sleep was narrow. But it was a fine contest : the whole
borough seeraed one continuous mass-meeting ; and
our gatherings were all enlivened by vocal and Instru
mental music. We had the advantage of an extremely
popular townsman as the Chairman of one Election
Coraraittee, Mr. John Nash Peake ; but this influence
was counteracted by the local Influence of Mr. Robert
Heath, who employed a great body of raen, and was
a native of the district, retaining raany characteristics
of his earlier and less prosperous years. He had sat
for the borough since 1874, and his ample means
enabled him to bring into play to an almost unlimited
extent all the legitimate machinery of electioneering.
In those days It was legal to use hired vehicles to
bring voters to the poll, which closed at four In the
afternoon, and not at eight o'clock, as It now does.
When the eventful day arrived streams of con
veyances of every shape and form fiUed the streets
flaunting Mr. Heath's colours ; while, unless my
meraory plays rae false, neither ray colleague nor
myself had a single vehicle at our disposal except
that In which we drove through the different towns.

Mitbitt tbc precincts 97
During the contest Dr. Kenealy had practically dropped
out of sight. Certainly no notice was taken of his
candidature, and no reference was made to hira from
our platforms. The Heath Interest was directed mainly
against myself as a stranger and a Labour candidate,
and for a time I thought myself doomed to failure.
However, the result proved that the enthusiasm mani
fested at our meetings, and the demonstrations of
popular favour in the streets, were genuine expressions
of the feelings which animated the voters, for both
Liberal candidates were returned with a combined
majority of over ten thousand votes.
The wild scene of the election will never be effaced
from ray raeraory. Every factory and workshop
was closed. The streets were lined with enthusiastic
crowds from early raorning till late night. A pro
cession of Pottery girls, dressed In their best and
decorated with the Liberal colours, paraded the streets,
encouraging the voters to support the Liberal cause,
and doing rauch to stiraulate the energy of those
over-confident people who are often the cause of the
loss of an election. On the day after the poU the
two Merabers were called upon to drive through
the whole length of the Potteries district. In many
cases work had not been resumed, and the whole
country-side seemed to have given itself up to the
celebration of the great victory. In Longton market
place enthusiastic supporters seized rae and carried rae
round and round the square shoulder high, to the
no small risk of my hmbs, my niece watching the
7

98 Ibenrs Broabburst
procession with mingled amusement and terror from
a coign of vantage near the Town Hall. It Is not
too rauch to say that on this occasion the wives of
the voters and the working girls engaged In the
Potteries showed a power and influence over the
fortunes of the election which I have never since
witnessed in the same degree, either In my own contests
or in the great number of elections In which I have
taken part all over Great Britain.
As an example of this Influence let me mention an
incident that occurred In the midst of the campaign
preceding the election. My colleague, Mr. Woodall,
had previously taken an active part In School Board
work In Burslem. The Tories fastened upon this
fact to make a determined attack upon the policy
of popular education. They endeavoured to Incite
the worst passions of the working classes against
him by accusing him of causing unnecessary and
extravagant expenditure to the ratepayers. These
efforts were mainly concentrated on Longport, whose
walls were plastered with posters making these accu
sations In the biggest type obtainable. Speaking at
a large midday raeeting In the town, I took up the
cudgels on Mr. Woodall's behalf, clalraing that If there
was one thliig more than another that entitled him
to their suffrages it was this very fact that he had
Insisted upon the best class of Instruction being Im
parted by the most competent teachers to their boys
and girls. I enlarged on the value of education,
pointing out that no class of society held a monopoly

Mitbin tbe precincts 99
of brains, and that the children of the poorest araong
them, if they had equal opportunities with the rich,
would be as receptive as the boys and girls of the
wealthiest In the land. Immediately in front of me
sat an exceptlonaUy robust and weU-buIlt woman,
clasping to her bared breast an Infant, who appeared
to be only a few raonths old, but showed plain signs
of having Inherited the splendid physique of his raother.
These two I took as Illustrations of ray argument,
and Immediately mother and child became the cynosure
of every eye. I referred In complimentary terras to
the fine proportions of the pair, asking my critics
whether that child, given the same opportunities of
training, would not equal In Intellectual attainments
any child born of wealthy parents. If means and
opportunities were provided to develop his faculties,
I maintained that for aught we knew the Infant raight
in the future be a great soldier, sailor, poet, or statesman.
As I proceeded In this impassioned strain I saw the
mother clasping her child tighter and tighter to her
bosom, and when the meeting was over she came up
and gave me a slap on the shoulder that nearly sent
me sprawling on my face, assuring rae with an eraphatic
adjective not now comraonly used in polite society
that If her raan didn't vote straight for Woodall and
Broadhurst she would give him the handsomest licking
he had ever had In his life. This declaration, delivered
In the loudest of tones, secured a far more enthusiastic
ovation than ray eloquence had aroused. My ex
perience of her Influence exhibited in the touch upon

100 Ibenrs Broabburst
my shoulder convinced me that in the whole of the
constituency we should not find a sturdier supporter
than "her man."
During the contest I put up at a commercial hotel,
the fi-eehold property of the landlord who presided
over its hospitable board. Curiously enough, it was
the rendezvous of the leading Conservatives who were
working in Mr. Heath's favour ; yet I have never
been treated better or enjoyed greater privacy than
during my four weeks' residence at this house. I
became fast friends with mine host, and since his death
his widow has remained a friend of my family circle,
though she has never abated one jot or tittle of her
sturdy adhesion to the Conservative Party.
The contest over, I hastened back to ray secretarial
duties and devoted myself assiduously for a couple
of weeks to raaking up for lost time. The House of
Coraraons was no strange place to me ; to many of
the members I had been personally known for several
years. I had constantly led deputations to the leading
politicians on both sides of the House, and on many
occasions friendly consultations had taken place between
prorainent Front Bench men and myself as the repre
sentative of the trades-unions. With the officials In
and about the precincts I was also pretty intimately
acquainted, as in my position of Secretary to the
Parhamentary Coraraittee I had enjoyed the entree of
the Lobby from 1873. Consequently, in many instances
I needed no formal Introduction to the members of
the House ; on the contrary, I was enabled to perform

Mitbin tbe precincts loi
that pleasing duty to my coUeague, who was making his
first entry, and whose knowledge of his fellow-merabers
was extremely limited.
The result of the General Election was an unmis
takable justification of the foreign policy advocated by
Mr. Gladstone while In Opposition, and a material
strengthening of the work of the Eastern Question
Association. The theatrical character of Lord
Beaconsfield's return from Berlin and other incidents
of the Jingo campaign quickly faded from memory ;
Liberalism was In the ascendant, and Mr. Gladstone
sat for the second time on the Treasury Bench as
Prime Minister of Great Britain and Ireland.
During the preceding five or six years I had thought
ray work sufficiently heavy and exhausting, and had
Imagined that It would be next to Impossible to add
to my undertakings and engagements. This proved
to be a singular delusion, for In the years that followed
my entry to the House my labours may be said to
have been doubled and ray opportunities for rest
proportionately lessened. Nothing but ray Iron con
stitution and enthusiasm for the work could have
sustained me In this trying period.
I found myself face to face with an entirely new
situation, Imposing new responsibilities and requiring
larger raeans. During my raurried life, which cora-
menced at nineteen years of age, I had always practised
a fair measure of frugality ; but a seat in Parliaraent
and a salary of ;^I50, out of which I had to pay for
any clerical assistance I required, seemed utterly

I02 "Ibenrs Broabburst
Incongruous. But the situation had to be met, and
I met It by maintaining the same habits at home
and abroad as before my election, with the exception
of such changes as were unavoidable when Parliament
was sitting. In the matter of dress I followed the
same line of conduct. For years past all my clothes
had been made at home by my wife, and for several
years of my Parliamentary life my wife remained
ray only tailor — a circumstance which I fancy is
unique in the history of the English Parliament. But
with all these economies my financial position was
far frora comfortable.
Having gained the right to sit in the House, with
Mr. Macdonald and Mr. Burt as ray Labour colleagues,
I felt, as Secretary of the Parllaraentary Committee, I
ought to take advantage of the new Parliament and
the presence of the Liberal Party on the Speaker's
right hand to do soraething definite and substantial
at an early stage on behalf of the workers of the
United Kingdom. The result of the pressure I
was able to apply was that the Government decided to
bring in a Bill dealing with employers' liability to
compensate workmen for Injuries received In their
service. The Bill was put Into the charge of the
President of the Local Government Board, Mr.
Dodson, afterwards Lord Monk Bretton, and It was
down for the second reading in the month of June.
On the night preceding the debate I was summoned
to Oxford to what proved to be the death-bed of my
mother, and I did not reach horae again until the

Mitbin tbe precincts 103
early hours of the next morning. I was engaged all
the day with some trades-union deputations ; and thus
it was under circumstances of great depression and
physical exhaustion that I rose to make my maiden
speech before the Mother of Parhaments — an ordeal
that raust be endured before Its hateful nature can
be fully realised. Sorae there are who can undergo
this searching trial without flinching, but not raany.
As I rose from my seat a strange feeling of Isolation
crept over rae, and when I had uttered the words
" Mr. Speaker," I felt as If the floor were opening to
swaUow me, and I alraost wished ray feeling would come
true. But after a few minutes I overcame my nervous
ness and let myself go as freely as if I were addressing
a gathering of labourers or artisans. I spoke for
about forty minutes, and Immediately I sat down Mr.
Gladstone came to me, and with hearty congratulations
and a warm shake of the hand bade me welcome to
the House. His example was followed by Sir John
Holker, the late Attorney-General in Disraeli's Ministry,
and by some other members. I experienced a vast
feeling of relief at having made my bow to that critical
assembly. Physically and mentally, It was the most
unfortunate night of the whole year that I could have
been called upon to make my maiden effort ; but
circumstances dictated the occasion, and I had to meet
It as best I could. From that raoraent ray fear of the
House was dispelled, and when occasion arose I seldom
hesitated to Impose myself on its attention.
Although the Employers' Liability Bill was in the care

104 Ibenrs Broabburst
of Mr, Dodson, and owed rauch to his able assistance
In the various stages of Its progress through Parliament,
yet the technical pairt of the work fell entirely to the
share of Sir Henry Jaraes, the Attorney-General, and
Sir Farrer HerscheU, the Solicitor-General, The
Coraraittee stage of the Bill was fought with great
persistency by some of the large employers, assisted
by able legal raerabers of the House. Despite the
strenuous opposition the Bill becarae law In January,
1 8 8 1 . This was a gre3,t triumph for the trades-unions,
which for fourteen years had persistently agitated
for the recognition of the principle, and had under
gone the searching ordeal of the Select Committee
of 1876-7. We were not fully satisfied with the Act,
which possessed some glaring defects, as we had not
failed to point out during Its passage through Parha
ment. For example, It did not put an end to the
doctrine of " Coraraon Eraployraent," which, even after
twenty years raore of ceaseless effort, still flourishes to
a certain extent. At the sarae tirae, we fully recog
nised that It established a number of great and broad
principles upon which a further superstructure could
be erected In subsequent years.
I did not feel disposed to rest content with this
legislative triumph, but turned my attention to a fruit
ful cause of dissatisfaction among my constituents.
At that time all Quarter Sessions business relating to
the towns of the Potteries had to be transacted at
the county town of Stafford, nearly twenty miles
distant. When the facts of the case had been brought

Mitbin tbe precincts 105
before rae, I approached the Home Secretary with
the request that Hanley, the central town of the
Potteries district, might be constituted a Quarter
Sessions town. This concession obtained, I further
urged that Mr. Brindley, who belonged to an old
family In the neighbourhood and practised on that
circuit, should be appointed the first Recorder. In
this I was also successful ; and the first raeeting of
the Quarter Sessions was Inaugurated with much
ceremony. I took great pleasure in my success In
this direction, which entirely disproved the theory
that a Labour representative could be of no service
to the general and comraerclal Interests of his con
stituency, and would confine his attention to voicing
the desires of the working classes only.
During that Parliaraent raany enactments affecting
the Labour cause were successfully carried. The first
was the Merchant Seamen's Payment of Wages Act,
which abolished the penalty of imprisonment for
breach of contract In the case of seamen, and substi
tuted for the old system of Advance Notes, which It
made iUegal instruments, a system of Allotment Notes,
enabling sailors to make remittances to their relatives
and to open accounts at the Post Office Savings
Bank ; shipowners were also compelled to pay all
wages within two days of a ship's arrival In port.
Another beneficial section raade the granting of
licences to seamen's lodging-houses conditional on
the character of the landlord. A second Act also
related to the mercantile marine, and promoted the

io6 Ibenrs Broabburst
safety of the sailor by some stringent regulations
concerning the transport of grain cargoes, which must
now be carried In bags or longitudinal bulkheads.
To give a rough notion of the multifarious character
of the work of the Parliamentary Coraraittee of the
Trades-Unions, I will enuraerate a few of the matters
which It fell to my lot as secretary at this time to
deal with.
Public attention was called to the blood-poisoning
In the wool-sorting trade, and the Government was
induced to raake inquiries.
Complaints reached the Committee that the contents
of some books In use In National Schools were
prejudicial to the cause of trade combination, so an
Interview was arranged with Archbishop Tait, then
Primate of England, with the result that the offending
books were withdrawn from circulation. Although
the deputation which waited upon his Grace the
Archbishop at Lambeth Palace on this occasion was
coraposed of men who were far frora being noted
for their Anglican proclivities, yet Archbishop Tait
received them with the remarkable graciousness for
which he was justly celebrated. No deputation could
have received a warmer welcome, obtained a more
patient hearing, or experienced a readier desire to
meet Its request. The correspondence between his
Grace and myself which led up to the interview was
a fitting prelude to so pleasurable an interchange
of courtesies and so satisfactory a result.
Our attention had often been called to the

Mitbin tbe precincts 107
frequency of fatal accidents caused by entrusting steam-
engines and boilers to unqualified and lU-pald men.
Accordingly, the Committee introduced a BIU requiring
those In charge of such raachlnery to hold certificates of
competency In all cases where they had been employed
on such work for less than two years. Although
several BIUs dealing with boiler explosions have since
been passed, the root question — viz., the competency
of the men In charge — has not yet been settled by the
legislature. Probably the Workmen's Corapensatlon
Act of 1897 will Induce many employers to exercise
greater caution In the selection of men for this
iraportant work.
A subject entirely different in character which
took up rauch of the Committee's time was the
" overslzing " of cotton goods in Lancashire. It
was alleged that this practice was bringing British
goods into great disrepute in the Eastern markets,
and that the humidity of the weaving-sheds necessary
to Incorporate the foreign substance Into the cotton
goods Inflicted serious and often permanent injury
to the health of the workers. After innumerable
raeraorials, public raeetlngs, resolutions, and deputations
to the Government, the Horae Office was Induced to
send a raedical officer from the Local Government
Board, together with an experienced factory Inspector,
to Inquire Into the matter, with the result that the
complaints of the workers were admitted to be sub
stantially correct. A coramittee of experts was ap
pointed to investigate the whole subject ; but a sudden

io8 Ibenrs Broabburst
change of Government prevented iramedlate legislation,
and seven or eight years elapsed before effect could
be given to the reforms we suggested.
In 1883 Mr. Chamberlain, as President ofthe Board
of Trade, introduced a Bill relating to deep sea fishing.
Araong other regulations it contained a clause requiring
skippers engaged in the deep sea fisheries to hold a
Board of Trade certificate, and also to keep a log of
accidents and loss of life at sea, as well as a record
of punishments, payment of wages, and other matters
pertaining to the Interests of the man before the mast.
Another beneficial clause provided that Board of Trade
officers should act at each port in loco parentis for
boys without parents or proper guardians who wished
to become apprentices on fishing-boats. The Parlia
mentary Committee exerted all its Influence to back
up this raeasure affecting a large class of workers, and
it became law. I did my utraost to secure the insertion
of a clause raaking It corapulsory for a first raate to
hold a certificate ; but In this I failed, although this
useful addition to the law was legalised sorae years
later. The reform of the Patent Laws and the laws relating
to Imprisonraent for debt had long coraraanded the
attention of the Committee. Both questions were taken
up by Mr. Chamberlain, and Bills were brought In to
deal with thera In the session of 1883. This was the
first session in which a Grand Coramittee of the House
of Commons on Trade and Law was constituted. I
was appointed a member of this Committee, Close

Mitbin tbe precincts 109
application and unflagging attention to the business
In hand were absolutely essential to follow these two
raeasures intelligently ; and when It Is reraerabered that
in those days the House frequently sat till three or
even four o'clock in the morning, It wUl be understood
that ray first experience of Grand Committee work
was sufficiently trying. Eventually, by distributing the
aggregate cost of taking out a patent over a number
of years, the Patent Laws were rendered much less pre
judicial to the needy Inventor ; while In the matter of
the Bankruptcy Law I was enabled to carry an amend
ment by which, in the case of the bankruptcy of an
employer, a working man becarae entitled to the same
compensation as a clerk — viz,, four months' wages.
The same amending measure raised the value of house
hold goods, tools, etc., exempt from seizure for debt
from £10 to £20, I also took a share in passing
a Bill introduced by Mr. Samuel Morley to prohibit
the payment of wages in public-houses. It fell to
my lot to pilot this measure In Its later stages through
the House.

CHAPTER VII
A CHAPTER OF REFORMS
NOT long after these events I was called upon to
play the role, sufficiently coraraon In these days,
of Special Coraralssloner. This was not In the capacity
of a journalist, but In the Interests and at the direction
of the Parliamentary Committee. For seven years
incessant coraplaints had reached the Committee from
the " Black Country " concerning the condition of the
raen and women employed in the nail-, nut-, bolt-, and
chain-making industries. After careful Investigation
of the whole question and frequent consultations with
representatives of these trades, the Committee decided
to draw up a Bill prohibiting the employment In the
forges of girls under fourteen years of age. This BIU
secured the first place on a Wednesday afternoon In
May, 1883 ; and that I might be strengthened in my
advocacy of the measure by first-hand information,
I was Instructed to make a personal investigation.
In this work I was accompanied by a workman, the
acting-secretary of a local trades-union, and also by
a journalist, whoin at my suggestion the editor of
The Daily News deputed to write up the subject.
Great care was necessary to keep the news of our

a Cbapter of IReforms m
visit frora leaking out In advance, because It was
notorious that the hired children In the little smithies
mysteriously and rapidly disappeared whenever It was
rumoured that an Inspector or an Inquisitive stranger
was approaching.
We started on our tour of Inspection frora
Birmingham early in the morning, and by this
means were able to cover a large part of the
district before any warning of our presence could
be coraraunlcated to the workshops. What we saw
amply justified the proposals contained in the Com
mittee's Bill. In raany cases we found children of
both sexes and of ages ranging from tender years
to fifteen or sixteen, scantily clothed and badly fed,
working together In one tiny smithy about the
size of an ordinary cottage wash-house. They were
barely Instructed in the first elements of education ;
while the pittance they earned bore not the remotest
proportion to the sacrifice thus offered at the altar
of cheap goods.
I visited one poor little wisp of a mother between
six and seven on a raw February night. She was
making what seeraed to rae an endless chain, for
as fast as she had finished one piece of work,
another confronted her. I was alraost amazed that
she did not use the last embers of her vitality to put
an end to an existence as hopeless and confined as
that of any convict condemned to life Imprisonment
at Portland. Yet all her week of ceaseless labour
brought her was seven shillings, from which raust

112 Ibenrs Broabburst
be deducted cost of firing, charge for use of tools, and
a weekly payment to the woman who took carfe of
her last baby during the working-hours. These
deductions left a remuneration of no raore than three
shillings and sixpence for six days' strenuous labour
of a character only fitted for rauscular raen.
Elsewhere I found a bevy of girls engaged on
raaking spikes sorae eight inches long out of bar-Iron
nearly an inch In diaraeter. The proprietor of this
shop scowled savagely when I entered, and to my
cIvU Inquiry whether he did not think this rather
heavy work for young girls, gruffly answered with
a negative emphasised by an oath. Now, to cut
bar-iron of this thickness Into lengths requires the
expenditure of considerable force. In the first place,
one has to up-set It sufficiently to form a head, and
then to hamraer the other end to a point. For this
purpose the girls were required not only to wield a
heavy haramer with one hand whilst manipulating the
tongs In the other, but also to employ the right
foot on a treadle, which set in motion an instrument
called an " Oliver." This machine consisted of a
treadle-lever which actuated a heavy hammer In ad
dition to the one wielded by the right hand ; In other
words, the " Oliver " supplied the place of a second
right hand, the only difference between It and the
human " striker " being that it required no wages. In
my opinion, this duplication of physical force would
have entailed too great a strain on a sturdy man,
let alone a young girl of fourteen. The employer

H Cbapter of IReforms 113
asseverated that the work was perfectly easy, and that
I was deceived by appearances, ending In an Invitation
to try for rayself. Laying my pipe on a bench and
doffing my coat, I seized the tongs, gripped the bar-
iron, blew the bellows, and heated the metal. Then
carrying the red-hot bar to the anvU, I wielded the
hamraer with aU my force until I had formed the point
of the bolt, avoiding the use of the " Oliver," which
needed long practice to manipulate properly. When
I had finished the bolt I threw It Into a corner, exclaim
ing : " There you are ! I have done what you wanted,
and I should not like to stand ten hours a day at the
work even with the aid of the ' Oliver.' " The raan
stared in disappointed araazement, and could only
mutter, " Ay, raalster, thee's done that work afore
to-dee ! "
What the cunning rascal expected to see, and what
would have Inevitably happened to an unpractised
person, Was this. To the onlooker It appears a siraple
raatter to take a piece of Iron out of the forge, lay It
on the anvil, and hammer It Into shape. But, as a
matter of fact. If the iron is not kept exactly level
upon the anvil in the place where the hammer strikes
it, nothing will prevent its flying out of the grip of
the tongs, and probably Inflicting a serious wound upon
the striker's face. But the reader will reraeraber that
I had worked for a considerable tirae in a blacksmith's
shop during my youth ; so the old Instinct came
back at a moment's notice, and I recalled without
effort the one essential precaution, and thus was able

114 Ibenrs Broabburst
to finish the job without Injury and without gratifying
the genial proprietor's desire.
Before the date of the second reading of the BiU,
which I was appointed to move, I provided rayself with
a ralniature model of this " Oliver," fashioned of wood.
By holding It In ray left hand and manipulating the
lever with the fingers of my right hand I could
demonstrate the principles on which the machine
worked. When the day arrived I carried this model
Into the House of Commons before the Speaker had
taken the chair, and placed it beneath the seat I in
tended to speak from. During my speech, when I
arrived at the point where I was protesting In the
strongest terms against the use of the "Oh ver" by
women, and especially by young girls, I produced the
model frora beneath the bench and exhibited its work
ing to the amused and startled House, carefully
explaining to the Speaker that the machine was per
fectly harmless and would not on any account " go
off," an assurance not unnecessary in those days of
dynamite explosions and Fenian conspiracies.
This, I believe, was the first occasion on which the
Mother of Parliaments had received an object-lesson.
Araong many other journalistic comments, Mr. Punch
took the opportunity of dealing divertlngly with the
matter. I venture to reproduce the comments from
the diary of "Toby, M.P. " {Tunch, May 19th, 1883).
" Wednesday . — ' I knew what would happen, when
I let Playfair bring in those pots of Oleo-Margarine,'
the Speaker said this evening, as Lady Brand gave

H Cbapter of IReforms ns
us a cup of tea. ' " They're only little ones," Playfair
urged. " Yes," I said ; " that's true enough. If they
were the size of a sponge-bath, of course you wouldn't
bring them in." But I weakly yielded ; and now
here's Broadhurst brought In a nail-making machine,
which he calls an Oliver, and works away to Illustrate
the motion for the second reading of a BUl to amend
the Workshops Act.'
" ' Couldn't you have got Winn to have given him
a Rowland for his Oliver .'' ' I said, seeing the Speaker
was really distressed.
" ' No,' he answered sadly ; ' I WInn-a do. The
thing must be met by an Order of the House. It'll
grow till place becomes sort of workshop, and we'll
have to build a shed on the site of the old Law Courts
to keep the raaterlals for lUustratIng speeches. We
shall have Labouchere next bringing In a cobbler's
stall and showing how they make boots In Northampton,
whilst he pleads the right of the constituency to have
two representatives.'
" House a little startled when Broadhurst first
produced his machinery. Thought it might have
soraething to do with explosions. But only made
naUs. Most Interesting process. You put a piece
of iron-piping in at one end, turn a handle, and ten-
penny nails flow In abundance from other end.
" ' Dear rae,' said Bobby Spencer, who over the
ring-fence of his collar watched process with childish
dehght. (Subsequently, In cloak-room, tried his hand
with machine and made a few nails for private circula-

ii6 Ibenrs Broabburst
tion only). ' Really charming ; but should have
thought It would have brought down the price of nails.
Tenpence apiece seems a good deal, don't you know.'
"Thing sure to spread. Daresay, in moving Agri
cultural Holdings Bill to-morrow night, Dodson will
have a collection of spades, mowing machines, steam-
ploughs, and a few drain-pipes. Interesting In Its
way. Makes House a sort of superior Polytechnic ;
but likely to become inconvenient as custora grows.
Speaker's quite right. He ought to have put down
his foot on Playfair 's pots.
" Business done, — Miscellaneous. Threw out Broad
hurst's BIU, Oliver and aU, by swinging majority."
One of the chief factors In procuring this defeat
was the action of the Women's Rights people. My
main object was to prevent by legislation the employ
ment of girls under fourteen In these workshops.
As their parents could not afford to support them
until that age, the girls would be sent out as domestic
servants, or in some other capacity less degrading
and raore profitable than bolt-making. But the fine
ladles who desired political enfranchisement were up
in arms on behalf of the rights of women to become
bond-slaves before they reached maturity. So for a
time these people succeeded in binding the chains
of their unsexed sisters still tighter ; but it affords
me some measure of consolation to remember that
more than ten years afterwards the representatives of
the bolt-makers came to the Parhamentary Committee
appeahng for assistance In the amelioration of the lot

a Cbapter of IReforms 117
of the women employees, and that when asked by rae
what would be the most effective raanner of reraedying
their lot, they unaniraously declared that no proposal
submitted to them would accomplish their object so
successfully as the Bill I had Introduced In 1883.
In the same session Sir Henry James brought
forward his Corrupt and Illegal Practices Bill, and
when the House went into Committee upon it I
moved an Instruction that the official expenses of the
Returning Officer should be charged to the local rates
and not to the candidates. I divided the House,
but was beaten by a two to one majority. This
result was due to Mr. Gladstone, who pointed out that
the insertion of such a clause would be highly Incon
venient ; but he went on to promise that if I introduced
a separate Bill embodying such a clause he would
give it his support, and he believed it would receive
a large measure of favour In the House. Acting on
this hint, I subsequently Introduced a Bill on these
lines, but the luck of the ballot was against It, and
I could not secure an evening for its consideration.
Later on, at his request, I handed over the charge of
the measure to Mr. Sydney Buxton, who hitherto
has met no better fortune than I did.
At this time my work began to tell severely upon
me. My duties both In the office of the Parlia
mentary Committee and In the House Itself increased
in magnitude almost dally. The office was a place
of caU for raany foreign students of the econoralc and
political conditions of Great Britain, Americans being

ii8 Ibenrs Broabburst
the raost frequent visitors. This deraanded the ex
penditure of rauch time, the one thing I could least
afford to spare, and I was confronted with the Im
possibility of keeping the routine work of the office up
to date. Accordingly, I hired a clerk from a neigh
bouring establishment. He was a pensioner from a
Government office, possessing great ability, a thorough
knowledge of French, and was, in fact, a scholar and
gentleman. Unfortunately, he had one fault which
nuUIfied all his good qualities — he was too fond of
the bottle ! Many a time did I supply the miserable
creature with clothes and food, but as often the former
rapidly disappeared to the nearest pawnshop to supply
the wherewithal of drink. At last he was overcome
by a forgetfulness of the rights of property, a lapse
from the paths of rectitude which placed rae in a most
difficult position. I gave him notice to leave ; but
his earnest pleading and his oath of reformation broke
down my determination, and I allowed him to remain.
But a repetition of the fault finaUy severed our
association. By great good fortune I had Introduced to me
a young man who remained with rae until his
deeply lamented death In 1893. For the first
time in my life I experienced the benefit of having
an assistant In whom I could repose absolute confi
dence, and on whose work I could rely. He was
a strange young man, utterly unlike the average
youth. Possessing considerably more means than
I did, he was unaffected by the meagre salary I

a Cbapter of IReforms 119
could afford to pay. His one object In life was to
serve rae to the best of his abihty, and I can truth
fully say that no raan ever received raore thorough
devotion than he displayed to rae. When he first
came to me he had had no experience of office work
and was extremely retiring and shy. He had, how
ever, learnt shorthand, and soon became the fastest
and most accurate stenographer I have ever dictated to.
He could also readily read and write In the French
language, and after a time, though In a less degree. In
German. His attachment to rae became so great that
soon he filled the place of a devoted son rather than a
hired secretary. Not only was his assistance a great
relief to myself, but It was a decided advantage to the
trades-unions of the country. My salary had been
advanced to ;^i50 In 1881, and ultimately to ;^2oo
but out of this I had to pay for such office help as
I required, so that to obtain the services of one so
qualified as Mr. Maxwell in return for a merely
nominal remuneration was an extraordinary piece of
good fortune. His knowledge of French was par
ticularly useful, and saved the Coramittee and myself
much time and raoney. It often happened that caUers
at the office had but a scanty knowledge of English,
but nearly all could speak French. Hence Mr.
Maxwell's presence made comraunication easy.
While we were raaking raore or less headway In
Parliament with the measures I have mentioned, the
cause of Labour was not at a standstUl In the great
world outside St, Stephen's. The highly successful

I20 Ibenrs Broabburst
meetings of an International Trades-Union Congress
held in Paris in October, 1883, gave araple evidence
of the healthy state of the movement. Delegates
frora Unions in France, Italy, Spain, and Germany
were present, and the British trades were fairly repre
sented. The Parliamentary Committee sent Mr.
Bailey, Its Chalrraan, Mr. Burnett, its Treasurer, and
myself ; and other British delegates were present. The
Standing Orders regulating the procedure of this
gathering were, generally speaking, modelled upon
those of the British Trades Congresses.
It fell to ray lot to conduct raost of the corre
spondence between the English delegates and our
French hosts, and I took care to stipulate that as
far as possible Sunday raeetlngs should be avoided.
There was, it Is true, a reception held on Sunday
night ; but attendance was optional, and some of
us never went near It. Several evenings were
devoted to large public meetings In the industrial
quarters of Paris, and on every occasion these were
crowded with an enthusiastic audience. Unfortunately,
their success was somewhat marred by the Interrup
tions of the extrerae wing of the Labour Party In
the city, whose leaders were chiefly of Italian birth
and irabued with Anarchist ideals. Scenes of the
utraost confusion frequently occurred, the frenzied
shouts and utter Indifference to the calls of the Chair
being a revelation to the phlegmatic British workman.
Sorae of these scenes were highly amusing, I re
member in particular one Italian who presented himself

a Cbapter of IReforms 121
at two successive raeetlngs, and mounting the platform,
tore open his shirt and vest. Pointing to the wounds
on his breast received in fighting the battles of Liberty,
he declaimed at the top of his voice against capitalists
and bourgeoisie alike. This performance, though
highly draraatic, was unwelcorae to the greater part
of the audience, who had assembled to hear about the
progress of Labour in different parts of the world.
The only delegate who was master of two languages
was an Italian workman who spoke French raoderately
well. The speeches of the rest had to be translated,
which in sorae cases was an advantage, but in others the
contrary. This made the proceedings slow, and the
frequent Interruptions often prevented the full nuraber
*of speeches being delivered. Nevertheless, our Ignor
ance of French In no way prejudiced our audiences
against us, as the hearty receptions we raet with proved ;
and with wonderful intuition, due, no doubt, to the
quickness of the Gallic mind, the people managed to
cheer again and again at precisely the right points.
After hearing nothing but French for eight or
nine hours daily for nearly a fortnight one could not
help picking up many words, and on the occasion of
my speaking at a public raeeting In the Belleville
Arrondlssement — formerly Gambetta's constituency — I
ventured ray first two words in French before the
public. The chairman of the meeting had been a
working engineer, had become a raeraber of the Paris
Municipal Council, and had played a prominent part
in the Coraraune. When the Coramune was sup-

122 Ibenrs Broabburst
pressed by M. Thiers' Government the engineer
escaped to London, where he spent several years in
English workshops. He consequently spoke Enghsh
well, and delivered a raost elaborate oration, Intro
ducing me as a stonemason who had become a
member of that raost aristocratic Assembly, the
Parliaraent of England. He then assured his audience
that I could not speak a word of French, but
proraised that my speech should be translated by a
gentleman present for the purpose. When I began
with a few words of French evidently well enough
pronounced to reach their understanding, the whole
meeting rose In a body and cheered turaultuously,
till I was obliged to beg the chairman to Inform the
audience that ray vocabulary was exhausted, an
announceraent that elicited as loud a cheer as my
French Introduction. Before the meeting was half
way through the Italian element made Its presence
felt, and the scuffling and noise which ensued turned
what might have been a successful raeeting into a
bear-garden. Frora the platform it looked as though
murder was being committed ; but when the combatants
were at length separated, and I was expecting to see
a whole heap of corpses, to my surprise not a swoUen
face or a spot of blood was to be seen.
I shall always look back with pleasure upon this
visit to the French capital, because it gave me an
opportunity of making the acquaintance of the late
Mr. George Morland Crawford, the Paris corre
spondent of The Daily News, and his distinguished

a Cbapter of IReforms 123
wife. Through their kindness I met several French
men of note, I was especially dehghted to obtain
an Introduction to M. Clemenceau, who was present
at a breakfast party at Mr. Crawford's house. I
was greatly irapressed with M. Cleraenceau's strength
of character, and It was a keen pleasure to renew
the acquaintanceship a few years later In London.
Altogether, we regarded this Congress as the most
successful effort hitherto made to bring about an
International trades-unionism. But, for ray part, I
always despaired of any absolute unity between the
workers of Europe being brought about by the agency
of federated associations like the British Trades-Union
Congress. I felt assured that a raore practical mode
of procedure would be for the trades of each country
whose products competed with each other In the
world's markets to enter into friendly relations, and.
If possible, to regulate some of the conditions under
which such corapetltlon was conducted. Later on
this Idea was partially adopted by the textile trades
of Northern France and England, and It was still
further developed by the conference of English,
French, Gerraan, and Belgian ralners — a gathering
which has becorae an annual affair, I believe to the
benefit of all concerned.
The Congress attracted attention throughout Europe,
and the Press of raost countries published leading articles
dealing with our proceedings. Especially was this the
case in this country, where nearly every paper, dallies
and weeklies alike, devoted much space to the subject.

CHAPTER VIII
THE PROGRESS OF LABOUR QUESTIONS
THE year 1884 was full of activity In the
world of politics so far as the trades-unions and
the Industrial world generally were concerned. First
and foreraost stood the demand for assimilation of the
county to the borough franchise. Mr. Gladstone's
Government had enjoyed three years of power, which
had been employed to good advantage for the welfare
of the people. But already the political watchman
could see signs of the coming sunset ; and warned by
these tokens, the representatives of Labour felt that no
time raust be lost If the desired extension of the
franchise was to become anything beyond a dream.
Conservative workmen joined with their Liberal feUows
in the desire to see equality In relation to the baUot-
box between town and country. Thus In the ranks
of the labouring classes there reigned practical
unanimity on this question. It was desired to make
this state of affairs known to Mr. Gladstone, and to
assure him that whatever constitutional steps his
Government might see fit to take In the coming session,
he could rely on the undivided support of the people.
124

Ube progress of OLabour diuestions 125
At the behest of the Trades-Union Congress a national
deputation, representing every class of male worker
from all parts of Great Britain, was organised. It was
the largest, the raost representative, and the most
successful thing of the kind I have ever been re
sponsible for.
The Coraraittee found no difficulty whatever in
obtaining a sufficiently nuraerous deputation ; the
trouble was to regulate the nuraber of those desiring
to be present and to keep it within manageable
bounds. Then there was the verification of each
delegate's credentials, and the task of keeping thera
Informed of the arrangements. Another arduous
duty was the selection of speakers by the Coraraittee ;
It was essential to keep the nurabers down, and yet
every Interest had to be represented. Altogether the
deputation numbered two hundred and forty, and the
aggregate cost of the proceedings (each association
represented bearing Its quota of expenses) amounted
to ;£5oo. We were received by Mr. Gladstone In the
large Council-room of the Foreign Office, and every
thing went like clockwork. The speeches were short,
sharp, and to the point ; the whole proceedings
occupied less than an hour. It was a memorable
day's work, and its Influence reached all political
circles. This deputation was followed in the sumraer by the
striking Franchise Demonstration in Hyde Park.
Thousands of agricultural labourers marched through
the streets of London to the Park, where speakers

126 Ibenrs Broabburst
addressed them from seven platforms. Over one of
these I had the honour of presiding. The procession
assembled on the Embankment between Blackfriars and
Westminster Bridge, whence It proceeded by St.
Stephen's, Parhament Street, and Whitehall, to Hyde
Park. As we passed along Whitehall I remember
seeing Lord Carrington and a party of friends standing
at an open window In his house ; he greeted the
procession with enthusiastic cheers, and waved his hand
In token of encouragement. Among those at the
window was the Prince of Wales, apparently deeply
interested in the demonstration and pleased at Its
imposing appearance. His Royal Highness also waved
his hand In recognition of someone known to
him In the procession. So far as I am aware
this is the only occasion on which a member of the
Royal Family has practically taken part In a great
political raoveraent among the people. So enormous
was the length of the procession that the rear
did not enter the Park until some time after the
formal proceedings had ended. For precision of
raoveraent, orderliness, and effective display It was,
in ray opinion, by far the finest demonstration of
our time.
The Tory Party was enraged beyond measure ; and
Lord Randolph ChurchiU, in a speech at Edinburgh,
was driven to suggesting that the movement had no
strength or feeling behind It because It was unaccom
panied by any outburst of popular passion ! He
apparently wished his audience to believe that if the

trbe progress of OLabour CJuestions 127
people had been In earnest In their demands, the rail
ings of Hyde Park would have been levelled, as they
had been twenty years earlier. I have no hesitation
In saying that had the pohcy of Lord Derby's Govern
ment In 1866 been followed by the Liberal Administra
tion of 1884, popular rights would have been asserted
in a similar unhesitating manner. But In place of
obstruction and resistance the Home Office and the
police authorities offered every facility for the success
ful carrying out of the proceedings, and no damage
was done to even the sraallest shrub or flower In the
Park. I remember that a day or two after the demonstration
Mr. Lowther rose in the House to ask Mr. Shaw
Lefevre, the First Commissioner of Works, whether it
was true that persons had been employed at the
instance of the Government to remove some of the
fencing In Hyde Park which would have obstructed
the progress of the procession on the occasion of the
demonstration ; and further, whether this work was
done at the public expense. I imraediately jumped
up and Inquired of the Commissioner, before he
replied to the first question, whether it was true
that many Government employees were employed
all the year round for the purpose of keeping
In order a riding-track called Rotten Row for the
pleasure of a particular class of persons In the
metropolis. This suggested to Mr. Furniss the
humorous sketch which Is reproduced here, and In
which I am depicted riding a great war-horse bare-

128

Ibenrs Broabburst

backed, with a dumpy hat on ray head and a short
" cutty " In my mouth.
However, the Tory Party, recognising the weight
of the movement, soon came to terms with the Govern
ment, and a Franchise Bill was passed. This was
followed by an Act extending the hours of polling
frora four to eight o'clock at night, and by a
redistribution of seats. Thus the General Election of

,j^ .-c-^

MR. BROADHURST IN ROTTEN ROW.
{From Punch, iiy kind permission ofthe Proprietors and Mr. Harry Furniss).
1885 was fought under conditions which placed new
and wide political power In the hands of the work
ing classes. To many minds, even among prominent
statesmen, this large extension of popular rights seemed
to presage the Introduction of continuous Liberal rule
and the total demolition of the Tory Party. How
such prophecies, confident enough at the time, have
been falsified by the course of events. Is patent to aU.
But I must retrace my steps a little to refer to a

Ube progress of Xabour Ciuestions 129
debate which closely affected a raost important class
of workers, and In which I took the keenest Interest.
In May, 1884, Mr. Chamberlain Introduced a Bill
providing greater security of life and property at
sea. In a memorable speech of nearly four hours'
duration he formulated one of the gravest indictments
ever uttered against practices then In vogue in the
mercantile marine. Many a ship. It was fearlessly
asserted, would prove more profitable to her owner
at the bottom of the sea than If she arrived safely
In port. It was alleged that raany a man had grown
rich by the deaths of his under-paid victlras who
raanned his rotten " coffin ships." The shipping
interest In the House ¦ and out of It furiously opposed
the raeasure, and fought It tooth and nail. Of course,
the shipping trade contained then, as It does now,
many of the noblest and best of raen. But It was
undoubtedly true that others were steeped in the
foulest crime, and, like the ghastly monsters of the
deep sea, battened on the corpses of the poor sallormen.
The Opposition, however, succeeded in blocking the
Bill In Its second reading stage, and it was referred
to the Royal Coraraission, whose report Is lost In
oblivion. Yet If the country had grasped the signi
ficance of a quarter of the terrible facts contained In
Mr. Chamberlain's long speech, and had not been
rendered apathetic by the continual reports of terrible
shipping disasters which the newspapers contain, the
conscience of the nation would have demanded the
imraediate passing of this beneficent measure. 9

130 Ibenrs Broabburst
About this time I was kept busily engaged by a
great increase in the correspondence department of
the Parliamentary Committee's work. Communications,
mostly In the shape of requests for information and
guidance, poured In frora workers in the United States,
Canada, the Australasian Colonies, and, to a more
limited extent, from European countries, notably
France, Germany, Denmark, and Italy. Copies of
Acts of Parliament affecting Labour, draft Bills, and
reports of the Standing Orders of the Trades-Union
Congress were constantly despatched to various parts
of the English-speaking world. Much of the success
achieved by the organisation of Labour outside this
country, especially among our own kith and kin. Is
due to the lead given by British working men, the
encouragement they gave, and the hope they Inspired.
In the meantime our propaganda outside St.
Stephen's was being actively spread. The labours of
the Parliamentary Coraraittee were continually being
brought under the notice of the workers In aU parts
of the country. Conventions of delegates representing
various industries were frequently suramoned at some
central town, and I was generally Invited to address
them on the Importance of work In Parliament, ending,
of course, with an appeal for Increased aid to carry on
our labours. In many cases large pubhc meetings
were asserabled for the sarae purpose. These efforts
were not confined to England, for we soon found that
the Scottish workman had a keen appreciation of the
benefits to be derived from exercising pressure on

Ubc progress of Xabour (Siuestions 131
the House of Commons. At Greenock, Glasgow,
Aberdeen, Dundee, and Edinburgh, I attended very
successful trade meetings convened for this purpose.
I think It was In the winter of 1 88 1-2 that a rather
comic incident occurred. On my way frora Glasgow
to Aberdeen I encountered so severe a snowstorm that
I was compelled to stop from Saturday night to Monday
morning at Perth. Araong ray unfortunate fellow-
passengers who took refuge from the storm In the
sarae hotel was a Scottish rainister on his way from
Edinburgh to some remote country kirk, where he
was to preach his trial sermon as a candidate for the
ministry of that kirk. I vividly reraeraber the reserve
raahlfested at first by ray clerical friend, and how It
thawed under the genial Influence of a hot supper.
Seeing In rae an obscure person of no Importance,
he proceeded In no measured terms to abuse Mr.
Gladstone for sorae action he had taken In previous
years relating to Church patronage In North Britain.
By a progress of reasoning which baffled my wits
to follow he explained that but for Mr. Gladstone's
wickedness he could have been in possession of a
living without having to undergo the abominable
competitive process of trial sermons. As he continued
to dweU upon the unwelcome prospect before him
in the morning, and the examination to be undergone
at the hands of the congregation, his description of
the Grand Old Man's character grew still more violent
and vituperative.
As became a humble layman, I sat silent for a

132 Ibenrs Broabburst
long tirae In the presence of this youthful instructor
of mankind, until my patience was exhausted, when I
gently inforraed him that In a week's time I was
engaged to deliver a political address in the city of
Edinburgh, and that I should feel It my duty to
inform the audience of the kind of language Indulged
In by one of their theological students, adding that I
was an ardent admirer and supporter of the great
statesman. When he heard that I was also personally
acquainted with Mr. Gladstone his dismay knew no
bounds, and with an almost startling suddenness he
stuttered out his recantation. He implored me to
take no further notice of his language, whose strength
he attributed largely to the adverse circumstances of
the night and the prospective difficulties of the morrow.
So earnest were his pleadings and so profuse his
apologies that I at length suffered myself to be prevailed
upon to give ray word of honour not to repeat the
Incident to a Scottish audience, and this is the first
occasion In which the story has been raade public.
Next morning I was overwhelmed by a thousand
civilities ; he anticipated my slightest wish, and the
intervals between looking after my comfort he devoted
to hearty confessions of penitence and reiterated
expressions of devotion to Mr. Gladstone and the
Liberal Party. He was still engaged In this manner
when I pursued my journey to Aberdeen, where, in
spite of the severe weather, I found as large and
enthusiastic audience as heart could desire.
From Aberdeen I proceeded to Dundee to keep an

xrbe progress of Xabour diuestions 133
engagement with the Trades of the town. It was stIU
snowing hard and blowing lustily, but a fine gathering
managed to assemble In one of the public halls. At
half-past ten I crossed the River Tay In company
with Sir John Leng to his hospitable mansion at
Newport, and seldom have I raore earnestly yearned
for the end of a journey than I did that night. It
was a pitch-dark night with blinding snow and an
intense cold, while a strong east wind was sweeping
over (the two railes of river we had to traverse. So
black was the night that It was Irapossible to see the
land, and our only guide to the landing-stage was
the sound of a large bell on the pier-end. Such
occasions as this give a zest to a cosy roora, a roaring
fire, and other creature coraforts, for which the horaes
of North Britain are so deservedly celebrated.
Altogether, I was not sorry, after filling ray engage-
raents at Edinburgh and Glasgow, to turn ray face
Londonwards ; though my recollections of the Scottish
people were of the most grateful character, and I
bore with me substantial tokens of their kindness
and hospitality In shape of a handsome meerschaura
pipe, the Inevitable stone jar of Scotch whiskey, sundry
tins of tobacco, and many complimentary Addresses
presented by the Trades of the great city of the
Clyde. By the beginning of 1885 the Parliament of 1880
had spent Its best powers, and in June vested interests
once again proved their power by overturning the
Government on the question of the Increased taxation

134 "Ibenrs Broabburst
of beer. A Conservative Governraent was formed,
and Parliament dissolved, while a General Election
was fixed for the following Noveraber. Despite the
downfall of the Liberal Government, Iraportant progress
was made In Labour affairs, notably In the matter of
Inspectors of ralnes, whose number the Parliamentary
Committee had exacted a promise from the Govern
ment to Increase, and who were reinforced by seven
new inspectors. Attention was also called to the
Irregularity of perraltting an agent of the Employers'
Liability Assurance Association to act as coroner
in the case of an Inquest of a labourer klUed during
his eraployraent. Although the Lord Chancellor had
no control over the appointments of deputy-coroners,
he gave expression to his opinion of the undeslrabillty
of such a proceeding, and thus prevented the recurrence
of what might easily have become a public scandal.
But a still more iraportant question with far-reaching
results occupied the attention of the Parhamentary
Coraraittee In 1885. Complaints concerning the
administration of the Employers and Workmen's Act
of 1875 had frequently reached us from the northern
and midland counties. It was alleged that summonses
for breach of contract against employees, disputes as
to wages, measurements or weights of work done,
were heard before magistrates who were in most cases
themselves employers of labour ; and although any
magistrate personaUy Interested In a particular case as
an employer would withdraw while the case was being
heard, still, the other magistrates were probably either

xrbe progress of Xabour Questions 13s
engaged in the same branch of Industry or a kindred
one, or else were neighbours and friends of the Interested
magistrate. Under these conditions the workmen
averred it was impossible to repose confidence In the
Impartiality of Benches thus constituted. At one
meeting of the Committee, I reraeraber. In 1884, Mr.
Alfred Bailey, of Preston, a member of the Committee,
a stalwart trades-unionist, and one of the most loyal,
courageous, and devoted friends the Labour Movement
ever possessed, exclalraed In his downright Lancashire
fashion that the only way to the root of the difficulty
was that Labour should have a representation on the
Bench as well as Capital.
I perceived the value of the suggestion, but recognised
the enormous difficulties to be overcome before It could
be carried out. Still, I resolved to use all my powers
to further this object, and privately set the proposal In
motion In Government circles. Sir George Trevelyan
happened to be Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster,
and In that capacity had the power — if I could persuade
him to exercise it — to create borough magistrates
within the confines of the duchy from whatever class
he thought proper. He was greatly startled by the
daring of the suggestion, but as I pressed it with all
my power, the prellralnary shock gave place to a
practical consideration of the matter. I felt that the
outer crust had been penetrated, and rallied to my
support Sir WlUIam Harcourt, Sir Henry Jaraes, and
Sir Farrer HerscheU.
In the report presented to the Trades-Union

136 Ibenrs Broabburst
Congress which raet at Southport In 1885, the
Coraraittee had the satisfaction of announcing that, in
consequence of these representations, Mr. Slatter,
Secretary of the Manchester Typographers' Association,
Mr. Birtwistle, Secretary of the Cotton-Weavers'
Association of Accrlngton, and Mr. Fielding,
Secretary of the Cotton-Spinners' Union, Bolton, had
been placed upon the Coraraission of Peace in their
respective boroughs. Thus one of the raost remark
able departures frora the custom and habit of centuries
was consumraated ; public opinion readily grew
accustomed to it, and the revolution that many exceUent
persons had anticipated never broke out. Since that
time large numbers of workmen have been appointed
Justices of the Peace In various parts of Great
Britain. Speaking at a public meeting in Edinburgh
a few years later Sir George Trevelyan alluded to
this daring Innovation In terms highly complimentary
to myself, declaring that he looked back upon his
action in this matter with the greatest satisfaction
and pride.
But this was not the first nor solitary inroad upon
the preserves of the privileged classes. I have already
referred to the appointment of seven new Inspectors
of mines. In connection with the whole subject of
Governraent inspectors the trades-unions had for
raany years clairaed that their duties would be more
effectively discharged if there was added to the staff
a nuraber of ^ practical workers from the ranks of
Labour. Resolutions were passed to this effect and

tTbe progress of Xabour (SJuestions 137
deputations organised, with the result that In 1 8 8 1 Sir
WlUIara Harcourt offered me the appointment of
an assistant inspector. While fully appreciating the
great honour paid to Labour by this offer, after fuU
consideration I declined the appointment for myself,
but submitted the name of Mr. J. D. Prior, then
Secretary of the Araalgaraated Carpenters' and Joiners'
Association. He was accordingly offered and accepted
the post ; and other appointraents of a sirailar character
speedily followed. Mr. J. W. Davis, Secretary of
the Birmingham Brass-workers' Union, Mr. W.
Paterson, Secretary of the Scotch Union of Carpenters
and Joiners, Mr. Sedgwick, a member of the Boot
and Shoe Riveters' and Finishers' Union at Leicester,
and Mr. Birtwistle, junior, as well as one of the
working man justices, who has since become a full
inspector — all these names, with the exception of the
last, were submitted by rae to the Home Secretary
as vacancies occurred, and all, I believe, performed
their new duties with great satisfaction to their
superiors. At the time of coraraltting these reralnlscences to
writing, I have just returned from a visit to Mr.
J. D. Prior, whose work In the Factory Department
is admitted on aU sides never to have been surpassed
in efficiency and good judgment, a quality particularly
necessary In this kind of work In order to avoid
administrative friction. My friend Mr. Paterson,
after serving a year or two in this capacity, obtained
the appointment of Chief of the Glasgow Fire Brigade,

138 Ibenrs Broabburst
a post which he still holds and in which he has met
with remarkable success. The City Council have
recognised his efforts in a manner highly compli
mentary and profitable to him. I refer to these facts
with pride as evidence that when the Parliamentary
Coraraittee had the responsibility of recommending
raen to responsible positions, they have selected those
best calculated to carry out satisfactorily the work
of the departraents to which they have been appointed,
and to reflect credit upon the class to which they
belong. At a later date another appointment of a similar
nature was offered to me by the Government. This
was during the sitting of the Royal Commission on
the Housing of the People, when a measure for the
regulation of the conditions of life on canal boats
had become law. I had taken considerable interest
In the Bill, though the credit of Its Introduction
belongs to the late Mr. George Smith, of CoalviUe,
and I was offered the post of inspector under the Act
with a salary of ^600 a year and travelling expenses.
The offer was a terapting one — an ample salary, a
secure position for life, and pleasant work ; but after
the gravest consideration I declined it. I was deeply
Immersed in pubhc work at the time of both a political
and an industrial nature, and had in charge several
Important Labour questions In the House of Commons.
It seemed to me I had no right to sacrifice these things
to ray private advantage and personal welfare. Many
a time since I have considered my refusal a most

XCbe progress of Xabour (Questions 139
unwise step, and as year Is added to year I am disposed
to ratify that conclusion.
In the latter part of the session of 1885 the first
successful attempt was made to gain a fair chance for
fair contractors to compete for Government contracts.
The department attacked was that of printing. The
annual expenditure on printing amounts to vast sums
annually, and only firms chiefly unsatisfactory to the
worker had been successful in obtaining parts of this
work. I brought the subject under the notice of the
Treasury, and after sorae prolonged negotiations,
arrangements were made which admitted the best-wages
paying house to compete for a portion of the work.
This was the origin of the fair wages movement In
Government contracts, and it gave widespread satis
faction to the trade In London.
During 1880 considerable agitation had arisen among
the fitters engaged In Government dockyards. The
Fitters' Union alleged that much of the work done
on warships by shipwrights was of such a nature as
belonged naturaUy to the fitters, and was Inefficiently
carried out when committed to the hands of the
shipwrights. This was asserted In particular of the
bulkheads and water-tight compartments. I had been
constantly referred to on this subject by the fitters,
and had submitted several questions to the Admiralty
concerning the coraplaints ; ultimately I gave notice
of a motion for the purpose of drawing the attention
of the House to the matter. At that time Sir George
Trevelyan was Secretary to the Adrairalty. Before

140 Ibenrs Broabburst
raaking a speech on this subject I determined to acquire
some technical knowledge and with ray own eyes
exaralne the work, and accordingly I went down to
Chatham Dockyard, accompanied by Mr. Burnett, the
Secretary of the Engineers' Association, who was able
to coach rae in the Intricate parts of the work. My
own mechanical knowledge was sufficient to assure me
of the danger of buckled plates and the necessity of
absolute accuracy of building and fitting In the case
of water-tight doors, whose value entirely depended
upon their capacity to fulfil their functions at a
moment's notice. After Inspecting two or three
ironclads frora stoke-hole to upper works I acquired
sufficient inforraatlon for my purpose ; and when my
motion carae up the Government at once accepted
ray proposals and promised imraediate investigation and
reform. Sir George Trevelyan, who possesses an
excellent wit, propounded to an admiring circle of
Members the following conundrum : What Is the
difference between Broadhurst and Darwin ? Answer :
While Darwin was In favour of the survival of the
fittest, Broadhurst advocated the supremacy of the
fitter !
Sir George has always had a great reputation for
happy quotations. I remember a striking example
of this faculty which occurred a few years later than
the Incident I have just mentioned. He was dining
with some friends In the House while the late member
for East Edinburgh, Dr. Wallace, was speaking. A
brother member entering the dining-room was sur-

Ube progress of Xabour IReforms 141
prised to find Sir George Trevelyan when his eloquent
countryman was on his feet, and Inquired how It was
that he, a Scotchman, was not in his seat. "Ah,"
replied Sir George, "you see we're Scots wha hae
fra' Wallace fled ! "

CHAPTER IX
MY VISIT TO SANDRINGHAM
SOON after I entered Parliament a conversation
with the late Mr. J. Beale, the champion of
popular local government In the metropohs, directed
ray mind to the question of the Iniquitous system of
building leases. My Interest In the subject was In
creased by my own experiences both as tenant and
recently owner, especially as my wrath had been raised
by a notice from my ground landlord. I determined
to take action In Parliament to draw attention to
the grievances frora which leaseholders suffered. The
raeraber for Hereford, Mr. R. T. Reid, now Sir
Robert Reid, undertook to prepare a Bill on the
subject and consented to his name being attached
to it. In 1882 I succeeded in getting an afternoon
debate on the subject in the House. *
When the Bill was first circulated I could not have
reckoned on half a dozen votes In the House, but
* Some friends of mine living in a district where the life leasehold
system (to which I will refer later) prevailed, had presented me with
some striking photographs of cottages in various stages of dilapidation
and utterly unfit for human habitation. These photographs I brought
into the House, and during my speech submitted them to the Speaker
and to Members of the House — the first occurrence of the kind, I
believe, in the history of that Assembly. 142

/lbs Wisit to Sanbringbam 143
so rapid was the progress made by the raeasure In
popular favour that in the division on the second
reading I found 1 1 1 supporters In my lobby. Of
course I was overwhelmingly defeated ; but a big
question had been ventilated, and a variety of Issues
springing from this attempt to redress the leaseholder's
grievances was brought before the public in consequence
of my BUl. The first outcorae was the formation of a
Leasehold Enfranchisement Association, with branches
all over the country, and the public was soon put
In full possession of the facts of the case by the pen of
Mr. Howard Evans, a journalist on the staff of the
Echo. Other Issues raised by the debate on ray Bill
included the taxation of ground-rents, and the unjust
and sacrilegious effect of the leasehold systera on
Nonconforralst places of worship in cases where no
freehold sites were available.
My Bill found particular favour In places like
London, Grimsby, Liverpool, Huddersfield, North
and South Wales, and parts of Worcestershire,
Devonshire, and Cornwall, and comraunicatlons from
the last three counties revealed to me a system of
leasehold of whose existence till then I was totally
Ignorant, and which appeared to me peculiarly In
iquitous. It was known as the " three life " system,
and under it you purchased a site to be held
during the lifetime of three persons nominated by
the purchaser. At any time you could be called
upon to prove the existence of any or all of the
three lives. On the death of one, and in some cases

144 Ibenrs Broabburst
two, you were allowed, on the payment of a further
sura, to norainate another life to fill the vacancy.
When the last of the persons thus nominated died, the
land and aU you had placed upon It reverted to the
original owner. The people heartily disliked this
" three hves " systera, particularly In Devonshire and
CornwaU, and when I visited the West of England to
explain ray BIU and rouse a feeling of hopefulness In the
West country, I was right royaUy received. A great
gathering was held at Caraborne, the miners' Division
of CornwaU, men coming from long distances to attend
it. The agitation spread rapidly and soon began to
make Its Influence felt. A large landowner In the
neighbourhood of Devonport headed a conciliation
movement by offering land plots for a definite period
instead of the uncertain tenure dependent on three
persons' lives. Others speedily followed his example,
and in a nuraber of Instances estates were offered
in freehold plots In parts of the country where pre
viously the " three lives " systera had reigned supreme.
Thus lasting and beneficial reform was obtained without
the aid of legislation by the wholesome pressure of
pubhc opinion. At the same time the evil monster
Monopoly still hves ; he Is only less aggressive than
he formerly was.*
* In July, 1900, I attended a meeting of the Liberal delegates from
all parts of that Division, held in Camborne to support the candidature
of the present Member, Mr. W. S. Caine. I was then thanked by all
I met for the work done for them eighteen years before, and was told
there vpas scarcely such a thing known as new leases on the three
lives tenure.

/lbs lt)isit to Sanbringbam ms
In order to enhghten the mind of the " raan in the
street " upon this question Mr. Reid collaborated with
rae In bringing out a small hand-book as an aid to
its study. It formed one of the " Imperial Parhament "
series edited by Mr. Sydney Buxton, M.P., and
published by Swan Sonnenscheln. The case for reform
was stated by Mr. Reid with wonderful lucidity and
its legal bearings were Indicated with excellent clearness.
Whether there was ever any sale for the volume I do
not know ; at any rate, I have never received any
profits frora Its sale, so I can scarcely look back upon
this literary venture with any personal self-congratu
lation. Sorae years later, while on a visit to Dorsetshire, I
was Informed of a particularly scandalous Instance of
the Injustice of the leasehold tenure. A little com
munity of Nonconformists had built a chapel on an
estate near the place In which I was staying. When
the lease expired the landowner, who had only recently
succeeded to the estate, refused to renew it on any
terms whatever. These poor people were compelled
to find sorae other place to worship God in, and their
httle sanctuary, erected and raalntalned with so rauch
sacrifice and love, was turned Into a workshop for
the estate carpenter. By a strange and tragic
coincidence the first work done In the dismantled
sanctuary was the making of a coffin for the landowner,
who died almost Iraraedlately after evicting the Dis
senters. In other instances I was informed of the abominable IO

h6 Ibenrs Broabburst
extortion of grasping landlords who, on the expiration
of a lease, would impose heavy fines for Its renewal,
knowing weU that the Nonconformists would sacrifice
a great deal to retain their chapel, for unless the lease
was renewed they would be unable to obtain another
site in the neighbourhood. These cases, together with
an Incident to be related further on, led me to In
troduce a BUl giving to Nonconformist communities
under certain conditions power to acquire compulsorily,
sites for chapels.
Mainly owing to the splendid work done by Mr.
George R. Sims in the colurans of The Daily Ne-ws,
the question of the housing of the poor was occupying
public attention In a large degree when I entered
Parliaraent. Railway extensions were being carried
on apace, the displacement of large populations of the
labouring classes was constantly occurring, and though
much had been done to provide accommodation for
the houseless In some parts of London, the inevitable
distress and overcrowding had made the subject a
burning question. Naturally my own experience gave
me a keen Interest In the matter, for I knew how
largely the question of rent bulks in the domestic
economy of the working classes. The rent problem,
notwithstanding all the efforts of the philanthropists,
still awaits a satisfactory solution. A man who earns
thirty shillings a week has to pay about a fifth In
rent. His travelling expenses to and from his work
will usually amount to another shiUing, so there he
is with seven shillings a week the first and Inexorable

/lbs Disit to Sanbringbam 147
charges on his Income, leaving only twenty-three
shillings to meet all the requirements of his family —
food, clothes, medicine, coal, club, amuseraents, charity,
and contributions to his place of worship. Add to this
the period of non-eraployment during which rent must
be paid just the same, and It will be admitted that
the question of rent in the large urban centres is one
of the gravest and most difficult problems the social
reformer has to face.
I frequently put questions to the Government on
the subject, and ultlraately asked thera to appoint a
Royal Coramission to Investigate the whole question.
Before ray request could be granted the matter was
taken out of my hands by Lord Salisbury, who placed
a motion In the Orders In the House of Lords for the
appointment of a Commission. The Government at
once accepted the raotion, and proceeded to forra a
Commission under the presidency of the Prince of
Wales. Sir Charles Dilke was appointed Chairman,
and among the members were the Marquis of Salisbury,
Cardinal Manning, Lord Carrington, Lord Brownlow,
Mr. Goschen, Mr. Samuel Morley, the Bishop of
Bedford, Mr. Torrens, Mr. Godwin, Sir Richard Cross,
and Mr. E. L. Stanley. I was also Invited, and accepted
a seat on the Coraraission. At the end of its sittings
I succeeded in obtaining the signatures of a majority
of the Commission to a resolution condemning the
leasehold system. I also put In a meraorandum of
my own, suggesting a mode for the cheap and easy
transfer of small properties through the agency of

148

Ibenrs Broabburst

"MR BROADHURST AND SOME OF HIS CONSTITUENTS.
(By iind permission of ihe proprietors of "Black and White.")

municipal authorities. This idea would have provided
faculties for the exchange of smaU estates at a nominal
cost, with perfect security to the title of the holding
by means of a registration office.
It was while serving as a member of this Commission
that I had the honour of being presented to the Prince

/lbs f isit to Sanbringbam 149
of Wales, and frora that day till now I have received
at his Royal HIghness's hands unvarying kindness
and consideration. The Prince Invited the whole of
the Coramlssloners down to Sandringham — In the first
place, I presume, as an act of hospitality, but secondly
that the Commissioners might Inspect for themselves
the cottages on the Sandringham estate. Frora
various reasons I was unable to accompany thera ; his
Royal Highness was good enough to accept ray
apology, and wrote rae a very pleasing letter to say so.
The letter, which is written In the Prince's own hand.
Is so characteristic of his kindliness of heart and
thoughtful consideration that I raake no apology for
quoting It In full : — "Sandringham, November Sth, 1884.
"Dear Mr. Broadhurst, —
" Many thanks for your very kind letter. Both
the Princess and myself are so very sorry that you are
unable to pay us a visit here next week, but we perfectly
understand and appreciate the reason.
" Believe me, truly yours,
"Albert Edward."
A little later I received a further proof of his
Royal HIghness's goodwiU. Hearing that I made It
a rule not to dine out, and that I did not possess a
dress-coat, the Prince of Wales renewed his invitation
in a form which I could not refuse without being
guilty of unpardonable boorishness. He assured rae
that arrangeraents would be raade during ray stay at

ISO Ibenrs Broabburst
Sandringham to meet my wishes and Insisted upon
booking dates there and then.
I will not pretend that I accepted this offer of
Royal hospitality with anything but the greatest
delight. I spent three days at Sandringham with
the Prince and Princess, and I can honestiy say that
I was never entertained more to my liking and never
felt raore at horae when paying a visit than I did
on this occasion. I arrived at Sandringham on Friday
night and remained until the following Monday
evening. On my arrival his Royal Highness person
ally conducted me to ray rooms, made a careful
inspection to see that all was right, stoked the fires,
and then, after satisfying himself that all my wants
were provided for, withdrew and left me for the
night. In order to meet the difficulties In the matter
of dress, dinner was served to me In my own rooms
each night.
During the visit we walked and talked, and In
spected nearly every feature of the estate. Including
the stables, the kennels, and the dairy farm, aU of
which strongly appealed to one who, hke myself,
was country bred. The Princess herself, with charac
teristic gracloushess, showed me over her beautiful
dairy. But what pleased me most was a visit we
paid to several cottages on the estate. The Prince
took an evident pride in the beauty and comfort
of the homes of his people, and I was particularly
struck by the scrupulous courtesy of his Royal
Highness In obtaining permission from the house-

/lbs Wsit to Sanbringbam 151
wife before crossing the threshold. To the dweUers
in cities this may seem an observance demanded by
the raost elementary politeness, but those who, like
myself, have lived In a country cottage know by
experience how often this elementary rule Is more
honoured in the breach than the observance. In
too raany cases people march Into the houses of the
poor without a by-your-leave or the least apology
for an Ill-mannered Intrusion on the privacy of the
home. Again, I was pleased to find that the villagers
we met on the road, though perfectly respectful, showed
no sign of servility or obsequiousness In their raanner
of greeting the members of the Royal Faraily.
After a long walk round the farms, across some
fields and back to the village by the roadway, the
Prince took me Into what Is called the village club.
The club Is In other words the village public-house,
the difference being that It is not conducted for
profit. A high standard of conduct marks the
administration of the establishment, and a similar
behaviour Is required frora those visiting It. To
prevent drunkenness a hralted quantity of refresh
ment only Is allowed to any one person In one day.
The Prince Invited me to partake of the refreshment
of the house, and I was quite ready to comply. We
had, I think, a glass of ale each and sat down In the
clubroom, where we found several farm labourers
enjoying their half-pints and their pipes. No excite
ment, no disturbance, no uncomfortable feehng, was
evinced by those present. No condescension or

IS2 Ibenrs Broabburst
patronage was displayed by the Prince towards his
neighbours and friends. The beer was very good
and of a homely and acceptable flavour. Strong and
plain but clean chairs and tables formed the
furniture of the apartment. I remarked to the
Prince that the chairs looked as though they were
of the best build and strongest specimens of High
Wycombe produce.
" Yes," he said, " they are firm seats ; many a
politician wishes his was as safe."
Araong other objects of Interest I reraeraber the
Prince pointing out with pride a valuable present
given to hira by the people of Norfolk on the occasion
of his wedding. I assured hira that I clearly recoUected
both the occasion and the present, for I was then a
working raason in the city of Norwich, and I had to
lose a day's work, which, unfortunately, raeant for me
the loss of a day's wages. " But," said the Prince,
" you are none the worse now, Mr. Broadhurst ? "
To which I answered that I was still four shilhngs out
of pocket, the day's wages of a mason in Norwich
at that time.
On Saturday night, before retiring, his Royal High
ness consulted me about my wishes for Sunday
morning. I told the Prince that I was not a member
of the Established Church, but a Dissenter, and that
I hoped to find a Methodist place of worship in the
neighbourhood. He himself did not know of one,
but assisted me by all means In his power to discover
the whereabouts of the nearest chapel, which turned

/lbs lUisit to Sanbringbam 153
out to be several railes from Sandringham In the
direction of the coast. Thither I wended my way
on Sunday morning, but found there was no service,
only a Sunday school being held. I listened to the
teaching a while and then returned to Sandringham.
In the afternoon the Prince Inquired how I had fared
in the morning, and I took the opportunity to suggest
that a chapel nearer the centre of the estate would
be a great boon to such of the villagers as were Non
conformists. I reminded his Royal Highness that
some of the stoutest patriots and most loyal citizens
were to be found among hereditary Nonconformists,
and that the Throne had no more valuable and trust
worthy subjects than the great raajority of Dissenters.
The Prince took my remarks in very good part and
thanked me for my words, especially as being spoken
in the presence of his two sons. I must add that
during ray stay I had several conversations with the
late Duke of Clarence and the present Duke of York,
and found In both a total absence of affectation or
haughtiness. I left Sandrlnghara with a feeling of one
who had spent a week-end with an old chura of his
own rank in society rather than one who had been
entertained by the Heir-Apparent and his Princess.
This visit, and the raeraory of the chapel In a
back lane sorae railes away from the people, finally
settled my determination to atterapt some legislative
remedy for this grievous disability under which Non
conformists were labouring. Accordingly I wrote an
article which appeared In the first nuraber of The

154 Ibenrs Broabburst
Methodist Times, a marked copy of which I sent to
the Prince of Wales, who acknowledged It in kindly
words. I followed this up with a Bill which I
Introduced in the next session. On the debate on
the second reading Sir WUUam Harcourt supported
the Bill on behalf of the Government with all his
power, but the Opposition talked it out.
The next occasion on which I was brought into
contact with the Heir-Apparent was on the forraatlon
of the Council of the Iraperlal Institute. Soon after
the sittings of the Royal Coramission on the Housing
of the Poor had closed, I received an invitation to
attend a preliminary gathering to consider the proposal
to erect a building which should represent the resources
and the industries of the British Empire. I was
chosen a member of the Council and of the Building
Coraraittee, and served on both bodies until the cora-
pletlon of the enterprise and Its opening by the Queen
in 1893. The Prince of Wales was Chairman of
the Council, and the meetings were usually held at
Marlborough House. When the plans and designs
for the buUdIng were submitted for approval, I dis
covered that it was Intended to use terra cotta dress
ings instead of stone. Against this proposal I made
a determined stand. I used every means In my power
to alter this arrangement, and I believe it was mainly
due to the Prince's sympathy and support that stone
dressings were eventually adopted. During the
progress of the building operations I found that a
portion of the best part of the stonework had been

/lbs IDisit to Sanbringbam rss
sublet to a Derbyshire firm of quarry-masters. I
at once brought the raatter under the notice of the
Building Coraraittee. When invited to explain, the
contractor asserted that London raasons could not
work that class of stone. I replied that this was
absurd, and backed up my opinion by offering to
show ray capacity to work it, although raany years
had elapsed since I had last practised my craft. In
the end the contractor had to give way, and the work
was executed In London, to the great delight of the
London masons, to the satisfaction of the architect,
and to the advantage of all concerned — except,
perhaps, the contractor.
In 1892 I served on the Royal Commission on the
Condition of the Aged Poor. Lord Aberdare presided
at the Inquiry, and the Prince of Wales was also a
member and a constant attendant, and displayed a
most keen interest In the Inquiry. In the winter of
1893 his Royal Highness had a few days' shooting
within four railes of ray Croraer home. During his
visit he was good enough to send a message that,
owing to unavoidable circumstances, he regretted he
was unable to keep his Intention of paying me a visit
and taking a cup of tea In my cottage. He requested
me. If I could conveniently do so, to meet him at
the station on the raorning of his departure. This
I did, and I was greatly struck by the keenness with
which he discussed some confidential proposals relating
to the Draft Report of the Aged Poor Commission.
To my wife, whom he had not met before, his

is6 "Ibenrs Broabburst
Royal Highness was exceedingly kind, expressing to
her the pleasure he had derived frora his acquaintance
with her husband.
Another pleasing Incident connected with the Prince
occurred In 1889 when I founded the Cromer Golf
Club. His Royal Highness, In response to my In
vitation, consented to act as patron and gave the first
prize, a handsome silver bowl.
When an address was presented to the Prince by
the Coraraittee of Workraen who had conducted the
Industrial Exhibition at the Agricultural Hall, I accora-
panied the Presentation Coramittee to Sandringham.
The ceremony was exceedingly siraple and pleasing,
both to the givers and the Royal recipient. Business
engagements corapelled me to leave Sandringham earher
than the Coraraittee, and when I arrived at the station
I found that his Royal Highness was going to Ely
by the same train. Directly he knew of my presence
In the station he sent for rae and Insisted on my
joining him In his saloon carriage, and I had a
very pleasurable journey Indeed.
In thus recording my meetings with the Prince of
Wales I should like to make it understood that I have
no purpose to serve. Many paragraphs have at times
appeared In various publications respecting alleged,
and In some Instances partially true, Incidents In the
course of meetings between his Royal Highness and
myself — hence this reference to them. In order to
apologise for these references — if apology is needed —
it should be raentioned that the two Royal Commissions

/lbs tt>isit to Sanbringbam 157
here referred to are, as far as I know, the only ones
on which one so near the throne has served. I only
desire to raake known to those whom it may Interest
how, in all his Intercourse with me, his Royal Highness
showed the greatest kindness and consideration without
the slightest trace of patronage or condescension. I
have not usually given what are called " Royal Votes "
in the House of Commons, and no favour was due
to me In that respect. But I have at all times
experienced from his hands such treatment as raight
be looked for from a high-minded and well-bred
English gentleman.
Mr. Joseph Arch was a member of the Royal
Commission on the Condition of the Aged Poor.
Sandringham Is In the centre of the division for
which Mr. Arch then sat In Parliament. There was
no member of the Commission with whora the Prince
seemed to enjoy a chat or a joke more than with the
representative of the agricultural labourers. I had
some part In Mr. Arch's first and last contest
In North-west Norfolk, and I think I raay truly say
that no estate In that constituency offered less opposi
tion to his candidature than Sandringham did.

CHAPTER X
THE 1885 CAMPAIGN
THE Trades-Union Congress of 1885 held In
Southport was looked forward to with con
siderable Interest. The near approach of a General
Election In which some millions of workers would
exercise the franchise for the first time heightened
the expectation of the trades-unionists In everything
pertaining to political life. It was generally anticipated
that the result of the elections would be a large
Increase In the nuraber of Labour representatives in the
Imperial Parliament. A Conservative Ministry had
been formed in June, but the remainder of the session
was almost entirely occupied with the routine business
of winding up affairs preparatory to the national contest.
One notable step, however, marked the existence of
this Interim Government. This was the appointment
of a Royal Commission to Inquire Into the condition
of trade. For sorae years preceding a persistent
agitation had been carried on in the country and
kept ahve by a sraall number of m who claimed
to be suffering from lack of eraployraent in the sugar
trade, caused, as they alleged, by the competition
158

^be 1885 Campaign is9
of Continental rivals who were aided by bounties
frora their Governments. This faction had constantly
and violently attacked the Trades Congress, Its
Committee, and more particularly Its Secretary.
Attempts had several times been made to foist upon
the Trades Congress bogus delegates representing
this faction. But one of the Standing Orders of the
Congress enjoined that all expenses of delegates
attending the Congress should be borne by bond fide
workmen's associations, and It required little subtlety
to perceive that the funds for these so-called dele
gates of the sugar-workers might come frora non-
Labour sources.
For many years I had been the subject of bitter and
unjustifiable abuse. Misrepresentations and calumnies
were showered upon ray head. Resolutions re
flecting on my private character, which were alleged
to have been passed at meetings of workpeople In
clubrooras and other places, constantly appeared In
a certain class of newspaper, but Investigation always
revealed the fact that these meetings were known only
to small and interested cliques. At the Trades
Congress held In London In 1881 some of these
men had been forcibly ejected from the hall, and
another had been obliged to withdraw by the order
of the chairman. The centres of this disaffection
were London and Clyde district. There existed raore
than a vague suspicion that behind these raen and
the sugar-refiners In whose interests they were agitat
ing stood the Tory Party ; and this suspicion was

i6o Ibenrs Broabburst
strengthened by the careful raanner in which raany
of the Conservative leaders avoided coramitting
themselves to any opposition to a Protective system ;
in so much that It was generally believed that if
they possessed a raajority and the Governraent side
of the House they would not hesitate to Impose
countervailing duties on Imported sugar. Only those
who were behind the scenes In political life at the time
can realise how potent and various were the weapons
wielded on behalf of the Fair Trade Movement.
The advocates of countervailing duties on sugar
received considerable sympathy from Protectionists in ¦
other Industries, with the result that the Conservative
Government appointed a Royal Commission to Inquire
Into the whole question of Fair Trade. But they were
careful to pack this Coraraission with tried henchmen,
including only one representative of Labour, Mr.
Birtwistle, who was well known as a trusty supporter
of the Conservative Party. I raised the question
In the House of Commons, pointing out the one-sided
composition of the Commission, and claiming that
on such a question Labour should be adequately repre
sented. As a result Lord Iddesleigh, the Chairman,
invited me to join the Commission, an invitation that
I refused point blank, feeling that Its acceptance after
I had raised the question would place me in an
invidious position. Eventually Mr. Drummond, a
London compositor, was appointed a member of the
Commission, but as he, like Mr. Birtwistle, belonged
to the Ministerial Party, this appointment did not

Ube 1885 Campaign i6i
remove the objections to the composition of the Com
mission. It wUl be In the meraory of raany that after
sitting for a year or two and gathering, doubtless,
much useful Information concerning the advantages
of Free Trade, the Coramission utterly failed to
gain sufficient evidence to state a case for Protection,
and its recoraraendatlons practically araounted to
the advice to raanufacturers to raake the best of the
existing conditions and rely on their own efforts,
unsupported by bounties, to overcome comraerclal
depression and re-establish the reign of prosperity.
But the Conservative Party have apparently never
forgiven my attack on this Coraraission and my refusal
to act as a pawn upon it, and so deep-seated is this
feeling that from that day to this no seat upon
a Royal Coramission appointed by a Conservative
Government has been offered to rae, though on one
occasion at least Parliamentary usage entitled me to
an invitation. I will cite two conspicuous Instances of
this survival of blind passion and prejudice.
In 1890 the German Emperor made proposals to
the Governments of Europe to join In an International
Conference on Labour Questions In Berlin. I felt
that possibly rauch good, and certainly no harm, might
accrue to the cause of Labour frora such a Conference
of the Powers, and I exerted all my Influence to
assist the matter. The proposal was not altogether
original, for some years before, when Lord Granville
held the post of Secretary for Foreign Affairs,
overtures had been made to the sarae end which
II

i62 Ibenrs Broabburst
emanated. If not from the Swiss Governraent Itself,
at least, frora sorae Influential citizens of the Alpine
Repubhc. The suggestion carae to me through the
foreign correspondence on Labour questions which
passed the Parliamentary Committee, and I Immediately
wrote to Lord Granville asking If any proposals
of the kind had reached the British Foreign Office,
and if so, whether there was any possibility of such a
Conference being held. Nothing, however, came of
it ; but when I saw the proposal revived by a
personage so energetic and influential as the Gerraan
Emperor, I hoped for a more successful outcome.
My Interest in the matter was not so much personal
as official. The longer hours of labour and lower
scale of wages on the Continent operated unfairly
against our countrymen In times of fierce competition.
On the other hand, In several European countries the
educational facilities for the people were certainly
superior to English institutions. If these subjects
were InteUIgently discussed, I was hopeful that con
siderable iraprovement in the conditions of the life
of the labouring classes might result, and indirectly,
that It might facilitate International Trades-Unionism.
For these reasons I threw myself vigorously into
the matter, exerted pressure on the Government to
give favourable consideration to the proposal, and
had several interviews with the Under-Secretary for
Foreign Affairs, urging hira to advise that British
delegates be sent to Berhn. In the end the Govern
raent accepted the proposal, and I at once set to

XCbe 1885 Campaign 163
work to draw up a list of inteUigent workraen
representing the great industries raost frequently in
contact with Germany In neutral markets who would
be fitted by their knowledge and business capacity
to serve as delegates. The selection of the British
representatives rested mainly with the Board of Trade,
and I had interviews with the President of the
Board of Trade on the subject of the personnel of
the delegation. But out of the dozen names sub
mitted by me only two — Mr. Burt, M.P., and
Mr. Birtwistle — were chosen. Mr. Burnett, the
Labour Correspondent of the Board of Trade, could, it
was submitted, represent the iron trades, and In any
case he would attend In his official capacity. Thus
there were practically only two Labour representatives,
the other members being drawn from the official and
capitalist classes, a wise selection being Sir W.
Houldsworth, M.P., and Sir John Gorst, M.P. As
a matter of fact, I could not have attended the Con
ference had I been invited, for two reasons. My
health was In too feeble a state to permit ray under
taking the work ; and In the second place I had raade
up ray mind to resign ray secretaryship to the
Parllaraentary Committee at the end of that year, and
was anxious to devote all my strength to the task of
handing over the office to my successor without
complications or arrears of work. Still, the fact
remains that after practically forcing the Governraent
to accept the proposal, taking infinite pains over the
subject, and ¦ readily laying my knowledge and experl-

i64 Ibenrs Broabburst
ence at their service, I was not even offered a place
upon the Commission.
To take another flagrant example. In 1885 I
introduced a BiU for the abolition of the tied-house
system, and in the following year, at ray Instigation,
a Royal Coramission was appointed to Inquire into
this and kindred questions arising out of the liquor
trade. I raay say in passing that I reintroduced
the BIU again after the General Election in July,
1895, and found that the Interest in the raeasure
was so keen and widespread that I was overwhelmed
with correspondence from all parts of the country.
Again, at the General Election of July, 1895, the Bill
created considerable Interest. Many candidates applied
for information respecting the details of the BUl,
and In a large nuraber of constituencies the question
exercised considerable influence. Sorae of the Liberal
Merabers who survived the storra assured me that
they owed their success to the support they gave to
my proposals in regard to tied-houses more than to
any other cause. I believe I am justified In saying
that I was the first Member of the House of
Commons to raise the question in a practical form.
This by the way, but I am anxious to explain the
prejudice excited against me. When, as I have said,
a Royal Coraraission was appointed to deal with the
question at ray instigation, ray clalras to a seat were
passed over In silence.
But to return to my doings in 1885. From the
close of the Southport Congress to the closing of the

XTbe 1885 Campaign 165
poUIng-booth in the last English constituency In the
following November, I experienced the most severe
period of prolonged and sustained exertion In speaking
and travelling in the whole of my public career. On
leaving Southport on September 14th, I proceeded to
Chester, where I had promised to address a political
meeting. It was here that quite unexpectedly occurred
one of the happiest memories of my life. At Chester
I met Lord Rosebery on his way to visit his chief
at Hawarden. On the following day my Chester
hostess arranged to drive ray wife and rayself over
to Hawarden Castle, that we raight have a look at
the Liberal leader's faraous residence. In Hawarden
Park we raet Lord Rosebery, who inforraed us that It
was the desire of Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone that my
wife and I should lunch at Hawarden Castle. Thus
for the first and last time I had the honour of being
entertained by the Grand Old Man at his country
seat and of seeing hira in all his glory amid his
beloved books. Dressed In tweeds of old times well
worn, trousers a little short and slightly frayed at the
bottora, he presented a totally different appearance to
his House of Coraraons costurae. It was only on his
approaching rae that I noticed his clothes, which on
an ordinary man would have been thought untidy.
After the commenceraent of his conversation one did
not see his covering, one only saw and heard his
mind. To a greater degree than any other person I
ever raet he could, and did, adapt his talk and his
subjects to the person he was addressing. What an

1 66 Ibenrs Broabburst
attainraent ! A very pleasant and instructive tirae
I spent, for Mr. Gladstone played the host to per
fection, pointing out all the views of Interest in the
park and the village, not oraltting the fine old church.
I reraeraber just before we went into lunch Mrs.
Gladstone whispered in ray ear that I must on no
account lead her husband into a political conversation,
as he was suffering from hoarseness consequent on a
severe cold. I faithfully observed her Injunction ;
but to her dismay and the entertainment of his guests
directly we sat down Mr. Gladstone launched Into a
conversation, or rather a raonologue, and despite all
his wife's appeals he talked unceasingly until the close
of the raeal. I returned to Chester that evening
loaded with flowers gathered by Mrs. Gladstone, and
full of delightful memories of the visit.
At this time of my life I believe I could have
worked from one week's end to another without an
hour's sleep and no rest but the refreshment of a cold
bath and change of garments ; but my stamina was
pretty severely tested by the next few weeks of 1885.
In the early part of October I attended the annual
gatherings of the National Liberal Federation at
Bradford, and addressed several of the public meet
ings. Thence I proceeded direct to Scotland to fulfil
a series of political engageraents, the first of which
was at Durabarton, where Mr. R. T. Reid, Q.C, was
contesting the division against the sitting Member,
Sir Archibald Orr Ewing. I changed trains at
Glasgow and took a local train to Helensburgh, on

tTbe 1885 Campaign 167
the Clyde. The house where I was to stay was
situated at the head of Loch Long, about sixteen
miles from the station. I left Bradford at nine
o'clock In the morning and only arrived at my
destination about midnight. Those who know this
part of Scotland will reraeraber that the line to
Helensburgh for some distance runs close to the
riverside. During the afternoon a strong gale sprang
up from the west, and when we reached Clyde-
side the tide was running up strongly before the
wind, and In the more exposed parts beat against
the train and even Invaded the carriages. By the
time we arrived at Helensburgh both wind and rain
had rather Increased than raoderated, and the con
veyance which was to take us to our destination at
the head of Loch Long and had left there In fine
weather earlier In the day was a pair-horse phaeton —
not the most suitable vehicle for a night of driving
rain and blustering wind. My niece, who accompanied
me, the coachman, and I held a councU of war as to
whether we should proceed or stay at Helensburgh
all night. A station official expressed the opinion
that the weather showed signs of moderating, and this
hopeful view, coupled with the coachraan's pleading
that our non-arrival would cause grave anxiety,
decided me to make the attempt. Selecting such
garments as would offer the raost resistance to
cold and wet from our luggage and hastily donning
them, we took our seats In the carriage, my niece
being so effectually swathed In wraps that she had to

i68 Ibenrs Broabburst
be lifted bodily into the phaeton by a railway porter.
Like the railway, the road runs for the raost part
alongside the water, In many parts only a thin wooden
rail separating the path from the black waters of the
loch. At one point in our journey where the dark
ness seemed more than usually intense the horses
strayed from the road and seemed to plunge into loose
ground or water. It was only by exerting his utmost
strength and skill that the coachman averted a serious
accident and succeeded in bringing us back to the
highway. The downpour of rain somewhat lessened In volume,
but the gale continued to rage in an awe-inspiring
raanner. To coramunicate with the driver who sat
Iramediately In front of me I had to put my mouth
close to his ear and bawl my loudest. Presently we
left the lochslde and climbed a hill with apparently
nothing to guide us but the uncertain flicker from
the carriage lamps. By care, and the remarkable
keenness of vision displayed by the coachman, we
surmounted the rise and returned again to the loch-
side and the thin white rail which acted as a guide.
But our difficulties were not yet over, for suddenly
we drove into the midst of a herd of cattle which
had come down from the hills for shelter. Startled
by the carriage lamps they bolted In front of the
horses, and for a long distance persisted In running
ahead of us, so that we could not pass them. Then
at intervals we came upon foaming and swoUen
streams thundering down frora the heights above

Ubc 1885 Campaign 169
to the loch ; these had a terrifying effect, at any
rate on me, though the hofses appeared to pay no
heed to them. At last we got clear of the cattle,
the road Improved, and presently, to ray great relief,
a whistle frora the coachman announced that we had
reached the lodge gates. I never remember feeling
so grateful for the shelter and rest of a warm bed as
I did that night. In order to save ray niece from
undue anxiety I had so adjusted her wraps as practically
to blindfold her, and all through the night drive I
had congratulated niyself on the manoeuvre. But
when recounting the incident next morning at the
breakfast-table she shattered ray delusion corapletely
by saying that, suspicious of some object In being
thus blindfolded, she had managed to remove the
wrap, and had thus been able to realise very vividly
what raight have happened had we been in the
hands of a less skilful driver.
After a day's rest Mr. Reid and I started on
his campaign. Although a Scotsman, he was prac
tically a stranger to the Dumbartonshire division,
while his opponent, who had sat for the constituency
for many years, was a large employer and weU known
in the district. Electioneering In those mountainous
regions, where railways are few and far between, is
hard work, and It was necessary for Mr. Reid to visit
as many of the vlUages as possible. For example,
we had arranged to address a raeeting in the Vale
of Leven at seven o'clock on Saturday night. To
reach the place we had to leave Mr. Reid's house

170 Ibenrs Broabburst
at two in the afternoon and travel by road, rail, and
water. When the raeeting was over at ten, a drive
of sorae twenty miles confronted us. As was not
unusual, the night turned out dark and stormy, and
as the road lay for a long distance by the side of Loch
Lomond I had an opportunity of repeating the experi
ences of the night of my arrival. On this occasion
we did not reach horae till one o'clock on Sunday
morning, when we were quite ready for a well-
earned dinner. Nothing would have induced me to
stay so long In the midst of so much rain and wind,
which deprived mountain and loch alike of their
charm, and left nothing to view but a damp grey
ralst, but for my love of the work and my deep
and everlasting regard for one of the noblest and
most courageous of men then In the field In the
Interest of progress. These journeys were not the
longest undertaken during ray ten days' stay.
From Dumbartonshire I crossed to East Lothian
to take part In the contest which Mr. Haldane was
waging against Lord Elcho in Haddingtonshire.
Comraunication between the places of raeeting proved
to be much easier in the Lothlans than In Dumbarton
shire. The gatherings addressed were admirable In
every respect, and before I left I had the satisfaction
of knowing that Mr. Haldane was raaking a great
fight of it, that he had every prospect of defeating
the young laird. And he did defeat him, and has
since held the seat against all comers. Previous to
my arrival on the spot the Conservative candidate

XTbe 1885 Campaign 171
had referred to rae on several occasions, and these
references were carefully collected and placed In ray
hands. I was thus enabled to give a local flavour
to ray addresses, which but for this would have
been entirely lacking, for I had no forraer acquaint
ance with the district to fall back upon. But on
neither side was language of an abusive or offensive
nature used, and when less than twelve raonths later
I raet Lord Elcho's father, the Earl of Werayss, on
the Lough Ness golf links, he greeted rae with
great cordiality and raany congratulations on ray
atterapts to learn the royal and ancient game. Next
morning he sent a mounted messenger to the
cottage where I was staying with an Invitation to
lunch at Gosford House. Unfortunately I was just
on the point of leaving GuUane and was thus com
pelled to refuse the kindly Invitation of one for whom
I had conceived "a strong personal liking when he sat
in the House of Commons as Lord Elcho. Curiously
enough, after his defeat In Haddingtonshire Lord
Elcho failed for some time to find another seat, but
eventually returned to the House of Commons for
the borough of Ipswich, which he represented until
his voluntary retirement in 1895.
Some years after the Haddingtonshire contest I
was playing in the Parliamentary Golf Tournament.
My opponent was Mr. Baird, M.P., one of the
Glasgow representatives. According to the handicap
I had to give him points, and at one tirae he was
five up. By playing for all I was worth I raanaged

172 Ibenrs Broabburst
to get even, and at the seventeenth hole I had one
to my credit. A considerable number of merabers
who had finished their round doubled back to witness
the end of our match, and among them was Lord
Elcho. By some mischance I was interrupted in
my swing at the last tee-shot, and instead of
driving the baU squarely I merely topped It, sending
it into a furze-bush, greatly to the delight of the
North British section of the audience. In the
excitement of the moraent ray opponent followed
ray example and lodged his ball in the same bush.
Putting forth a strenuous effort, I managed to play
into the open, but Mr. Baird, attempting the same
stroke, was less fortunate, and left his ball in a
rather worse position than before. He was not much
comforted by Lord Elcho exclaiming, " Play care
fully, Baird, or Broadhurst will beat you as he
beat me in East Lothian." It was a true prophecy,
for with the next stroke I landed ray ball within
two yards of the hole and won by two up.
But to return to my electioneering campaign. After
leaving Scotland I proceeded to Nottingham to assist
Colonel Seely and the other Liberal candidates, and
then the time arrived to think of my own political
Interests. The combined Parliamentary boroughs of
Stoke-upon-Trent had been separated into two con
stituencies by the Redistribution BUl of 1884. For
various reasons — the nature of which I cannot well
go Into at this time — I was led to decide not to
contest the Pottery borough again. Looking back upon

XLbc 1885 Campaign 173
that decision I cannot but regard it as one of the
greatest pohtical blunders of my life. I believe now
that I exaggerated the difficulty, which appeared so
great In prospectlon, consequent upon contesting the
seat single-handed, and inducements In another direction
helped me Into this fresh political error. However
that may be, at that time my resignation seeraed a
wise step, and, having Intiraated this to the local
Liberal Association, I hastily involved myself In pledges
to another constituency In order that I might not be
over-persuaded to reconsider my decision, as. Indeed,
I was heartily and universally pressed to do by the
leading Liberals of North Staffordshire. Upon the
publication of my letter of resignation, within less than
a month I received invitations to stand for some ten or
twelve different constituencies In various parts of the
country. After due consideration I consented to stand
as the Liberal Labour candidate for the Bordesley
division of BIrmlnghara. My electioneering tours in
Scotland and elsewhere had left me no time for can
vassing ray new constituency, and when I arrived there,
worn and weary with much travelling and speechmaking,
the polling was only a few days off. My opponent
was a weU-known and wealthy brewer of the district
who owned a large nuraber of licensed houses in
the division. He had expended much time and
trouble in nursing the constituency, and had also
the advantage of the aid of an able and popular
wife and family. Possessing araple means, he was from
the wirepuller's point of view, an eminently strong

174 Ibenrs Broabburst
candidate. On the other hand, I found myself in
a constituency of which I was totaUy Ignorant, and a
coraplete stranger to the vast raajority of the voters.
Before I had been forty-eight hours in the division
I devoutly wished I had never seen the place. I was
weary and disheartened by ray recent carapaign, and
I found myself quartered In a private lodging-house,
with all the discomforts associated with such shelters
for the poor In purse. My first raeeting was dis
couraging, and I found ray new surroundings well-nigh
intolerable. But It was too late to think of retiring
frora the contest, and there was nothing to do but
to face the situation with the best grace possible.
GraduaUy affairs assumed a better complexion ; ray
second raeeting was attended with evident success,
and frora that tirae the local Liberals supported me
most loyally.
It was thought by many of ray friends and sup
porters that the fact of the Conservative candidate
being a brewer would rally to my side all sections of
the Temperance Party. But even at that time experi
ence had taught me not to place Implicit reliance upon
such assurances, and my anticipations were subsequently
realised. The more cautious of my supporters admitted
that my opponent had a big start and that I had
much leeway to raake up, but they all agreed that by
hard work I should yet bear away the palra. The
two raain points of his political faith were Beer and
Fair Trade, and so I was not surprised to hear of
the presence in the division of raany of my old

XEbe 1885 Campaign 17s
antagonists — champions of the countervailing duty
on sugar and advocates of the so-called Fair Trade.
These men professed to represent the London and
other trades, and announced that they bore a mandate
from the workers to expose and denounce rae. Utterly
unfounded allegations of disloyalty to the Labour cause,
whose falsity had been exposed and denounced tirae
after tirae by responsible authorities of the trades-
unions, were hashed up again and served to the
Bordesley electors as a savoury dish, In the hope that
time and opportunity to expose the slanders would
fail me. But never was a man more heartily supported
by members of trades-unions and working men who
took a leading part In political life than I was on
that occasion. Baffled by the unanimity on my behalf
and out-manoeuvred at every point, these dispensers
of stale abuse soon found Birmingham too warm for
them, and the efforts of my persecutors, so far from
Injuring ray chances, vastly increased them.
After ten days of unceasing effort I felt I had raade
some headway. Unfortunately, I soon found myself
confronted by a more forraidable foe than the pseudo
working men. In one corner of the division there
happened to be a considerable Irish population, and
to my dismay the Irish headquarters sent down to
Birralngham Mr. T. P. O'Connor, whose ready speech
and marvellous energy proved an awkward factor In
the contest. Except for the presence of John Bright
at one of my meetings, I had to depend entirely on
my own efforts and the help of local speakers. On

176 "toenrs Broabburst
the other hand, ray opponent was greatly aided
by speakers from the surrounding divisions, and
although a brewer, I was assured that he possessed
the tremendous advantage of the support of the
Church of England Temperance Society, the Anglican
visitors, and the charity distributors. Notwithstanding
all these forces on his side, I was enabled to adralnister
to hira a handsome beating, gaining the seat by some
twelve hundred votes.
During this short but hard contest I found time to
visit some of the other divisions of Birmingham and
speak in support of the Liberal candidates. I also paid
a flying visit to Norwich, where Mr. J. J. Colman
and Mr. R. S. Wright (now Mr. Justice Wright of
the King's Bench) were standing. We had a mag
nificent meeting, but Mr. Wright failed to secure
the second seat. Owing to various allegations, a
petition was brought against the successful Conserva
tive candidate, who was compelled to vacate the seat.
The next night I attended a raeeting at Yarmouth
in support of Captain Norton. I have had varied
experiences of hostile demonstrations in the way of
stones and chair-legs, but that meeting will long
remain in my raeraory by reason of the profusion
of rotten eggs and bags of flour. Once at a Dis
establishment meeting In Lancashire the speakers —
of whom I was one — were pursued by a fierce crowd
of male and female defenders of the Church, who were
only to be dispersed by the efforts of the local firemen
with the engine throwing water on the people at full

t;be 1885 Campaign 177
pressure. But on this occasion the shower of eggs
and flour was absolutely without break. Curiously
enough, this malodorous mixture was not aimed indis
criminately at the platform, but only at certain of
the speakers who were obnoxious to the audience.
Personally I was thankful to find that I had not
Incurred the 111 favour of the wielders of these powerful
arguments ; but some of my friends presented a very
sorry appearance.
On my return to Birmingham I received an urgent
request to proceed to Bury in order to give one
night's service to Sir Henry James (now Lord James
of Hereford). The great assistance he had rendered
to trades-unionism in the early seventies had been
well-nigh forgotten by the younger generation, and
at this time he was not personally known to the
Lancashire workers. Party loyalty as weU as trades-
union gratitude compeUed me to respond to the
caU ; but In order to get up my case, as the lawyers
say, on behalf of Sir Henry, I had to wire and
despatch letters in all directions to trades-union officials
for reference papers, for my books of reference were
all in London and no one there to send them to
me. The conditions of the meeting were that It
should be confined practically to trades-unionists,
and none but trades-union officials were to take
part in it, from the Chairman downwards. When
I arrived at Bury I found before me a mass
meeting of bond fide working men. By the aid of
the Parliamentary Committee's documents I had
12

t7S "Ibenrs Broabburst
no difficulty in proving up to the hilt that Sir
Henry Jaraes's advocacy of, and devotion to, the cause
of Labour from the time of his entry Into Parliaraent
had been unbroken and unwavering ; and by his
position as a distinguished lawyer he had been able
to render such services to the working classes as
entitled hira to their undivided support at the poll.
On the foUowing day I returned to BIrralnghara, and
shortly after received several assurances frora Bury
that the raeeting had done rauch good to the Liberal
cause ; and raore than once Sir Henry Jaraes has
protested that that gathering of trades-unionists
secured his return to Parliament as the representative
of Bury.
Only once raore did I leave Bordesley before the
day of poll, and that was to speak for Mr. Cobb,
the Liberal candidate for Rugby division. As a special
train was provided for ray return journey, I was back
in tirae for a raeeting of ray own the sarae night.
The scene in Bordesley on the night of the poll
was one of extraordinary excitement. Thousands of
people filled the streets and squares in the neighbour
hood of the Town Hall and the Liberal Club, while
the rain poured pitilessly down through an atmosphere
of indescribable raugginess. For me the day was
one of Incessant raoveraent, driving backwards and
forwards from comraittee-roora to polling-booth,
and It was nine o'clock at night before I could sit
down to my first meal since breakfast. Towards
midnight I wended my way, accompanied by Mr.

tCbe 1S85 Campaign 179
and Mrs. Schnadhorst, to the Liberal Club, where
we awaited the declaration of the poll. So confident
of success were the supporters of Mr. Showell that
up to a late hour at night large sums of raoney at
long odds were offered backing Mr. Showell's chances
of victory. I shall never forget the scene beneath
the Liberal Club windows when the figures were
announced. It Is but rarely in a llfetlrae that one
hears such shouts frora a great and excited throng as
reached ray ears that night. I was dragged frora
an Inner room where I had sought refuge from the
tumult and compelled to return thanks to the
seething multitude below. These were the days when
BIrralnghara was the Mecca of Liberals. It was the
shrine of the advanced guard of Radicalism. Nothing
could equal Its devotion to great Ideals. Liberalism
was a religion to Birmingham people. Had one then
predicted what has since happened, the reply would
have been, like the Israehte of old, " If I forget
Thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her
cunning." Domestically I never had a more uncomfortable
three weeks than during that contest. Even with
the aid of ray wife to make the best of our poor
surroundings and to give an appearance of comfort and
order, it was with the greatest difficulty that I could
remain In the place. Mr. Maxwell, my faithful assist
ant, was ever present, and without hira I could not have
continued ray contest. The one oasis In my desert
was the ever-open door of Mr. Schnadhorst's house.

i8o "Ibenrs Broabburst
and the kindly hospitality shown by his beloved
wife. It was a true place of refuge from the storms
and discomfort and the jarring discords of political
strife. Although I had raet Dr. Dale on previous occasions
I had never really corae into close acquaintanceship
with him till this time. The first occasion on which
I had heard him preach was at the Sunday morning
service at Carr Lane Chapel. I had the pleasure
of spending the evening of that day at his house,
and, strange as It may appear, I never seemed to realise
his greatness so rauch as I did over our rautual pipes
and friendly chat. The sraallest things he said were
inspiring and elevating, and an hour In his company
increased one's admiration for his character and his
deep and broad sympathy for all around him. The
more one knew of him the greater became one's
reverence for him. He was gentle and strong, humble
and elevated In the highest degree. I can call him
to mind at will, and then I hear his words as though
still present in the flesh.
Throughout the contest I was ably represented by
my agent, Mr. W. AUard, whose accuracy, industry,
and coolheadedness contributed largely to the victory ;
and I have ever felt grateful to hira for, and shaU
continue to reraeraber, his rare devotion to ray cause.
This testimony to his worth is now of no value to him,
as all these qualities are well known In whatever part
of the country, and they are raany, he has been called
upon to act as election agent, and especiaUy Is he

^be 1885 Campaign iSi
appreciated and valued as the Secretary to the Home
Counties Liberal Association In Parliament Street.
No sooner was ray own seat secure than the call
of duty suramoned rae to the aid of other candidates
almost without a moment's respite. After a flying
visit to Chester, which Sir Walter Foster was contest
ing, I proceeded to Crewe, where the Liberal candidate
was the late Mr. George Latham. Considerable
excitement had been aroused among the employees of
the Crewe works by a circular referring to the election
issued by the raUway authorities. This document
had been interpreted as a hint to the men to favour
the Conservative candidate, and feeling ran high on
the subject In the Liberal camp. I accordingly made
it ray chief aim to inspire the workers to use their
suffrages as became free and Independent citizens.
I threw my whole soul Into the struggle, and scored
a strong point by telling of my memorable adventures
when I was passing through Portsmouth on a long
tramp in the winter of 1858-9, and was taken In
and hospitably entertained by the Cheshire Militiamen,
as I have already related. I spoke with deep gratitude
of the tender way In which these citizen soldiers had
nursed and ministered to me In my hour of need.
The recital of that story produced a deep Impression
on that Cheshire audience. Late the same night I
was comparing notes with Mr. Latham on the day's
work and mentioned the effect which this reminiscence
had made upon my meeting. What was ray surprise
to learn that at the very tirae I was receiving the

1 82 Ibenrs Broabburst
hospitality of the men's mess, Mr. Lathara hiraself
was staying in the same barracks as the guest of one
of the officers.
A visit to West Staffordshire in support of Mr.
Bass's candidature, which next occupied my atten
tion, was meraorable for a ralsadventure of the kind
to which political speakers in county divisions are
occasionally liable. I accompanied the candidate and his
wife to Hednesford, eight or ten miles from Stafford,
where we were staying. It was a dark night, with a
thick heavy mist, and much of the low lands surround
ing Stafford were flooded. During the progress of the
meeting the coachman had been Informed of a short cut
for the return journey. Soon after leaving the viUage
a violent concussion informed us that soraething had
gone wrong. Alighting from the vehicle we discovered
ourselves In a narrow lane surrounded by submerged
pastures, and on a road the roughness of which
threatened to deraohsh the carriage. The driver was
ordered to take us back to the high road, but the lane
was too narrow to allow a turning movement, and so
we had to push on. Presently another halt was caUed :
the ground had becorae soft and marshy ; the wheels of
the carriage and the legs of the horses sank into It so
deeply that we were once more compelled to alight.
Our efforts to throw sorae light on the path in front
of the horses were frustrated by the iramobillty of
the carriage lamps, which refused to leave their sockets.
Nothing was left but for us to turn out and find
assistance. So we set off, guided to some extent by

XCbe 1885 Campaign 183
a wood on our left. Presently we plunged Into a pool
of water. Happily we puUed up when only knee deep.
After a long hail through the mossy bog we were In
the last stages of despair, when luckily we espied a
light twinkling through a clearing In the wood. One
of our nuraber was despatched to this haven of refuge,
and, evading a threatening house dog, he obtained
enough information to enable us to quit the inhospitable
marsh and by traversing a by-road to regain the high
way. Altogether our coachraan's short cut cost us
about two extra hours, besides the discorafort of being
wet to the knee.
After another raeeting or two In the Midlands, I
at length received an intimation that ray electioneering
tasks were finished, and I was enabled once again
to enjoy the peace and coraforts of my own hearth,
which never appeared raore grateful than after these
political wanderings.
At this tirae I was living at Brixton HIU. Since
1880 I had been a raeraber of the Reform Club,
having been elected by the Political Committee In
recognition of services rendered to the Liberal Party ;
this merabership I still retain. But raine was far
too busy a life to afford much time to avail rayself
of the comforts of club life, and Indeed ray In
clination turned rather towards physical exercise than
lounging In a club sraoklng-room. I have always
been a good walker, both for speed and distance I
have held a fair record, and I had made a practice of
walking home from the House of Commons except

i84 Ibenrs Broabburst
on rare occasions, when I caught the four o'clock
morning train from Victoria Station. In the early
eighties late sittings were the rule, and all the last
trains and buses had disappeared long before the
House would rise. My road was mostly uphiU, and
generaUy took an hour for the journey. It may be
imagined that such a practice after a hard day's work
of sixteen to twenty hours' duration required con
siderable stamina to maintain. But the sturdiness of
ray constitution enabled rae to keep up the habit
regularly until 1888, and even after that time I
walked the whole distance at frequent intervals. Those
who are ignorant of outdoor life In London in
the early hours of the raorning would be astonished
at the freshness and balray nature of the air at five
o'clock, especially during the suramer-tlme. Between
Kennington Gate and Brixton HIU I have many
times Inhaled with zest the scented air from the
fields beyond the rira of Greater London. I seldom
carried an umbrella, and for the first six years
took no extra precaution against cold except for
a light summer overcoat. Only twice was I over
taken by a storm : once it was a snow blizzard and
the other occasion was a thunderstorm. Nor did
I ever experience any interference frora roughs or
thieves, even in the darkest and raost lonely parts
of that long walk. Once or twice I expected an
assault and prepared rayself to resist, but nothing
came of it, and it might have been mere fancy,
the result of physical exhaustion, with Its inevitable

Zbc t885 Campaign 185
consequence of nervousness. I have read somewhere
that coastguardsmen possess the faculty of sleeping
on their beats. I know nothing of that, but I am
certain I raust have been asleep one raorning on my
way home ; for as I passed Brixton Church I was
startled out of my senses by what appeared to my
bewildered ears a discharge of artillery. On Investi
gation It turned out to be the clock striking three.
When at home I rarely ever failed to spend at least
half the Saturday in long walks In the surrounding
country ; and this practice I maintained until my
golfing days began. Frora that time nothing but
dire necessity prevented me from spending ray
Saturdays on the links. I have no doubt this love
of outdoor exercise raaterlally assisted In keeping rae
In a sound state of health for so raany years.
But to return to the General Election of 1885.
Being much occupied In trades-union work at
my office, I used the Reforra Club much more
frequently than had hitherto been my custom. As
may be easily imagined, the club was at this time
the centre of great political activity. Mr. Labouchere
was busily pursuing his policy of endeavouring to
influence the Liberal leaders and rank and file to
use the large majority they had gained at the polls
in favour of Home Rule in Ireland. I do not
propose to enter Into the negotiations and Intrigues
which heralded the first Horae Rule Bill. This
volume is intended to be merely a series of personal
reminiscences and not a political history. I only

1 86 Ibenrs Broabburst
refer to the matter to mention a remark I heard
one day in the central haU of the Reform Club.
The speaker was an ex-Cabinet Minister who
subsequently sat on the Front Bench In the two
following Liberal ministries. He had been strongly
condemning the policy of adopting Home Rule as a
Liberal raeasure, and wound up with the exclamation,
" If this policy is persisted In, It will wreck the
Liberal Party ! " How literally that prophecy has been
verified Is public knowledge. My own opinions on
large questions of policy were, I confess, never
sought for by the chiefs of the party ; but personally
I was In favour of Horae Rule, though ray judgment
would have led to support procedure by resolution
rather than by a Bill. However that raay be, our
leader decided to take the line of Home Rule, and
personal opinion gave way to party loyalty, and
the great body of Liberal Members manfully sup
ported Mr. Gladstone In his great crusade, which
was destined to end so disastrously for him and
his cause.

CHAPTER XI
/ REACH THE TREASURY BENCH
THE new year carae, and when Parliament met
the Tory Government was Iramediately defeated
on a motion of want of confidence. The procedure
was a mere formality, as they were in a great minority,
and ministers sat In their seats calmly awaiting the
Inevitable division. To my astonishment the change
of government brought about a moraentous change In
my life. One busy day, when I was closely engaged in
pressing business in my office, a messenger brought
rae a letter In Mr. Gladstone's well-known hand
writing. Hastily tearing open the envelope, I found
the following communication : —
"Secret.] 21, Carlton House Terrace, S.W.
"February ^th, 1886.
"Dear Mr. Broadhurst, —
" I have very great pleasure in proposing to you
that you should accept office as Under-Secretary of State
in the Home Department. AHke on private and on
public grounds I trust it may be agreeable to you to
accept this appointment, which should remain strictly
187

1 88 Ibenrs Broabburst
secret until your name shall have been before Her
Majesty. " I remain, with much regard,
"Sincerely yours,
"W. E. Gladstone."
It was not without great hesitation and serious
misgivings as to my qualifications for the office that I
accepted this flattering proposal. As Is the custom, I
called Iramediately upon Mr. Gladstone at his residence
In Carlton House Terrace to acquaint hira with ray
decision. He gave me a hearty welcome, and In sub
sequent conversation he referred to the dark days of
Liberalism frora 1876 to 1878, and assured me that
he had never forgotten ray labours and my devotion
to the cause of Liberty during those exciting times,
when all the worst passions of mankind seemed to
pervade the metropolis. He went on to impart to me
the fact that he had then determined, when a favourable
moraent arrived, to recognise ray services to the
Eastern Question Association In sorae adequate fashion.
Then he Inquired what was ray answer to his proposal.
I at once replied that If It was his wish that I should
join the Administration, it should be In some less
prorainent position than the post he had selected.
But on this point Mr. Gladstone would admit no
discussion ; he brought the conversation to a close by
playfuUy informing me that he would answer for me
hiraself, and that I must prepare at once to enter upon
the duties of the office.
I can honestly declare that I left Mr. Gladstone's

J reacb tbe ^reasurs Bencb 189
house without any of those feelings of exhilaration and
pleasing excitement which the gift of office Is generally
supposed to awaken In the breast of the politician.
Like a drowning raan, I lived ray life over again in the
next half-hour. The lowly beginning of ray career.
Its labours at the forge and the stoneraason's shop, the
privations, the wanderings, and ray varying fortunes,
stood out In ray mind's eye as clearly as so raany
living pictures. Especially did ray meraory recall the
months I had spent working on the very Government
buUdings which I was about to enter as a Minister of
the Crown. Then, returning to the present, I realised
as I had never done before the Irretrievable loss which
the lack of education in my early days Involved.
Visions of humiliation arising from the duties of ray
new office and ray raeagre capacity and endowraents
rose before rae with startling vividness. The next
twenty-four hours were passed In a torraenting alterna
tion of desire and reluctance : of desire to grapple with
and overcorae the difficulties of the position by sheer
force of will, as I had done on many occasions in
the past ; and of reluctance to leave ray seat below
the gangway, where I had fought for the cause of
Labour untraramelled by official limitations and the
discipline associated with office. I firmly believe that
had not Mr. Gladstone shown such a determined In
tention to attach me to his Ministry, I should have left
him that day with a grateful acknowledgment of his
kindness, but an unmistakable refusal to accept his
offer.

t9o Ibenrs Broabburst
As soon as the appointment was officially announced
in the newspapers, congratulations poured in on me
from all parts of the country and from aU classes of
the community. None of these gave me keener
pleasure than a letter from an old stonemason,
written in a shaky and alraost Indecipherable hand. I
remember hira, when I was a boy, as a pleasant, cheery,
well-fed raan, surrounded by considerable corafort for
one In his position, and the thought of his kind
reraerabrance and congratulations greatly cheered me.
Many were the letters I received which bore strong
evidence in orthography and phrasing that the writers,
like myself, were born before the era of Board Schools.
A few days later, in the lobby of the House, I received
personal and cordial congratulations on my appoint
ment from the Prince of Wales.
This appointment, of course, obliged rae to relinquish
the post of Secretary to the Parllaraentary Coramittee
of the Trades-Union Congress, and my place was
taken by Mr. George Shipton.
Scarcely had the change of Governraent been effected
than the Uneraployed agitation in the raetropolls
began to assume grave proportions, culminating in the
serious outbreak known as the Trafalgar Square Riots.
The police arrangements were Ineffectual to suppress
¦ disorder, and several shops were sacked by the large
criminal element in the crowd. As a result the Chief
Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police resigned, and
Sir Charles Warren received the appointment. These
events naturally threw a large amount of work upon

^ reacb the Xfreasurs ISSencb tgi
the Horae Office, as well as a heavy burden of re
sponsibility, by no means a pleasant Initiation for me
into official life. But as the days rolled by, I was
greatly cheered to find that the experience I had gained
In raany directions In my old post of Parliamentary
Secretary, with Its frequent contact with nearly every
Government department, stood rae now in good stead.
The position of an Under-Secretary of State in the
House of Coraraons whose chief Is In the same House
involves little Parllaraentary work, and In the depart
ment Itself, if one is so minded, the routine duties can
be reduced to a minimum. It not Infrequently happens
that the chief takes upon himself substantially the whole
of the public duties of the department, leaving his
subordinate with very light work, Involving little or
no responsibility. But this was not the case with ray
chief, Mr. Childers. Never did master take more
pains In fulfiUing the duty imposed upon him by
Indentures towards his apprentice than Mr. Childers
took with me. He not only carefully instructed me
in the duties of the office, but gave me raany oppor
tunities to act on my own responsibility. A certain
class of work was definitely allotted to me, and I
was Informed that on me would rest the responsibility
for its efficient discharge. On several occasions
departmental matters, some of them of considerable
public Importance, were left entirely In my hands to
Investigate and decide upon. I remember distinctly
in one case of an alleged excess of punishment by
imprisonment by some county magistrate, I went

192 "Ibenrs Broabburst
carefully Into the raatter, and decided to reduce the
sentence, and the raen were immediately liberated. In
another case, a Bill which had been for several years
In the hands of successive Ministers, and which had
reference to police raatters of the raetropolls, was
handed over to me, both for consideration as to what
(if any) changes should be made in It and to Introduce
it in Parhament, and If possible to get It passed into
law. It Involved a loan of something like a quarter
of a million of money, and gave to the London police
authorities powers of compulsory purchase of freehold
in cases where new police-stations were required or
existing ones were held on lease. I prepared an
elaborate speech, fuU of convincing arguments, for the
second reading stage ; but, unfortunately, when my
turn carae the hour was so advanced that I saw
ray only hope was to follow the Yorkshire farraer's
advice to his lawyer, " Stow the cackle an' get to
th' 'osses " — in other words, to throw my speech
overboard and simply move that the Bill be read.
Thus, in the small hours of the morning, I passed
a Bill containing the principle of leasehold en
franchisement, and so far as I am aware not a
single Member recognised the central principle of the
measure, which to rae, the author of the Leasehold
Enfranchisement Bill, was naturally a matter of con
siderable Interest.
Mr. ChUders had prepared a Bill to extend the
Miners' Regulation Act. For this purpose several
consultations were held at the Home Office with the

3 reacb tbe tEreasurs Bencb 193
officials of that departraent. At these consultations I
was always present and took part In the discussions.
In many cases Mr. Childers accepted suggestions from
rae designed to safeguard the Interests and lives of
the ralners, and I was present at the final meeting for
determining the scope of the BIU. Domestic affliction
prevented my chief from moving the second reading
of this measure on the appointed day, and It fell
to ray lot to discharge that Iraportant duty. But
Parliamentary vicissitudes ordered otherwise ; the BUl
was not reached that night in tirae to proceed with
it. No progress was made with It that session, and
when the Tories came into office again later in the
sumraer they found a well-matured BIU to amend
the Miners' Act ready to hand.
Many people faded to recognise In Mr. ChUders
a brilliant statesman ; yet it cannot be denied that he
was an exceedingly able administrator and a raost
conscientious and painstaking Minister. His largeness
of heart and kindness of disposition, his patience
with the shortcomings and failures of his subordinates,
were reraarkable. Mrs. Childers, whora I frequently
had the privilege of meeting, was a meet companion
to her distinguished husband. A woman of keen
Intelligence and wide experience and endowed with
many high qualities, she always exhibited a spirit of
encouragement and hopefulness ; to me she was a
true and sincere friend.
The flow of congratulations and approving comments
on ray appointraent was not altogether unbroken. I
13

194 "Ibenrs Broabburst
remember one noble lord courteously suggesting that
now Mr. Broadhurst had been raade Under-Secretary
of State for Horae Affairs, It would be an appropriate
sequel to appoint Charles Peace, the notorious raurderer
and burglar, Chief Coraralssloner of Police. This
induced some enterprising newspaper man to Investi
gate the family history of the author of this elegant
witticism, with a somewhat inconvenient result for the
noble lord. In another case the then Parliamentary
representative of the Kennington Division, becoming
anxious for the fair fame of the Horae Office, addressed
a question to the Horae Secretary as to whether he
had seen a report in newspapers that the present
Under-Secretary for Home Affairs had been under
the surveUlance of the police during the lock-out
in the building trades In 1872. The nature of the
reply to this vulgar personal attack, supplemented by
a word or two of advice from myself, effectually put
a stop to any further Inquiries frora this inquisitive
young man ; and shortly afterwards this prop of the
Constitution was lost In the oblivion of those for
whom their constituents have no longer any use.
Early in the session, as soon as the Irish policy of
the Government became known, it was evident to
raost of us that our tenure of office would be brief.
Seeds of disruption were widely scattered, and discontent
and restlessness were raanlfest even in the Cabinet Itself
It Is extremely difficult for anyone outside the Inner
circle of a Ministry to forra exact opinions on the
causes which produced certain results, but I think I

3 reacb tbe XTreasurs Bencb 19s
am not far wrong In claiming that If there had been
a little less independence on one side and a greater
capacity for concihating the divergent Interests on
the other, as well as a more effective Intelligence
Department, the disastrous split In the Liberal Party
might never have occurred. For some years previous
I had been on pretty intimate terms, politically
speaking, with the chief figures In our party. I
had been favoured with many Interviews of a highly
confidential nature, and frora knowledge which thus
carae Into ray possession I was able fairly to under
stand the attitude of the various coraponent parts
of the Cabinet. Even up to the last week before
the fatal division on the second reading of the
Horae Rule Bill I felt there was some chance of
securing the neutrality, If not the support, of John
Bright. A very short time before the second reading
I had the pleasure of dining at the same table with
Mr. Bright, I was the only person present who was
not a member of his family, and I was greatly
impressed by his evident reluctance to tear himself
from the raost cherished political associates of his
lifetime. This belief I took care to communicate
to the proper quarter, but perhaps I was mistaken, or
perhaps the efforts put forth to realise my hopes were
not sufficiently sincere, or were not made at all.
The shadow of the coraing disruption was pain
fully evident for weeks before the event. Strained
relations began to make themselves apparent In
outward demeanour. Close friends of the past

196 "Ibenrs Broabburst
exhibited a coldness to each other. Nor was this
apparent to our own side only. Our opponents,
quick to seize their advantage and skiUed In political
manoeuvring, employed all the arts of social life
to capture the waverers. The effect of such In
fluence was found in unexpected quarters, The
great London mansions were continuously ablaze
with brilliant entertainments designed to attract the
rank and file of the party. On the other hand, no
adequate measures for counteracting these Insidious
temptations were taken by the Liberals. With other
merabers I undertook the task of attending to some
of the waverers. It was a strange experience, this
political wet-nursing, and one not likely to recur
in our time. Personally, I never wavered for a
raoraent in what I considered my duty — loyalty to
the great leader of the Liberal Party. But the
personal animus which was imported into the affair
both araazed and pained rae, and the inevitable
snapping of bonds of friendship and amity gave me
much disquietude. After a personal acquaintance with
Mi;. Chamberlain extending over raany years, ripening
as years went on into what I believe was a mutual
confidence in each other, I felt the wrench of separation
more than I can describe. I had a great personal
liking for the raan. To those with whora he is on
good terms, he is most fascinating — no airs or high
and mightiness. He stands truly by his friends and
never leaves them at the critical raoraent. In this
description I am, of course, speaking of his private

5 reacb tbe XEreasurs Bencb 197
conduct to those In the circle of his supporters ; what
he Is as an opponent all the world knows. Many
of his high qualities commanded my unbounded
admiration. In the days when he was the subject of
taunts and gibes from the Tories, and when the
more timid and Whigglsh section of . the Liberal Party
openly showed their distrust of hira, ray attachraent
grew deeper and stronger, so that the separation which
perforce ensued at the Liberal Unionist secession
affected me In a very special manner.
To the best of ray knowledge and belief, in the com
position of the Cabinet there were many cross currents
at work, and a considerable volume of dissatisfaction.
There were influences raost strongly mistrustful of Mr.
Chamberlain. These Influences counted for keeping
him frora the higher offices In the State ; and however
strong a Prime Minister raay be, he raust at times
bend, to the winds that blow about him. I believe
these Influences were wholly aristocratic. These people
did not like the Birralngham raan, and they Intended
to show their raistrust of hira. If I am correct In
my conjecture, and I think I am not entirely wide of
the mark, it will be seen that a fertile soil already
existed for seeds of disruption should the winds of
party strife blow them that way. It Is another Illustra
tion of the old adage that " adversity makes strange
bedfellows." The irony of events brought some of
those who did not love Mr. Chamberlain to his feet
to lead thera In the rebeUion against their pohtical
kith and kin.

198 Ibenrs Broabburst
The fatal day at length arrived, and with it the
division In the House of Commons, which was the
outward and visible sign of the cleavage of the Liberal
Party. Those of us who took part in the memorable
scene will, I Imagine, never forget the poignant sen
sations It evoked as long as memory lasts. The
strength of the two sections had been accurately
gauged by the Whips, and those of us who had
been most active in canvassing the party and en
deavouring to bring back the strayed sheep knew only
too well that our doom was sealed, and that the
magnificent majority of Liberals returned by the con
stituencies was about to be scattered like autumn
leaves before the gale. The raoraent was Intensely
exciting. I have many times thought that the greatest
artist of the day could not have found a subject
raore Irapressive or draraatic than was presented when
Mr. Gladstone walked to the desk where the division
clerks were ticking off the naraes of raerabers as they
passed through the lobbies. With a raarvellous firm
ness of step, and his mobile features set In an extra
ordinary expression of gravity and fixed determination,
the statesman whom all England had learned to call the
Grand Old Man might have been an early Christian
martyr marching to his doom. From a point of
vantage I was enabled to see hira full In the face
as he approached, and to me at least the sight was
sublime — the look of fixed, almost agonised resolve
of a great leader to sacrifice his proud position at
the head of a great and powerful party to satisfy the

^ reacb tbe tCreasurs Bencb 19$
claims of justice and to bestow the blessings of peace
and prosperity upon a sorely vexed country.
As everyone knows, this fatal division was followed
by an appeal to the country, and once again the United
Kingdom was thrown Into the turmoil of a General
Election, which was fought with extraordinary vehe
mence and bitterness. For reasons with which I need
not trouble the reader I had resolved not to stand again
for the Bordesley division, and I had to decide on
another constituency. Colonel Seely, the Liberal
member for West Nottingham, had voted against the
Government on the Home Rule Bill, and It was resolved
to contest his seat In the Home Rule Interest. At the
invitation of the local Liberals, strongly backed by the
party officials at headquarters, I consented to make an
effort to capture the Colonel's seat. So down I went
to Nottingham, and In fourteen days I found myself
raeraber for the division. All things considered, It
was probably the most eventful contest of that General
Election. I have already referred to the visit I paid to
Nottingham in the autumn of 1885 to support the
three Liberal candidates, who succeeded In carrying
the three seats of the borough. Colonel Seely's
success on that occasion was not In the least surprising
to those who knew the circumstances. He was a large
colliery proprietor, an active and liberal-minded raan
in local affairs, and possessed the advantage of a hard
working and talented family to support his candida
ture. All things combined to constitute him an Ideal

200 "Ibenrs Broabburst
and Irresistible candidate, and In 1885 he won the seat
by a majority, roundly speaking, of two thousand
five hundred. For me, a comparative stranger without
local connections or Influence, a " carpet-bagger "
pure and simple, to attempt to capture this seat within
ten months of Colonel Seely's triumphant return
seeraed the height of madness. But the die was
cast ; my consent had been given ; and before I
had time for reflection I found myself In the midst
of a hotly contested fight. As at Bordesley I received
no outside help for my platform work, and again
I found time to assist my colleagues In the other
two divisions. The struggle was herculean, and
I was alraost overwhelmed in the mass of corre
spondence that reached me from all parts of the
kingdom making Inquiries as to the record and fitness
of various candidates. Added to this was my Home
Office work, which deraanded ray attention for a
portion of each day, so that I had but little leisure
for rest or tirae for thought during the tw'o weeks
the contest lasted. A good friend lent me his
house during the election — a welcome assistance from
an economical point of view, but marred by the
fact that the establishment was In the hands of
painters, the evidence of whose industry was not as
music In my ears at six o'clock In the morning,
when ray previous working day had only ceased at
midnight. But at last the polling day arrived and put an
end to all this excitement ; and I had the proud

J reacb tbe tlreasurs Bencb 201
satisfaction of hearing that Colonel Seely's vast
majority had been wiped out, and that the seat was
mine by a majority of eight hundred or so. I had
made arrangements to leave Nottingham that same
night, successful or unsuccessful, and when the figures
were brought to rae at midnight I was just on the
point of catching the maU train to London. By 8.30
the next morning I had recorded my vote at the
Brixton polling-station, and was again on my way to
the ancient city of Chester to help my good friend Sir
Walter Foster. On his polling day I took part In some
meetings In a county division, and got back to Chester
at one o'clock next morning to find my friend's seat
captured by the enemy. A journey to Nottingham
followed, whence I proceeded after a short delay to
Mansfield, where a set of brakes awaited for a tour of
the Mansfield division In company with the Liberal
candidate, Mr. Foljambe, and a splendid electioneering
party. At two In the afternoon we set out for the
big mining villages, and as we made our way along I
was honoured by the presentation of some half a dozen
addresses frora the ralners of the district. Each
address, of course, Involved a short speech of
acknowledgment over and above the speeches at a
sirailar number of public meetings, all In the open air.
At one of the largest gatherings, where a row of
lofty trees at our backs spread out leafy branches like
an emerald sounding-board, we encountered the Con
servative candidate, and I well remember with what
dignity and confidence he marched to the outskirts of

202 "Ibenrs Broabburst
the crowd while I was addressing It. A local politician
at my side Informed me of his Identity, and I lost no
time in welcoming hira to the meeting and Inviting
him to a seat In our brake, accompanied by the promise
of an opportunity to address the gathering. An
avenue was rapidly opened up In the crowd, and by
gentle pressure our opponent was Induced to accept
the Invitation. Erect and defiant, he took his stand on
the Improvised platform ; but his self-satisfaction soon
disappeared, for I could not resist the temptation of
gently chaffing hira on his raartlal appearance, and of
assuring hira that the people, despite the respect In
which they held him, had determined to secure the
return of his Liberal rival. This little incident
greatly tickled the crowd and secured us a splendid
ovation. So we journeyed on through the division from
meeting to raeeting, till at last we reached Mansfield
again and found a large concourse waiting to give us
a hearty " welcorae home." More speechifying was
Inevitable, and It was nearly midnight before I sat
down to the first meal I had an opportunity of taking
since an early breakfast in Chester that morning.
To the ordinary methodical citizen, whose habits
work with clock-like regularity, these prolonged
periods of excitement and hard work without regular
meals may appear almost Incredible ; but those who
have gone through an electioneering campaign know
too well how Impossible It Is to avoid such experi
ences. But though In the excitement of the moment

5 reacb tbe tlreasurs Bencb 203
one scarcely notices the lack of sustenance, yet in
the end Dame Nature exacts a very thorough retri
bution for the neglect of her clalras, as I have found
out In latter years.
From Mansfield I proceeded to Nottingham, and
after conferring with ray chief supporters and agent
on raatters arising out of my late contest, I left for
Derbyshire, where I attended a series of raeetlngs In
support of Mr. Jacoby. Next day I addressed several
gatherings In the Loughborough division of Leicester
shire, and then went north to the Buckrose division
to support Mr. W. A. McArthur, now raeraber
for St. AusteU.
As all the borough elections were now over,
and only a few county divisions remained unpolled,
I felt that I might rest on my oars, and so
returned to London. Here I found the people
at headquarters appalled by the terrible extent of
the Liberal losses. There was no disguising the
fact that the country was In for a period, long or
short, of Conservative supremacy. Few Liberals
realised how cohesive would prove the elements of
Toryism and Dissenting Liberalism which went to
make up the Unionist Party. A few, indeed, were
clearer-sighted, and amongst them I must number
Mr. Chamberlain. I very well remember the last
occasion on which the present Colonial Secretary spoke
to me before the fatal division on the Home Rule
Bill. It was one of the many conversations we held
together on the question which way the representatives

204 Ibenrs Broabburst
of Labour would vote, and particularly as to my
own course. With great earnestness Mr. Charaberlain
assured rae that I was about to take part In a division
which would effectuaUy wreck the prospects of the
Liberal Party for raany a long year. But this emphatic
warning In no way shook my resolution to stand by
Mr. Gladstone and the Home Rule cause. In the
new House of Commons Mr. Burt and myself no
longer stood alone as representatives of the working
classes ; the General Election added no less than nine
Labour members, and all proved themselves sound on
the question.
The shock to the party system administered by the
defection of men like Charaberlain and John Bright
araong politicians, and Dr. Dale and Mr. Spurgeon
in the ranks of Nonconforralty, was terrible. Taking
the division of West Nottlnghara, ray own con
stituency, as a saraple, I could hardly believe the
evidence of my own eyes when I saw the windows
of nearly every public-house decorated with printed
appeals frora John Bright and Charles Haddon
Spurgeon to vote against Mr. Gladstone and his
foUowers. The world seeraed to have turned upside
down, until we alraost began to suspect ourselves
bereft of our reason.
I left the Horae Departraent, I raust confess, with
deep and sincere regret. I do not mean regret for
the emoluments or the status which the position carries
with it — that did not trouble me ; but after six
months' close application to my duties I felt I had

5 reacb tbe tTreasurs Bencb 205
surmounted many of the Initial difficulties of the
position. Besides, I had formed many pleasant friend
ships among the permanent officials of the department.
It was like being compelled to withdraw frora a
contest on the eve of assured victory. I had found
the work extreraely heavy at first (though the amount
and character of the work performed by the Under-
Secretary largely depend on his own willingness or
unwUhngness to undertake them), but my duties had
dally becorae more Interesting and varied, and I grew
to like raore and raore of thera.
One curious experience that befell me during my
short term of office was the discovery that I was
entitled. In virtue of my position, to half a carcass
of a buck from Windsor, or In lieu thereof one or
two guineas — I forget the exact equivalent. I chose
the half-buck, and in due course it arrived at the
Home Office, whence I had to transport it to my
home. It proved rather an alarming addition to my
small larder ; but it enabled me to fill a role which I
have found the most grateful In life — that of the
dispenser of favours. I was able to distribute among
ray friends joints of royal venison.
Official life brings with It raany opportunities of
social entertainraents ; but the gaieties of Society, with
a big S, never appealed to me. I had no ambition
to shine as a diner-out, and few and far between were
the occasions on which I dined at private houses.
When I first entered the House of Commons In 1880
I was constantly receiving Invitations to the usual

2o6 "Ibenrs Broabburst
functions connected with Parliamentary life, including
many dinner parties. But my financial circumstances
did not permit of my sharing in these entertainments.
In the course of twelve months ray unwillingness to
accept thera becarae pretty widely known, and I found
considerable relief In being coraparatively free frora
the frequent erabarrassraent of having to explain the
reason why I could not " go Into Society," as the
phrase runs.
When I came Into office I was assured on all hands
that these reservations would have to be abandoned,
and that, to begin with, I should have to be presented at
Court, a ceremony Involving the purchase of an elaborate
and costly uniform, as Under-Secretary of State. The
raere idea of having to appear at Buckingham Palace
in such a garb was altogether too fearful to contem
plate. Not that I would be understood to object to
such ceremonies as a matter of principle. Variety and
picturesqueness in dress I have always admired, In
the case of either raan or woman ; indeed, I have
an affectionate eye for weU-harmonised colours and
adornment in clothing. But for me, scarcely emerged
frora a life of vicissitudes and hardships, to don the
gold-laced coat and the velvet breeches, the silk
stockings and silver-buckled shoes, the cocked hat
and dress-sword, appeared such a travesty, that I could
not fail to look supreraely ridiculous, if not to the
outside world, at least to my own eyes.
At length the crucial moment arrived : Mr. Childers
appeared in ray roora to consult ray convenience.

5 reacb tbe "Creasurs Bencb 207
whether I would prefer the first or the second Levee
of the season for my presentation. I lacked the
courage to say at once that I did not intend to go
at all ; but I assured ray chief that as the lesser of
two evils I should prefer the second Levee, though
the third would suit me Infinitely better. He would
listen to no excuses, and assured rae that It was a
serious and Iraportant part of his Constitutional duties
to present me, and that I must be ready to accompany
hira when the tirae carae. Recognising that further
concealraent was useless, I raade a clean breast of ray
feelings, and of the horror with which I contemplated
the Idea of presentation in a Court dress. I did not
consider It polite to press the matter any further
on this occasion, for I perceived that ray stateraent
had considerably shocked the susceptibilities of Mr.
Childers. But I set to work immediately to devise
some means of obtaining a dispensation from the
ceremony. My first step was to consult one or two friends
as to how far I should be justified In refusing to
conform to these official usages. One of those
whose advice I sought was Mr. Chamberlain, and he
strongly encouraged rae to persevere In taking relief
frora attendance at Court. In the course of a few
days I coraraunlcated to Mr. Childers ray fixed
resolve to gain a dispensation from attendance at
the Levee. He assured rae that such a course was
Irapossible, and begged rae to save tirae and further
anxiety by giving the necessary orders to a Court tailor.

2o8 "Ibenrs Broabburst
But I was not to be deterred from ray purpose,
and after consulting other Influential people, I cora
posed a letter setting forth my position, and pleading
that I had on one or two occasions received from
T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of Wales Indulgence
to absent myself frora functions Involving similar
difficulties to that which I was now endeavouring to
overcome. I further pointed out that the Speakers of
the House of Coraraons had absolved rae from attend
ance at his dinners and levees, adding that under these
circumstances I felt sure I should not appeal In vain
for Her Majesty's consent to dispense with my presence
at the Levee. I have reason to believe that this appeal
ultimately came under the personal notice of the
Queen, and that Her Majesty was graciously pleased
to grant rae the dispensation I sought. Thus when
I laid down the responsibilities of office I left the
Ministerial Bench with the distinction of being the
only occupant of such a position who had not been
presented at Court or taken part in any of the formal
functions, such as the banquet given by the Home
Secretary on the anniversary of the Queen's Birthday,
the Speaker's receptions, and the like. Up to the
present moment I have continued to sit in Parliament,
to win elections, and generally discharge my duties to
my feUow-men without the aid of either Court dress
or evening dress.
It Is not to be supposed, however, that my objection
to donning these garments arises from any deep and
noble principle as a representative of Labour. On the

5 reacb tbe ^reasurs Bencb 209
contrary, some of ray colleagues in Parliament, as well
as several prominent Labour leaders outside the House,
observe this usage of Society, and, I must confess,
their appearance when thus arrayed Is no way Inferior
to that of their wealthier fellows. I do not think
that any Labour raeraber has ever donned a Windsor
unlforra ; and if ray supposition be correct, it naturally
follows that none have been able to pay their
respects to Mr. Speaker at any of his receptions
when Court dress is obligatory. After the General
Election of 1886 a departure was raade in the order
of the Speaker's entertainments. The self-exclusion
of eleven members (the number of the Labour
representatives In the new Parliament) was felt by
Mr. Peel to be highly undesirable. So the accom
plished and tactful wife of the Speaker thoughtfully
gave us occasional invitations to afternoon tea ; and
this concession was subsequently Improved upon by
the Speaker's giving a morning-dress dinner. I believe
this occurred on the Derby Day of 1886, and some
thirty raerabers, as well as some distinguished men
not members of the House, assembled. The whole
of the Labour merabers were invited, and almost
all attended what proved to be an extremely enjoyable
evening. I reraeraber having for ray right-hand
neighbour the late Lord Justice Bowen, who, as every
body knows, was a raost accoraplished and Intellectual
man. After discussing raany subjects, we turned to
the topic of long sentences.
Now it happened that I had acquired sorae know-

2IO "Ibenrs Broabburst
ledge on this subject, for during the year 1880, on
the invitation of the Horae Secretary, Sir Wilham
Harcourt, Mr. Burt and I had accepted the honorary
appointment of Visitors to the Penal Settlements.
Our visits were paid at any time we chose, and no
notice was given of our coraing. If we so desired
we were permitted to hold private and uninterrupted
Interviews with the convicts, so that any complaints
raight be made freely without fear of subsequent
punishment. After twelve months' experience of this
work I suffered so much physical and mental distress
after each visit that I could no longer continue to
act as Visitor. I sent In my resignation, and other
Labour representatives were subsequently appointed
to the post. The experience gained In these visits
led rae to the conclusion that long sentences were not
effective for the purposes of reformation. Accordingly,
I took the opportunity of expressing these opinions to
Lord Bowen, and discussed with him the possibility
of ascertaining by scientific Investigation at which
period the repressive effect of imprisonment ceased
and the hardening process began. He was keenly
interested In the subject, and made many inquiries
concerning the details of life In these establishments.
I was astounded to find that a judge who had
conderaned raen to long periods of penal servitude,
and in all probability would do so again, had never
seen the Inside of a convict prison, and was largely
unacquainted with the raode of life In these establish
ments. In the end he gave rae a proraise that he

5 reacb tbe llreasurs Bencb 211
would take the earliest opportunity to inspect one of
Her Majesty's prisons.
This dinner, so far as I am aware, was the first
and the last of its kind given by Speaker Peel, and
I have not heard of the present Speaker making any
experiment of a like nature. There may have been
good reasons why this Innovation never crystallised
Into a custora ; but I cannot help thinking it un
fortunate that so excellent a raethod of bringing
Labour representatives Into contact with raen dis
tinguished In the spheres of literature, law, art, and
science has been suffered to drop out of Parllaraentary
life. There was one fashionable function which I attended
for years In succession. This was the Garden Party
at Marlborough House. As a spectacle it is always
worth seeing, for In addition to all the leaders of the
political, literary, artistic, and ecclesiastical worlds In
this country, raany foreign notabilities attend. The
chief event, so far as I was able to observe, was the en
trance of Her Majesty to the garden frora Marlborough
House and her progress to the Royal tent. Into which
none but the privUeged few, and they only by
Invitation, were suffered to penetrate. On one occasion
when I was present the Shah of Persia and his little
son were the centre of attraction ; at other tiraes It
was the Eraperor and Erapress of Gerraany, the King
and Queen of Denmark, and the Czar of Russia
with members of his family. The brilhance of the
dresses, the beauty of the garden, and the pleasing

212 Ibenrs Broabburst
strains of the band, raade this function a most
acceptable diversion In the commonplace round of a
workaday world. I was always accompanied at these
functions by ray niece, for ray wife resolutely and
steadfastly refused to take part In the frivolities of
fashionable people.

CHAPTER XII
IN TROUBLED WATERS
AS I was now out of office and a free man, the
Operative Stonemasons' Society elected rae to
represent thera at the Trades-Union Congress In
Septeraber, 1886, and by an alraost unaniraous vote I
was re-elected Secretary ofthe Parliamentary Coraraittee.
The resuraptlon of my old work brought rae back
at once to my former habits of life and spheres of
operation. Frora this period till the close of ray
connection with the Parllaraentary Coramittee In 1890,
when protracted IU-health compelled me to resign ray
office, I was intiraately associated with all the Labour
questions which arose in the House of Commons.
The most prorainent of these at that time was
the Amendraent of the Eraployers' Liability Act
of 1880. Mr. Matthews, the Home Secretary,
had Introduced a BiU on the subject which In no
way met the demands of the Congress. During
the debate on the second reading the shortcomings
of the measure were pointed out to the Introducer
by deputations, interviews, and other means. But
the Governraent persisted In atterapting to force It
through the House by sheer weight of nurabers.
213

214 "Ibenrs Broabburst
The Bill was eventually referred to the Grand Com
mittee on Trade, and at the desire of the Parlia
mentary Coramittee of the Congress I exerted
every effort to Induce the Government to amend the
objectionable clauses. But I was baffled at every point
by a stubborn refusal to make any of the desired
changes ; so when the Bill was reported to the House
In the autumn session, I moved Its rejection. A
debate followed, lasting the whole of the night, and
the report stage was passed by a raajority of fifty.
The main incident of ' the discussion was a
violent attack upon me by Mr. Bradlaugh, who
supported the Governraent. Furtherraore, one of the
leaders of the Liberal Party severely repriraanded me
for venturing to move the rejection of the Bill, on
the ground that the debate could only prove abortive
and that the BIU was certain to be carried by an
overwhelming majority. But the Government majority
proved to be anything but overwhelming, and the
impression made by the attack on their measure was
so great that they withdrew the Bill, and I had the
satisfaction of having wrecked the worst drawn-up
and raost contentious raeasure ever Introduced Into
Parharaent on that question. Moreover, the Govern
raent raade no second atterapt In their reraaining four
years of office to reintroduce the Bill.
During this time I was under the great disadvantage of
being in IU-health, and my raedical adviser. Sir Walter
Foster, had ordered rae to leave London and take
a prolonged rest; but I could not tear myself away

3n Uroubleb Maters 215
frora the scene of action until the end of the fight
and the rout of the enemy. Had this measure become
law, the Bill of 1893-4 could not have been Introduced.
Although the latter did not reach the Statute Book,
yet its chief features created such an Impression upon
the House that when In 1897 the Conservatives
introduced another Bill dealing with the subject, they
were careful rather to follow the more liberal line
of the 1894 Bill, and not to frame it upon the
lines of their abortive BiU of 1888.
In the sarae year (1888) I was successful in prevent
ing the passing of a Seamen's Pension Bill, which
would, in the opinion of raost searaen, have Injuriously
affected their freedom and well-being. It would have
bound them hand and foot to the service, and created
a servitude of a hateful nature, with Insufficient
security for alternative benefits.
Two years later I was again Interested In shipping
matters, this time Introducing a Bill with the object of
fixing a definite position for the load-line on merchant
ships. In the preceding Act (1876) the position was
left uncertain, and so far as the law was con
cerned the load-line might be fixed on the funnel
without transgressing the statute. Being unable rayself
to reraain In the House during the later hours of
the night, I obtained the assistance of Mr. George
Howell to look after the measure In my absence.
By dint of amicable consultations with shipowners
and the President of the Board of Trade, we were
enabled to make such terras as aUowed the BUl to

2i6 Ibenrs Broabburst
be passed that session. Lord HerscheU steered It
through the House of Lords, and I had the satisfaction
of seeing It become law, and of knowing that I had
rendered a usefiU service to that raost deserving but
sadly neglected class, the raerchant searaen of Great
Britain. This was not the first occasion on which Lord
HerscheU had rendered me valuable service. In the
preceding session of Parliament I had Introduced a
BiU to amend the law of Distraints, and by the aid
of Lord Herschell, who piloted It through the Lords,
I succeeded in getting the Bill through both Houses.
This Act provided that a workman's Impleraents to
the value of ^^ 5 should be free from distraint for rent ;
another clause prevented a landlord who had seized
a tenant's goods In lieu of rent from selling them
within fifteen days from the date of seizure, instead
of five days as In the old statute. This afforded the
tenant a better chance of obtaining assistance to save
his home being broken up. Other clauses provided
for the registration of baUiffs, with the object of pre
venting acts of Illegality so often perpetrated against
the defenceless poor. Those who have lived among the
poor and seen the grievous wrongs inflicted by the old
systera of distraint for rent will readUy understand
the value of this latter clause. The harshness of the
old law and the brutality with which it was often carried
out were brought horae to rae by the facts accumu
lated by Judge Chalmers, of the Birmingham County
Court. Any raeasure calculated to enlarge the power

Jn Uroubleb Maters 217
of County Court judges and to raise their status, and
thus attract to this field a higher class of barristers,
always had ray deepest syrapathy. The County Court
is essentlaUy the tribunal of the poor and friendless ;
and in order that those least able to help theraselves
should have the best chance of securing every pro
tection that the law affords, It Is of the first Iraportance
that men of high capacity and alertness of perception
should be Induced to accept County Court judgeships.
When the Trades-Union Congress assembled in
Dundee towards the end of 1889, there was little
substantial progress to report, for the session had
been a barren one. The only striking feature in
my report referred to the consent provisionally given)
by the Government to send representatives to the
Labour Convention proposed by the German Govern-!
raent ; with this topic I have dealt elsewhere. But 1
however barren ray report was, it cannot be said that
the proceedings of the Congress lacked vivacity and
excitement. In order that my readers may fully under
stand the position of affairs at that time, I raust
retrace ray steps and recall the course of events In
the political world Iraraedlately succeeding the General
Election of 1886. After their crushing defeat at the
polls the Liberal Party, guided by that greatest of
organisers, Mr. Schnadhorst, set energetically to work
to regain the ground they had lost In the country.
The result was the establishment of the finest
organisation in the history of the party.
During the six years of power enjoyed by the Tory

2i8 "Ibenrs Broabburst
Party an unprecedented number of bye-elections
occurred, and In nearly every one I took sorae part.
In certain of these contests I was the principal speaker
on the Liberal side, and as a rule I addressed the first
meeting of the contest and the final meeting on the
eve of the poll, and not Infrequently remainai In the
constituency untU the result was declared, when It was
considered that my presence on the polling day would
assist the candidate. This line of action infuriated
that section of Labour leaders who have since adopted
the title of the Independent Labour Party, and at each
succeeding Congress I had to face a bitter attack from
thera. Every effort was exhausted to discredit rae in
the eyes of the working classes. My siraplest words
and actions were ralsconstrued and placed in a false
light. Their one aira was to prove that I had been
a traitor to the cause which I represented. My enerales
had vastly Iraproved upon the crude raethods adopted
by the champions of the Countervailing Sugar Duties,
Fertility of resource and an extraordinary versatility
marked every stage of this carapaign against rae.
These qualities, allied to an utter disregard for the
real truth, formed a power which raight well have
overwhelraed and crushed a stronger man than I.
A newspaper caUed The Labour Elector was especially
conspicuous for Its undisguised and venomous attacks.
Paragraphs criticising my action appeared In nearly
every column, and the homes of trades-union officials
and other workraen Interested In political and Labour
affairs were flooded with copies of this journal.

5n XTroubleb Maters 2r9
As a result I received hundreds of letters, written
in good faith by raen by no raeans hostile to me.
Inquiring If I had seen certain paragraphs enclosed
reflecting upon my pubhc hfe, and whether. If the
accusations were untrue, I Intended to write a reply
to these charges In the next Issue of the paper. The
reader can easily Imagine that the multiplication
of such comraunicatlons entailed a tremendous amount
of labour In replies, without taking into account their
effect upon one's mind.
Of the straightforward frontal attacks In which
Mr. Keir Hardle and Mr. Tom Mann Indulged
I have no complaint to raake. As each Congress
carae round, Mr. Hardle assailed me on questions
which were before the Congress and gave hira a
perfect right to criticise my actions ; and although
his attacks sometimes exceeded the limits prescribed
by strict fairness, they were at any rate face to face
and left no rancour in our hearts. Besides, they
afforded the other delegates a pleasurable change frora
the rigorous raonotony of business procedure. Mr.
Mann was not at that time a delegate to the Congress,
but I have raet him since and always on terras of
friendhness, If not friendship. Both in hira and in
Mr. KeIr Hardle I have ever recognised men of ex
ceptional abilities and earnestness of purpose ; I have
always admired their devotion to the principles they
have espoused.
But I cannot say the same of others who pur
sued me with a malevolence and subtlety not easy

220 "Ibenrs Broabburst
to baffle. Not satisfied with the articles and para
graphs In The Labour Elector, they scattered leaflets
and pamphlets broadcast through the country, and
In one case I received information that a hundred
thousand copies of an address purporting to emanate
from the workraen of London, and savagely assailing
rae, had been despatched to selected workmen in
the provinces. Occasionally some of my colleagues
carae In for a share of this abuse, though generally
in a milder form than that with which I was favoured.
We were stigmatised as a gang of place-hunters
scheming to obtain Factory Inspectorships and other
appointraents under Government.
At the Dundee Congress the hostility came to a
head ; every accusation printed in these pamphlets
and leading articles was hurled at me by men who
were merely repeating, parrot-like, the words put Into
their mouths by ray bitter enemies, few of whom
were entitled to be present as delegates, though some
of thera occupied seats In the gallery as spectators
of the fray. The grand assault began early on the
second day of the Congress, Mr. Keir Hardle and a
representative of the London Society of Corapositors
being the protagonists. The gist of the charges
forraulated against me by these speakers was that I
had supported the candidature of two eraployers of
labour. In spite of the fact, as It was alleged, that these
gentlemen conducted their businesses In a raanner
inimical to the interests of Labour.
How false and malicious these allegations were I

Jn troubleb Maters 221
had little difficulty in proving. In 1887 I had assisted
Mr. Brunner in his candidature. Soon after the
election he revised some of the conditions of labour
In connection with his vast works, and araong the
alterations was the establishraent of an eight hours'
shift, with certain financial adjustments which would
ultimately work out at about the same wages for
the shorter hours as for the longer ones. A great
mass meeting of the workers was held to consider
this proposal, and one of the Directors was Invited
to accept the post of chairman. I was asked by
the workmen to be there to speak, and I strongly
recommended them to accept the eight hours' shift,
on the ground that they and their farallles would
be permanent gainers by the physical economy conse
quent on the shorter working hours and the moral
advantages that would follow the Increase of their
leisure. These suggestions were adopted, and I
have reason to beheve they proved beneficial not
only to the workers and all dependent upon thera,
but In a great raeasure to the substantial and lasting
advantage of the firra Itself. A systera of annual
holidays without deduction of wages, subject, of course,
to certain regulations, educational provision for
the children, compensation for accidents to the
workers, whether the firm was legally responsible
or not, and other rautual arrangeraents were estab
lished, which altogether have placed the firm of
Brunner, Mond, & Co. In the front rank of model
employers In this kingdom. It will thus be seen

222 "Ibenrs Broabburst
that I have no cause to regret my association now
with Sir John Brunner In the political arena. As a
politician and as a social reformer, scarcely a vote
he has given or a speech he has raade In the House
of Coraraons during his membership can be success
fully criticised from the workers' point of view.
Giving my own opinion of him, both as an employer
and as a popular representative In Parliament, I can
only say that if all were like him, our country would be
happier, raore prosperous, and freer than It Is to-day.
Until four o'clock In the afternoon of that day I
sat quiet, while the enemy pounded ray position with
all the artillery of arguraent, abuse, and calumny they
could bring to bear. Then came my turn : a letter
containing a practical vote of confidence in me which
had reached me that morning from the Chairman of
the London Society of Compositors enabled me to
take ray less forraidable opponent on the flank, greatly
to his discomfiture. I occupied some fifty minutes
In my speech of vindication ; and when a resolution
of confidence was put to the Congress, my opponents
secured only eleven votes, while ray supporters
numbered one hundred and seventy-seven.
The scene that ensued baffles description. The
GilfiUan Hall, where the Congress met, was crowded
with spectators and delegates, and when the votes were
read out the greater part of the audience sprang to their
feet and cheered wildly. Hats were thrown Into the
air, raen sprang upon chairs and tables to vent their
feelings of satisfaction raore easily, and in some cases

Jn UrouBleb Maters

223

MR. BROADHURST ADDRESSING THE HOUSE.
From The Westminster Gazette.] [By kind permission of Mr. F. C. Gould.
Strong raen were utterly unable to control their
emotion. I am far frora narrating these facts as
merely significant of my popularity. The satisfaction
manifested at the utter rout of ray traducers went
much farther than that. My supporters recognised

S24 Ibenrs Broabburst
that my triumph meant the vindication of the
solidarity of the organised trades against the con
tinuous and savage onslaughts directed against trades-
unionism and its leaders by a raixed band of free
lances. I need hardly say that this ordeal left rae corapletely
exhausted, and I was glad to be rescued frora ray
enthusiastic supporters, who crowded on to the platform
to congratulate me. A few hours of entire seclusion and
an afternoon spent on the Carnoustie golf-links sufficed
to put me on my feet again. I was enabled to carry
out my duties for the rest of the Congress, as well
as to fulfil several engageraents at public raeetlngs.
I had previously accepted an Invitation to visit
Sir Leonard Lyell, Bart., at his place in Forfarshire,
which, by the way, lies close to Kirrlerauir, the
" Thruras " of Mr. Barrie's books. Sir John Leng
happened to be going on a visit to the same house,
and kindly took my niece and myself by road.
The drive from Dundee to Kirriemuir, through the
Vale of Ogilvie, about twenty railes in all, was a
welcome refreshment after the long hours spent in
the heated Congress Hall. Sir John had instructions
to take us to lunch at Glammis Castle, which lies
midway between Dundee and Kirriemuir, and where
we received a hearty welcome frora the Earl of
Strathraore. I was delighted to have an opportunity
of Inspecting this ancient pile, indissolubly associated
with the narae of Macbeth. I was duly shown all
its wonders, and they are raany, and especially the

5n Uroubleb Maters 225
haunted chambers, which called to mind the many
legends associated with that historic place.
Few of the ancestral haUs of Great Britain can
boast so raany ghostly associations as Glararals Castle.
Here Duncan was foully slain by Macbeth, and many
another deed of blood Is associated with Its history.
Spectral carpenters hammer and plane Invisible planks ;
ghastly faces peer into windows ; and at times the
courtyard rings with midnight shrieks, and a ghostly
man in armour patrols the lonely corridors at dead
of night. Beyond these weird occurrences there Is
a terrible faraily secret connected with a hidden
charaber In the raassive stone walls, and known only
to three living persons — the Earl of Strathraore, the
heir-apparent, and a third person. The place fas
cinated rae vastly, and It was with uncommon regret
I took ray leave of a castle of so many Imaginations.
This was not my first visit to the Lyells and
their pleasant and Interesting old house, situated in
the midst of a well-wooded estate within easy distance
of the Grampians, and so secluded that to me, long
accustomed to the busy haunts of Industrial man. Its
silence seemed almost awe-lnsplrlng. On a former
occasion, when spending a few days there, I had
redeemed a proraise, made sorae years before, to visit
Alrhe Castle, which stands half a dozen miles from
Kinnordy In an even raore remote and lonely situation.
The Dowager Lady Airlle was at horae, and I spent
a very enjoyable and instructive half day In the midst
of the treasures of that celebrated mansion. Its
15

226 Ibenrs Broabburst
historical associations are so well known that I will
not weary my readers with an account of them In
this place. But the Impression left upon ray mind by
visits to these " lordly pleasure-houses " is that they
form Invaluable retreats for the exhausted and weary
brain, if one's temperaraent wiU perrait one to rest
contented In a solitude where the voice of man Is
silent, and the only sounds are the calls and cries
of beast and bird and Insect.
For some time I had seriously meditated resig
nation of the secretaryship of the Parliamentary
Committee. This act I postponed In order to meet
the proraised attacks to be raade at the Dundee
Congress : It was not due to the brow-beating to
which I was for years the victira, but to a far raore
serious reason. In the latter part of 1888 I was
seized by a forra of disease from which no patient
ever obtains fuU release. It was an acute phase of
this lUness that I was suffering from when attacked
by Mr. Bradlaugh In the House of Coraraons at the
end of the session of 1888. A prolonged rest the
foUowing winter somewhat restored rae, but later I
had several relapses, and at tiraes ray suffering was
severe. In 1890 my eyes became affected, and I
was obliged to have recourse to Mr. Nettleship for
treatraent. At one stage raany of ray friends believed
that I should not permanently recover — an apprehension
which I rayself shared. At last matters came to a
head ; I saw clearly that I raust definitely choose
between the resignation of the secretaryship of the

5n Uroubleb Maters 227
Parllaraentary Committee and a complete breakdown.
After careful consideration I took the former course
and asked to be relieved of my responsibilities.
During the winter of 1 890-1 I was so seriously ill
that I was compeUed to relinquish my purpose of moving
a resolution In favour of a Fair Wages agreement being
Inserted In all Governraent contracts. The object of
this resolution, which was drawn up at the suggestion
of the London Building Trades Council, was to put
an end to the vicious systera of subcontracting of
Government work, and to make It possible for the
higher class firms to gain the contracts. The motion
was eventually accepted without a division, though In
a considerably modified form. At my suggestion the
charge of the resolution was handed over to Mr.
Sydney Buxton, who discharged the task with credit
to himself and advantage to the cause of Labour.
As the constant dripping of water wears away granite
stone, so ceaseless attacks of a band of raen acting In
concert, aided by a subsidised paper, may undermine
the strongest constitution, especially in the case of
sensitive natures.
At this time the disease frora which I was suffering
assumed an Intermittent form, and for four years I was
subject to severe attacks at Intervals. But relief from
my secretarial responsibihties and, again, a long rest In
the early part of 1891 worked a beneficial change, and
In the spring of that year I was able to resume to some
extent ray political work both In Parliaraent and In
the country. My first action was in relation to the

228 "Ibenrs Broabburst
laraentable state of the poor in our great Industrial
centres. I Introduced a raotion calling attention to the
frightful state of overcrowding In the large towns, and
advocating the adoption of the Glasgow systera of cheap
rauniclpal lodging-houses. I also Invited consideration
of a project for giving the poorest class of children
attending the eleraentary schools one good raeal a day.
These proposals were looked upon with suspicion, and
I was regarded as a visionary Socialist. However, I
have since had the satisfaction of seeing sorae at least
of ray suggestions carried to success.
The only work of a strictly political character I
atterapted in the House that session was a notice of
raotion In favour of all polling at a General Election
taking place on one and the sarae day. I was un
fortunate In the ballot, and did not obtain a place for
ray raotion. But in the Registration Bill Introduced
by Mr. John Morley In 1892 a provision to the same
effect found a place ; and at the time it was errone
ously stated that this was the first occasion on which
the matter had been before the House.
Outside the House I was alraost continuously
working in the constituencies until the close of the
General Election of 1892. For Instance, I spent nearly
a fortnight of August, 1891, assisting Sir Donald
Macfarlane In his candidature for Argyllshire — an extra
ordinarily difficult constituency. There were some
hundreds of miles of coast line to be visited, and the only
effective means of reaching the scattered fishing-hamlets
was by water. Sir Donald is an enthusiastic yachtsman,

5n Uroubleb Maters 229
and had at his disposal a handsome craft of five hundred
tons called the Hiawatha. She possessed splendid sea
going qualities, and was well equipped In every way.
By her aid we touched at nearly every waterside village
between Campbelltown and Inverary, and many varied
experiences fell to our lot.
I well reraeraber the close of our tour. Being driven
Into the Holy Loch by stress of weather, we held
two successful evening meetings In the neighbourhood
of Dunoon. Returning from one of these gatherings
we had some difficulty In finding the landing-stage,
at which a boat was In waiting to take us aboard the
yacht, for a strong westerly breeze drove the heavy rain
in our faces, making the blackness of night almost
impenetrable. At length we gained the object of our
search, but to my horror I found that, as it was low
water, In order to reach the boat I raust descend a steep
flight of steps, wet and sliray, and totaUy Innocent of
any handraU to assist the descent of the nervous lands
man. The prospect of a slip In the dark and a plunge
Into the black waters amongst the tiraber of the
staging completely unmanned me ; and had there been
any possibility of obtaining quarters for the night near
at hand, no power on earth would have Induced me
to go on board the Hiawatha. But at last my fears
were abated, and with the assistance of two sturdy
mariners the perilous descent was safely negotiated.
After a fortnight's cruising I began to pine for raore
space to raove about in than the llraits of a cabin
and deck parade allowed, and I was not sorry when the

230 Ibenrs Broabburst
end of this marine campaign was reached. I spent ray
evenings on board alternately In the saloon and the
forecastle, where I struck up a great friendship with
the crew, who were all inteUigent men, fond of a good
smoke and a long yarn ; and I am quite certain that
the feeling of regret at ray departure frora their midst
was mutual.
My old chief, Mr. Childers, who was raember for
South Edinburgh, had been obliged to go abroad by
a severe attack of rheumatism, and as he was under
promise to address his constituency, he asked me to
undertake this duty in his stead. This I readUy
consented to do, and In consequence spent some
pleasant days In and about Edinburgh and on the
golf-links at Dunbar. Having fulfilled this commission,
I made ray way north to Inverness-shire to attend the
annual raeeting of the Highland Land Reform Associa
tion at Dingwall.
One memorable day I spent In the Black Isle
visiting croft after croft, seeing with my own eyes
and hearing from the crofters' lips the kind of hfe
they led, Its hardships and Its advantages. It was
a splendid auturan day, and I greatly enjoyed my
experience. At one of the crofts I was hospitably
entertained In the traditional Highland manner by
the housewife, whose " gude man " was from home,
and plied with unlimited meal bread and butter, with
capital milk to wash it down. The roof of the
croft sheltered cows, pigs, and poultry, as well as
human beings, though not all In the same apartment.

5tt ¦n;roubIeb Maters 231
SmaU as the building was, it contained a parlour. In
which I was entertained.
Bit by bit I extracted the life story of ray hostess
as I enjoyed ray repast ; while through the open door
appeared the shock head of an urchin of six or seven
years, extracting unliraited amusement from ray southern
accent, and trying to induce a fine coUIe dog to rairalc
my strange speech. Straitened as were the resources
of the household, they had yet, by dint of self-sacrificing
frugality, succeeded in saving enough raoney to give
the eldest son a university education at Edinburgh.
Unfortunately, the lad's tastes did not run in the
direction of theology, and forsaking his studies, he had
enlisted. At the tirae when I visited his parents' croft,
this young Scotsraan, by his own exertions and bravery,
had won rapid proraotlon frora the ranks, and was
serving as a coraralssloned officer In the Egyptian
Array. Very proudly did his toll-worn raother draw
from its tin case and display to me the parchment
containing his commission.
Another incident which stands out in ray raeraory
concerning that day was ray meeting with a stone-
breaker on the high road. He was an elderly raan,
of aristocratic raien, and displaying in every word and
movement that natural refinement that seems to be a
perquisite of the rugged sons of the North. I found
he possessed a wonderful knowledge of public affairs,
and we had a long and interesting conversation on
current politics. My guide on this journey, Mr.
McLeod, of Inverness, stiU occasionally informs rae

232 "Ibenrs Broabburst
that the old stone-breaker Inquires after me ; and
through the agency of Mr. McLeod I have on several
occasions forwarded to him Parliamentary papers
affecting questions In which he took an Interest.
The deraonstration of the Highland Land Reformers
which I attended at Dingwall on the foUowing day
was of a character not easily to be forgotten. People
had gathered frora all parts of the Highlands as weU
as the Shetlands to take part In the proceedings. To
coraraence with, I was treated to a serenade of bag
pipes at an early hour in the raorning under the
windows of ray rooras. When the hour of raeeting
approached, I had to head a procession, followed
Imraediately by the pipers skirling away with all the
abandon of true " cocks of the North." Thus we
promenaded the chief thoroughfares of the town of
Dingwall, finally arriving at the platform, which had
been erected in a field where Mr. Gladstone had spent
raany happy hours In his childhood while visiting a
relative. During this visit I received many invitations to
extend my tour to the more northern towns, and
none was more hearty than that from the people of
Skye. To make the offer raore tempting, they
promised me my choice of the best dog In the Island
If I would go and choose it for myself. I have always
been an enthusiastic lover of dogs, and collie dogs in
particular have an intense fascination for me. I do not
mean the breed so fashionable at dog-shows in the
present day, with narrow jaws, tapering foreheads, and

3n Uroubleb Maters 233
eyes within an inch of each other. To obtain these
results the brain accommodation Is so compressed
that the animal becomes of little service, fit only for
ornamental purposes. Give me the animal in his
natural state, with big, broad, open countenance, wide
forehead, and space enough between the eyes to
accommodate a brain full of intelligence, receptivity,
and raeraory, the whole dorainated and completed by
a warm and loyal heart excelling alraost all hearts in
affection and friendship.
After my return from Dingwall I spent the re
mainder of the time that elapsed before the General
Election In various parts of England. It was during
this period that I spoke for the last time on behalf of
my dear and valued friend Mr. Arthur WInterbotham.
My friendship with hira dated frora the early " Eighties,"
when I raet him on the platform of a great Liberal
gathering at Hereford. Our acquaintance quickly
ripened Into friendship, and notwithstanding the
divergence of our views on the Horae Rule question,
upon which Mr. WInterbotham sided with the Liberal
Unionists, our friendship remained firra through that
stormy period, when many ties were rudely broken
and old comrades parted In anger. But I always felt
confident that he would return to the Liberal fold,
and my expectation did not long remain unfulfilled.
Naturally, the fact of his return to the Liberal camp
had to be announced to his constituents, and naturally
also the selection of the time and place for this re
version to renewed faith in his old leader cost hira

234 Ibenrs Broabburst
rauch anxiety. His constituency was the Cirencester
division of Gloucestershire, and Stow-in-the-Wold was
eventuaUy selected as the place of assembly. To
his request that I should accorapany hira I readUy
agreed, and an intensely interesting occasion it proved
to be.
Stow-in-the-Wold is a quaint old country town,
built raainly of liraestone, with picturesque roofs of
thick stone slating, and reraote frora the great trunk
lines. The meeting was held In the Town Hall,
an antiquated building dating back several hundred
years, and reached by a very old but firm staircase.
The Interior of the hall was entirely In keeping
with the outward aspect, and bore many a trace of
mediasval workraanshlp. The place was packed to its
utraost capacity. The refinements of town audiences
were quite unknown to these honest and simple folk ;
unhidden shirt-sleeves forraed the evening dress of the
raajority. But the absence of fashionable garraents was
araply compensated for by the wild enthusiasm mani
fested throughout Mr. WInterbotham's address, as he
sought to justify the course he had taken. When he sat
down, I was caUed upon to extend to the returned
wanderer a hearty welcome in the name of Liberalism.
A big fellow In the audience had raade himself con
spicuous by his hearty demonstrations of delight at
the proceedings, Interjecting exclamations of approval
in the dialect of the country-side, which had been
familiar to me frora my boyhood. I had never
visited the town before, and every person in the haU,

5n Uroubleb Maters 235
except Mr. WInterbotham, was a total stranger.
However, I could not resist the temptation to
congratulate this Gloucester giant on his enthusiasm
for the cause, saying that he, at least, had killed the
fatted calf In celebration of the prodigal's return.
Much to my surprise, this personal reference was re
ceived with an uncontrollable outbursts of delight ; I had
evidently made a happy hit in the dark. The mystery
was solved by the chairman whispering In ray ear
that ray friend in the audience was the local butcher.
Never shall I forget the happy hours spent In the
peaceful atmosphere of Mr. WInterbotham's home.
The jovial freedom of his raanner and the heartiness
of his welcome reflected truly his attitude towards the
other raerabers of his establishraent ; every Inraate,
down to the horses and dogs, loved the master of the
house. I particularly reraeraber an enjoyable day spent
on the MInchlnhampton Coraraon golf-links under
the guidance of one of his sons, a fine young athlete
and an accomplished golfer. By Mr. WInterbotham's
desire the local professional lent rae his clubs for this
occasion, and I developed quite a passion for the
cleek, which seemed to me the handiest club I had
ever gripped. With Its aid I made a very fine tee
shot across the mouth of a gaping quarry, landing
close to the hole. At the end of the round my
young friend would not hear of my relinquishing the
club with which I had raade this fortunate shot, and
then and there paid the professional a handsome price
for It, and It became my property.

236 "Ibenrs Broabburst
Mr. WInterbotham did not at aU like my prospects
of re-election at West Nottingham, and coupled with
this he was most anxious to win the seat at Stroud
frora the Tory Party. He felt absolutely confident
that if I would contest it I should win by a good
majority. He pressed this view most strongly upon
the central Liberal authority in London, and went
so far as to offer to pay the whole of my expenses
if I was aUowed to stand for Stroud ; but this was
refused. Mr. WInterbotham took a special Interest
in the representation of Stroud, it being near to his
home. Such was his extravagant kindness to rae that
he always said I could In a fair fight win any place
for which I put up.
At the last raeeting which I attended in the corapany
of Mr. Winterbothara I experienced that strange
sensation of foreboding which the Scotch call "being
fey." I had finished a series of political engageraents
In the southern counties, and on ray way. to Yorkshire
I passed through Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. The
meeting was at a small town sorae distance from
Cheltenham. Mr. Winterbothara, his cousin, and I
journeyed together to the raeeting, which proved a
raost successful one. But try as I would I could
not succeed In throwing off this feehng of depression,"
and I fear that ray speech assumed a somewhat raaudhn
character, as I dwelt upon the noble qualities of my
old friend. Even on the return journey my usual
buoyancy refused to come to my aid, and sUence,
unusual in that company, reigned supreme.

5n trroubleb Maters 237
Next morning Mr. Winterbothara saw rae off,
and in a few raonths' tirae I heard that death had
robbed rae of one of the best and most loyal of
friends. One of his last requests was that I should
succeed him as Liberal raeraber for Cirencester. As
I had just lost ray seat at West Nottlnghara, I would
gladly have acceded to his desire and contested the
division. But Fate willed otherwise ; the fracture
of a muscle in one of my legs compelled rae for a
season to forsake politics and he by with my wounded
limb in splints.
But I have not yet told my readers how It came
to pass that I was In want of a seat. For sorae
time I had felt very doubtful concerning my chances
of remaining the representative of Nottlnghara, and had
felt strongly tempted to accept several offers to stand
as candidate elsewhere. For example. In 1892 I was
Inforraed that I should be an acceptable candidate
for the city of Norwich. Every influence that could
be exercised was brought Into play to induce the
Liberal managers to allow me to stand for the old
city, where it was thought, for various reasons, I had
a better prospect of winning than any other available
Liberal candidate, always excepting Mr. Colman. Sore
and deep was the disappointment among those chiefly
responsible for the Liberal Interests In that city when
It finally became known that I was not to be permitted
to accept their offer. It was declared again and again
by those entitled to speak that had I been the second
candidate In conjunction with Mr. Colman, both of

238 Ibenrs Broabburst
us would certainly have been returned. I felt myself
that ray old associations with the city and the constant
connection I had raalntalned with the political and other
affairs of the county would have been a raaterlal help
towards success, but it was not to be. Personally, I
much regretted It, and nothing would have given rae
greater pleasure than to have represented Norwich in
Parliaraent. It is a city rich in historic associations and reraarkable
for Its Industrial past. At one tirae it was almost the
chief home of the silk trade in England, and its shawls
were world-renowned for their texture, design, and beauty
of finish. During the long years of my association with
the Trades Congress I have of necessity been brought
Into contact, and In some cases alraost faralharity, with
many trades and callings. In years past I have been
in frequent comraunication with both the employers
and the workpeople engaged In the silk industries,
and have been much interested in the revival of this
trade In Great Britain, largely the result of the labours
of Sir Thomas Wardle, of Leek, whose efforts were
so ably seconded by her Royal Highness the Duchess
of Teck, and the Duchess of Sutherland. In some
personal interviews on the question of the silk trade
with the Duchess of Sutherland I was surprised and
greatly pleased to find what a grasp she had of the
question, and how clearly and thoroughly she realised
and set forth the only means by which prosperity could
be revived in the silk trade. In the winter of 1895-6,
through the kindness of the editor of The Eastern Daily

5n xrroubleb Maters 239
Press, I endeavoured to arouse some Interest In the city
of Norwich on the silk trade question, both by com
munications to that paper and by interviews with the
Trades Council. I saw both shopkeepers and rnanu-
facturers, and ray proposal was that samples ofthe textile
goods still made in the eastern counties should be
collected and submitted to view under the patronage
and In the presence of these ladles and others to whora
I have already referred. My advances were courteously
received and my good Intentions kindly acknowledged
by those chiefly interested In the trade, but they
unanimously rejected them. In my opinion there
are goods now being raade In the eastern counties, not
only by raotive power but by hand-looms, that. If
brought conspicuously before the public, would coraraand
a wide and Increasing sale, and would bring proportion
ate benefit to the employers, the workpeople, and to
the county.
After aiding in the campaign In different parts of
the country, I found that the time had arrived for
looking after my own political fortunes. Hurrying
back to Nottlnghara, I found myself confronted with
a struggle which threatened disaster to my chances
of re-election. For some years anterior to this Election
the question of an eight hours' day for miners had
assumed great prominence In the country. West
Nottingham contained a good percentage of voters
who earned their livelihood underground. I had
already been sounded as to my position with regard
to the proposed reforra. PersonaUy, I have never

24° Ibenrs Broabburst
regarded legislation of this character with any degree
of favour, but I did not hesitate to assure ray con
stituents that if an Eight Hours BiU should pass
the second reading stage In the House of Coraraons
I would, if re-elected, loyally accept the decision, and
do my utmost in Coraraittee to see that the full In
tention of the promoters of the measure was realised.
During the Interval which had elapsed since his
defeat In 1886, Colonel Seely had been assiduously
nursing the constituency, giving freely to the various
philanthropic causes in the neighbourhood. He owned
raost of the ralnes In the division, and took an early
opportunity of announcing his Intention, If elected,
to support an Eight Hours BUl. As proprietor of
raany mines, there was nothing to hinder his adoption
of an eight hours' day for the miners In his employ
without the necessity of formal legislation ; but he
contented himself with securing the support of the
miners by his promises and his vivid pictures of the
terrible risks Incurred by the men whose bread was
earned underground. In spite of all this, I have never
been convinced that the Eight Hours question was
to any appreciable extent the cause of my defeat at
the polls.
I have already alluded to ray opponent's far-reaching
Influence as an employer and his vast wealth. He
possessed the raeans of satisfying the social arabltions
of many persons who were Inferior in social status,
but whose adherence at an election was by no means
to be despised. All this he could do without laying

Bn Uroubleb Maters 241
himself open In the slightest degree to the charge
of exercising undue Influence. Such powers wUl
always be the possession of raen of wealth and
position, and so long as social Influence exerts a sway
over human nature, and that will be as long as
human nature lasts, so long will such men be able
to attract to their side the support of large numbers
of their neighbours.
As the contest proceeded I missed from my meetings
a nuraber of Influential persons who had supported
me in 1886. I found also that the organisation at
my back was greatly Inferior to that which I had
experienced in my previous campaign. Want of
cohesion and lack of energy were painfully conspicuous.
Little attention had been given to the work of registra
tion In the past six years, and raany voters having
qualifications in either division had transferred then
vote frora the western to the eastern division. As
time wore on I found a daily Increasing band of well-
dressed and energetic canvassers attacking all quarters
of the wide division In the interests of my opponent ;
while I had no counterbalancing support, with the
exception of a few faithful friends whom no influence
could detach frora rae, but whose circumstances left
them little or no time for work, except In the evening.
The election took place on the first Monday In
July. On the Saturday a great open-air deraonstration
was held at short notice in the Forest grounds. No
speakers frora the outside world were there to assist
me, but I received great aid, as I had done at all
16

242 Ibenrs Broabburst
my meetings, from the able and devoted Labour
leaders in Nottingham, representing every branch of
industry In the town except ralners. This gathering
proved an enormous success ; It was estimated that
6,000 or 8,000 persons were present. I was put
Into a carriage and drawn by hand through great
crowds of people lining the Forest Road and all the
streets through which I passed to my lodgings, and
was only released after further speechmaking In the
street. On the previous day I had received a letter
from Mr. Gladstone expressing his hope that I
should win ray contest, and saying raany good things
about me, but It was too late to be of service. The
demonstration on Saturday afternoon somewhat revived
my drooping spirits and raised faint hopes of my pro
spects. On Monday, as I went from district to district,
I felt that ray doora was sealed. In the afternoon I
raade arrangements to leave Nottingham at an hour's
notice, and when the result reached my lodgings,
through the kindness of a newspaper reporter, every
thing was ready for the journey home, and I reached
London before 4 o'clock next raorning.
Colonel Seely won the seat, but the ralners who
supported hira gained little by his presence In the
House. When the Eight Hours BIU was introduced,
the new Meraber for West Nottlnghara voted, I
believe, in support of a raotion which, by rendering
the raeasure optional, robbed It of all practical value
In the opinion of Its supporters. In my opinion no
Government Is likely to make any serious effort to

5n Uroubleb Maters 243
bring about this change In the Industrial life of the
nation for many years to come.
Although I attributed my defeat to the social
prestige of my opponent rather than to any con
siderable alienation of the mining vote, I must confess
to a feeling of keen disappointment at what I am
justified in calling the ingratitude of the miners.
When I contested Nottingham In 1886 no miners'
organisation worthy of the name existed. Everything
was practically In a state of chaos when Mr. Bailey,
the newly appointed miners' agent, arrived on the
scene. I gave this gentleman every assistance In ray
power. Introduced him to many of my political friends
in the locality, and requested all my supporters to
aid him as far aS was In their power In his task of
organising the miners. On several occasions I made
special journeys frora London to attend his meetings.
Yet when the contest came Mr. Bailey openly espoused
the cause of Colonel Seely and exerted every effort
to secure my defeat. Notwithstanding all this I have
always said, and am convinced of Its truth, that in
1892 I received as raany miners' votes as I did
In 1886.
My position as a defeated candidate was the more
unpalatable frora the fact that, after six years In the
wilderness, the Liberal Party had reached the Promised
Land of power once more. Still, I had no Intention
of following AchlUes' example and retiring to sulk
In my tent. I presented myself at headquarters to
offer my services during the remainder of the Election,

244 Ibenrs Broabburst
and I took part In several contests, returning to ray
own division in Norfolk to vote for and support to
the utmost of my ability the Liberal candidate. But
my cup of misfortune was not yet full, for. In the
early part of September, in taking a long jump over
a bank I landed with one heel In a rat's hole and
broke one of the muscles of my leg. This crippled
me entirely for six weeks, and several months elapsed
before I regained the full use of the limb.
In the latter part of 1892 a Royal Commission
was appointed to Inquire into the condition of the
aged poor. The late Lord Aberdare acted as chair
man, and the Prince of Wales was a member of the
Coraraission. An Invitation to join it was gladly
accepted by me, securing as it did a continuity of
association with Parliamentary affairs. We sat from
the end of 1892 to the early months of 1895, and
even after this prolonged investigation the opinions of
the merabers were so divergent that It was impossible
to get anything like a unanimous report. I think it
raay be fairly clairaed that all the raerabers of the
Coramission applied themselves faithfully and steadily
to the discharge of their task ; but the work was
extremely exacting, and before its completion the
hand of death deprived us of our chalrraan, the
reraaining business being conducted under the presi
dency of Lord Playfair.
From the beginning the Prince of Wales was a
fairly regular attendant, and took the liveliest interest
in the proceedings, frequently examining witnesses

5n xrroubleb Maters 245
for himself, and displaying considerable sklU In the
work. But the syrapathy with which his Royal
Highness regarded the subject of the Inquiry was
more accurately gauged In private conversation than
In the public proceedings of the Coraraission. Un
fortunately, the conclusions arrived at by different
sections of the Coraraission were so diverse as to
make It practically irapossible for the Prince to give
public expression to his opinions without displaying
the divergence of his views frora those of one or other
of these sections.
For ray own part I have always entertained strong
opinions on the treatment of the aged poor, and have
again and again protested In vigorous terms against
the degradation and injustice inseparable from the
present administration of the Poor Law. I have
always regarded the aged poor as members of a
great national family who have not reaped their fair
share of reward for their labours on behalf of
national prosperity. On these grounds I hold that
they are entitled, not to a pauper dole, but to a
moderate and honourable pension carrying with It no
more stigma or reproach than the pension of the civil
servant and the soldier. To ensure this result I
maintained that these rewards of a strenuous and
hardworking life must be paid from the Imperial purse
through independent channels as opposed to the system
of local taxation and relief. This proposal, associated
with proper safeguards and accompanied by some
suggested reforms in the administration of the Poor

246 Ibenrs Broabburst
Law, I embodied In a raeraorandura to which I
obtained no other signature than ray own.
In a raoraent of weakness during the sitting of this
Commission I consented to contest the vacant seat at
Grimsby. Grimsby was one of the few towns in
England I had never visited, although I had received
many invitations to do so some dozen years previously,
when I Introduced the Leasehold Enfranchisement BUl.
I arrived In Grimsby on the Saturday, and ray Address
to the constituents was due on the following Monday.
On the way to ray first public raeeting the tram-car
In which I was riding ran off the line at a bend of
the street and nearly broke into a shop front. I am
of a highly superstitious nature, keenly sensitive to
my environment, and I imraediately accepted this
accident as an evil omen, though I took care not to
reveal my forebodings to my supporters. As time
passed, ray anticipations of defeat grew clearer, and in
less than twenty-four hours after ray arrival I wrote
to the Chief Whip of the Liberal Party that I had
not the least chance of success, and that had not
the writ been raoved I would certainly have retired
frora the contest. Notwithstanding these private
raisglvlngs, I put as good a face on the position as
possible, and found after two or three days that I
had raade considerable progress. Then a change came
over the scene ; frora all parts of the country flocked
helpers and agents for the Conservative candidate,
Mr. Heneage. It was the old gang who had dogged
my steps before and whose tactics I have already

5n XTroubleb Maters 247
described. With might and main they strove to
discredit rae with the workers of Grimsby by spreading
the old libels, and It was because my opponent seemed
tacitly to approve of these underhand tactics by refrain
ing frora disowning thera that I felt corapeUed, when the
result of the poll was announced, to refuse to take his
proffered hand. To add to my difficulties Sir William
Harcourt Introduced the Local Veto BIU two or three
nights before the polling day, and this attack on
their interests rallied the licence-holders and brewers
to a degree I had never before witnessed to the Tory
side. The case at once becarae hopeless, and I felt
no surprise when I found rayself at the bottom of
the poll.
In the following year (1894) my friend Mr. PIcton
retired from the representation of Leicester, and I
received a most unexpected and unanimous invitation
from the Liberals of the town to succeed hira. The
terms of the invitation were such that I gladly acceded
to this request, which had been endorsed by a large
pubhc meeting. By a curious coincidence Sir James
Whitehead, the other raeraber for Leicester, was seized
with a serious illness which necessitated a long absence
frora the House of Commons. The Government's
majority was too narrow to lose even one vote ; so
Sir James also sent In his resignation, and thus a double
election was brought about in August.
In conjunction with Mr. Walter HazeU I was
fortunate enough to secure a sufficient number of
votes to place me once again within the sacred

248 Ibenrs Broabburst
precincts of St. Stephen's. But I had short time to
enjoy the fruits of victory ; within twelve raonths
Governraent was defeated and Parliaraent dissolved,
and I was again In the throes of an electoral contest.
Thus in three years I was engaged In four contested
elections, in two of which I raet defeat and In two
victory. This was not ray first connection with Leicester
Llberahsra. Eleven years before the 1894 election
a nuraber of my friends came from Leicester to
London to press rae to becorae their candidate if I
should receive an Invitation frora the Liberal Associa
tion of their town. This I was unable to proraise ;
I had no desire to make any change at the moraent,
and so I declined their request, never drearaing that
on a future occasion Leicester would be the con
stituency to rescue rae frora the political wilderness.
So far as I was concerned the contest was one of the
pleasantest I had ever experienced. The struggle
was fierce, but personalities were avoided and we
fought on broad party lines. The Independent Labour
Party forced the fighting with indomitable and untiring
energy ; their candidate, Mr. Burgess, was a worthy
champion of their cause ; but throughout this contest
and the succeeding one In 1895 he never made use
of any but the fairest and raost above-board weapons
against rae.

CHAPTER XIII
A SOJOURN IN THE DESERT
AS session succeeds session the opportunities for
initiating legislation open to private Merabers
grow less and less. Except in the case of absolutely
non-contentious raeasures, the private Meraber has not
the remotest chance of success. Even then the risks
are greater than anyone outside Parliament would
Imagine. By a series of fortunate circumstances a Bill
may slip through the various stages to the third reading,
and then an Incident as trivial as the proverbial straw
may wreck Its chances of becoming law, unless, Indeed,
the Governraent should extend to It a gracious blessing
— a favour which Is rarely granted to a political
opponent. It Is astonishingly easy for Ministerial eyes
to discover In the proposals of an opponent possible
dangers, which are rapidly transformed Into desirable
reforms If the measure be the pet lamb of a political
supporter. The same principles are applied to the
answering of questions. Simple outsiders might
suppose that Ministers, being public servants, are bound
to assist Merabers on both sides of the House when
they raake Inquiries In the Interests of their constituents.
Yet if a Member of the Opposition puts a question
249

250 Ibenrs Broabburst
whose purport is as plain as a pikestaff, but which is
not fraraed In a minutely exact and technical manner,
the Minister to whom it is addressed may blandly
ignore Its meaning and merely reply to its literal
wording. To rise Iraraedlately, explain your raeaning,
and press for another answer, require an Intellectual
agility which few raen possess.
I am strongly of opinion that we are drifting
towards a Parliamentary despotism which, if unchecked,
will relegate to the limbo of the past the freedom of
action of private Merabers. Governraent majorities
numbered by hundreds Instead of tens raay be a very
present help in time of trouble to a jobbing and reck
less Ministry, but they may also prove a serious menace
to the liberties of the people. During the national fit
of delirium which preceded and accompanied the early
stages of the war In South Africa attention was drawn
in the House of Commons to cases of serious rioting at
public meetings and even In private gatherings. In some
cases the police were alleged to have failed In their
duty of protecting public and private rights. The
flippant and unworthy apologies offered by responsible
Ministers from the Treasury Bench were cheered to
the echo by the apparently unaniraous ranks sitting
on the Governraent side of the House. Yet araong
these Conservatives there raust have been some who
possessed an eleraentary knowledge of the law by which
citizens are entitled to the protection of the authorities
in the exercise of their undoubted rights of free speech.
Yet none dared to court the chastiseraent inflicted upon

H Sojourn in tbe 2)esert 251
men like Sir Edward Clarke, who was driven from
Parliamentary life because he dared to criticise the
diplomatic blundering and chicanery which characterised
the Government's policy towards the South African
Republic, or like the Member for Westrainster, upon
whose devoted head the Leader of the House poured out
the vials of his wrath because he dared to denounce
the Incapacity and mismanageraent which raarked the
treatraent of our wounded and fever-stricken soldiers.
If you have an overwhelming raajority you can afford
to apply the lash to restive units. One vote raore or
less does not raatter, and the punishment Is a warning
to the rest. Thus a big majority and Its effects may
strike at the very heart of representative government.
Who can wonder that, araidst such surroundings and
Influences, few Members of the Opposition find an
opportunity of exercising their skill as legislators ?
Their main chance of distinguishing themselves lies in
guerilla warfare and " sniping " ; but the prospect of
promoting a full-dress combat on orthodox lines is
practically non-existent.
During the Parharaent of 1 895-1 900 the Party with
whose fortunes I ara Identified was mainly engaged
in protecting the public purse against the raids of class
Interests, in defending eleraentary education, and In
endeavouring to maintain the Protestant character of
the State Church. Two BIUs directly affecting the
interests of workers were introduced In its course.
The most Iraportant measure was the Corapensatlon
Act of 1897. This raeasure contains eleraents which.

252 "Ibenrs Broabburst
if carried to their logical Issue by future legislation, will
prove a great Charter of Rights to the men and women
of coraing years. But to realise this aira will be a vast
and difficult task, for there is one large class for whom
as yet no provision has been made. The seafaring
population possesses no articulate voice In Parliament,
though ship-owners are influentlally represented, and
the raan before the raast is therefore a negligible
quantity. The second raeasure was the Factory and Workshop
Amendment BIU, Introduced by the Horae Secretary.
I regard this as the raost reactionary and insidious
attempt to put back the clock of progress In modern
legislation. It even went the length of proposing to
permit a return to Sunday labour, thereby striking
a blow at the fundamental principle of the protection
of the labouring class. It would have made a rent In
the shorter hours of labour raoveraent at one stroke
which raight have destroyed the whole network of
the laws restricting the working tirae of old and young,
raale and feraale alike. What amazed me was the
absence of anything like a united national protest from
the workers. A few conferences were held here and
there, but nothing of the character of an irapressive
deraonstration. The enorralties of the Bill and its
far-reaching and evil consequences were pointed out
in an adralrable tract Issued by the Fabian Society.
This stateraent of the case against the proposed measure
was the clearest, most convincing, and most complete
I have ever seen in raatters relating to the Labour

a Sojourn in tbe 2)esert

253

cause. I believe It did raore to destroy the Bill than
anything else. In the House Mr. Tennant put down
a motion which would have forced a debate on the
defects of the BIU ; and after consultation with Sir
Charles Dilke I gave notice of a motion that the Bill

MR. BROADHURST OBJECTS TO CLERICAL DOLES.
From The Westminster Gazette.'] [By kind permission of Mr. F. C.I Gould.
be read " this day three raonths," thus giving a direct
challenge to the Governraent. Frora tirae to time I
addressed questions to the Treasury Bench as to the
date when the second reading would be moved, and
a large nuraber of trades-unions sent rae letters and

254 "Ibenrs Broabburst
resolutions approving of ray attitude. Week followed
week, but no second reading carae, and finaUy the Bill
was abandoned. Its author Is no longer found In the
Lower Charaber ; he has gone to that " other place "
whence no traveller returns to the House of Coraraons.
So we raay suppose that his Bill wiU never be
resuscitated. One other reactionary proposal highly dangerous
In my eyes I was successful in opposing during these
years. A measure was Introduced called " the Savings
Bank BIU," which proposed to repeal the existing law
fixing the interest paid on deposits in the Post Office
Savings Bank at 2^ per cent, and to give the Treasury
power to determine at the end of each year what rate
of Interest should be given to Investors. Under this
arrangement no one would know what their deposits
had earned till the end of the year, the one thing
certain being that it would not be 2^ per cent. I
strenuously opposed this tampering with the principle
on which the great national Incentive to thrift Is based.
At the present time It Is the only safe refuge for the
savings of wage-earners. They know where their
raoney Is to be found at any tirae, and they know they
will receive once a year sixpence for every pound
saved. They have no anxiety about its security, and
they have not to calculate In declraals the araount due.
But once the arrangeraent Is disturbed, a disastrous
blow raight probably be dealt at the national thrift.
The habit of thrift Is a shy bird, and once seriously
alarraed. It would be a long and hard task to get It

H Sojourn in tbe Desert 255
.to roost again. What Is a smaU deficit at the
Treasury corapared with a danger such as I have
mentioned .? The advantages derived frora the State
by the poor are raeagre corapared with those gained
by the rich. I believe all well-wishers of thrift will
agree that the State should exert all reasonable efforts
to encourage the saving habits of the poor, even If
such a course involves a slight annual loss.
With the outbreak of war all prospects of further
social legislation vanished, and to all appearances the
nation was very well content that this should be.
Parliaraent was dissolved at a tirae when the fewest
possible votes could be recorded, and the date of
polling was so arranged that It could not fall on a
Saturday, the day raost suitable for workers. The
suddenness of the dissolution took many people by
surprise, but at Leicester the powder was dry, the
train laid, and the fuses prepared. It only needed the
application of the match to precipitate the explosion.
The addresses of both Mr. Walter HazeU and
myself were In type, and election literature of every
description had been printed and waited distribution.
Committee-rooms had been bespoken, though not
formally occupied and a splendid body of workers
had been warned to hold themselves in readiness.
So when the call came every man was at his post, and
with the Irresistible ease with which a well-launched
vessel slides off the slips into her native element, the
Leicester Liberals, under the command of our agent,
Mr. Smith, entered the fray.

256 "Ibenrs Broabburst
Under such favourable circurastances the candidate's
part In the battle Is of secondary Iraportance. I held
myself in readiness night and day to obey the orders
issued by the Coraraittee and the election agents. Every
raorning at ten o'clock the day's plan of campaign
was issued. In my list of meetings a side-note
opposite each meeting Informed me of the probable
character of the audience and the class of subjects
most likely to interest thera. A loyal though critical
supporter went through the newspapers, and at five
o'clock each evening brought rae helpful extracts
with introductory notes for use at ray raeetlngs ;
this service proved of the greatest value. The spare
hours of the daytime I occupied In dictating letters
and telegrams in support of fellow-candidates In
different parts of the country. Then I had constantly
to explain by wire why I could not be In several
places at the same time, say. In Edinburgh and Cornwall
on succeeding nights, or In Essex and Cheshire on
the same date. I owed much at this time to my
shorthand writer, whose accuracy and faithfulness,
coupled with an excellent knowledge of affairs, never
failed. What a fight it was ! The keenest political observer
could not forecast the Issue with a population of more
than two hundred thousand. My chief danger lay in
the war In South Africa. Some of my best friends
disapproved of my uncompromising attitude on that
question, and six months before the election I had been
called upon to explain ray position to the Liberal

a Sojourn in tbe 2)esert 257
Council. True, I received a unanimous vote on that
occasion ; but the Council numbered only a thousand,
and in the background was a vast inarticulate mass of
twenty-four thousand voters. Which of the naraes
would they favour with the sign of the cross before
It entered the ballot-box ? I tried to comfort myself
with the sight of Influential men joining the ranks of
my workers and signing my nomination paper ; but
the uncorafortable question would keep cropping up,
" Where are the others ? " Until the result of the
counting was whispered In my ear, I had no rest frora
my anxiety.
When poUIng-day carae I was provided with a
" one-hoss shay " hired from a jobbing yard. A
glance at the animal between the shafts revealed
obvious defects of age and Infirmity in the fore
legs. We had not gone far on our tour of the
polling-stations and comraittee-rooms when the poor
old steed gave us a taste of his quality by subsiding
In the road just opposite a Conservative stronghold.
Luckily, only the near knee was damaged, and (where
I had been sitting when the accident occurred) I took
care to sit on the off-side for the rest of the day.
But the incident served to arouse my superstitious fore
bodings. I saw in this Incident an evil omen for the
Liberal Party, though as the fall had not occurred on
my side, I felt that the brunt of it would not be borne
by me. My forebodings proved only too correct.
The fortune of war went against my colleague, and
never did colleague feel raore keenly for a corarade's
17

2s8 "Ibenrs Broabburst
disaster than I felt that night when the news of Mr.
Hazell's defeat reached me.
Although my majority was diminished, I polled
an Increased nuraber of votes, nearly one thousand
more than In 1894, and about seven hundred more
than in 1895. Thus allowing for the Increase In
the nuraber of voters, I could not have lost raany
supporters on account of the war. In fact, raany of
ray best friends and devoted supporters were found
among those who disagreed with ray views on this
question, but gave rae the credit for being actuated by
worthy motives and by a real regard for the honour
and Integrity of the British Empire. To their
magnanlraity I owe a deep debt of gratitude. If this
spirit had been shared by Liberals in other parts of
the country, the Party of Progress would be in a far
stronger position to-day.
My election took place on October 2nd, and I
immediately proceeded to Market Harborough, and
thence to the Loughborough division, addressing three
meetings at each place. My engagements then took
me to the Rushchffe division of Nottinghamshire, the
Northwich division of Cheshire (where I spoke at five
meetings), the Crewe division, and the Chesterfield
division of Derbyshire. After addressing eighteen
meetings In a fortnight from ray own polling-day, I
reached horae on October 15th, just a raonth and
four days since ray departure for Leicester.
In connection with the Rushchffe and Crewe meetings
two Incidents of interest occurred. My first visit for

H SOfourn in tbe 2>esert 259
political purposes to the forraer division had taken
place sixteen years before, when Mr. John Ellis first
contested the seat. Now I came on the sarae errand for
the same candidate In the same hall, and this fact with
the reminiscences It enabled rae to recall was of great
assistance at the public raeetlngs. Mr. EUIs had served
his constituents faithfully and well for sixteen years,
but now he was assailed and " hard put to," as Bunyan
would say, by the enemy. He was labelled a pro-Boer,
and the letters he had written to persons in South
Africa — absolutely innocent and even justifiable — were
represented as an act of disloyalty. The gravest fears
were entertained for his success ; but character must
and will tell in the long run, and the people had time
to brush away the closely woven webs of calumny. As
I stood before the two great meetings preceeding the
polling-day, looking straight Into the eyes of the
people, I thought I could detect a favourable sign
In their expression. So It proved, and Mr. EUIs
came through the ordeal with a firmer hold than ever
on Ruschliffe.
At Crewe the sarae story was repeated. Mr.
Tomklnson, the Liberal candidate, was nicknaraed
a pro-Boer, and every vote given to him was, of course,
a vote for the Boers. I drove Into Crewe frora a
meeting at Sandbach, only arriving at Mr. Tomkinson's
meeting at lo p.m. I was at once called upon for
my speech, and went straight for the enemy's position.
My aim was to show that the most usefiil ally of the
Boers had been the incapacity displayed by the Tory

26o "Ibenrs Broabburst
Government, and to support my contention I read
extracts from the letters written for The Daily News
by the Australian war-correspondent, Mr. A. G.
Hales. I have never seen an audience so quick to
grasp the situation or so full of enthusiasm. Mr.
Tomkinson's long and faithful service on behalf of
the Liberal cause, in the course of which he had been
defeated in raore than one keen fight, was rewarded
by a notable success, and he was returned by a great
majority. With this gleam of success my labours
ended, and the story of my life is told.
Writing on the threshold of the New Century, I
confess the future looks dark and cheerless. The
Nineteenth Century is closing amid wars and rumours
of wars. In South Africa the largest army ever
enrolled beneath the Union Jack has been decimated
by disease and the rifles of the enemy to rainister to
the Maramon-worship of greedy capitalists. At home
the Image of the Golden Calf stands upon almost
every altar. The clock of moral and social progress
has been put back a quarter of a century, while
mllltarlsra and clerlcalisra walk hand in hand to and
fro in the country. How raany years raust elapse
before the ebbing waves becorae the flowing tide, I
cannot tell ; but I fear they raust be raany. England,
once the charapion of oppressed peoples, has been
incited to openly rob two tiny Republics of their
cherished independence, and her narae has become a
by-word among the nations for this violence and
oppression. Yet at home aU but a sraall minority

H Sojourn in tbe 2)esert 261
are drunk with the war-fever. The clergy are dumb
or openly espouse the cause of the Jingoes. Where
are thy prophets, O Israel ? is our cry ; but there
are none to answer. And so the Nineteenth Century
sets blood-red arald dark and threatening clouds.

CHAPTER XIV
ELECTIONS AND ELECTIONEERING
FEW men have had a wider experience of elections
than has fallen to my lot. I have traversed
the length and breadth of the land, at one time or
another, to take part In sorae party contest, and there
Is scarcely a town of any Importance In Great Britain
where I have not appeared on a political platform. In
his tirae his Honour Judge Waddy possessed a great
reputation as the hardest traveller In the Liberal
camp, and his mobility was envied by many younger
men. But I doubt whether even Judge Waddy's record
would leave mine far behind. In this chapter I have
collected sorae of the odds and ends of ray political
career, curious incidents which have given colour to
a strenuous life ; and at the outset I will Instance a
few of the political engageraents I have successfully
fulfilled, with no slight strain upon ray physical
strength. In the days of ray Leasehold Enfranchlseraent Bill
I paid a round of visits to the principal towns of
Devonshire and Cornwall to expound the principles
of the measure. Leaving town In the morning, I
attended a great meeting at Devonport, and then
262

Elections anb Electioneering 263
proceeded to Camborne, where I addressed a huge
gathering of men frora all parts of the raining division.
A reception for social Intercourse followed, which
kept me up till the small hours of the morning ;
but before daylight I had resumed my journey, and
traveUed, by way of Bristol, Gloucester, and Cheltenham,
to Birmingham. Here I addressed a large audience
at eight in the evening on ray BIU, finally reaching
my host's house after a trudge through melting snow
at 10.30 p.m., thus completing an eighteen hours' day
full of excitement and the strain of travel In severe
weather. On one occasion I left London, after a hard week
of late sittings In the House, at lo o'clock on
Saturday morning, addressed a large meeting at Bishop's
Auckland, In the county of Durhara, and regained
my London home In time for breakfast on Sunday
morning. Another time I left Brixton at an early
hour of the morning for Tredegar, In the hills of
South Wales. On my arrival I raarched at the head
of a trades-union procession round the town, ad
dressed a raeeting In the public hall, and after a slight
Interval for refreshments was In the train for London,
reaching my home about midnight. While on a poli
tical mission In the West of England I travelled
from Plymouth to London, caught the night train
to Glasgow, and kept an iraportant appointraent In
Lanarkshire early next morning. Perhaps my
hardest bit of work was the occasion on which, after
addressing a public meeting in Manchester at night.

264 "Ibenrs Broabburst
I left early next morning, and spoke at a gathering
of several thousands of people In Greenock the same
night ; It was only after the raeeting was over, when
I had reached PoUokshlelds, a suburb of Glasgow,
that I found tirae to take ray first raeal since break
fast. Even an iron constitution could not stand the
strain of such journeys without sorae creaking of the
over-taxed raachlnery, and I have since had reason
bitterly to regret sorae of the prolonged fasts.
In ray nuraerous railway journeys I have frequently
raet fellow-passengers whose agreeable conversation
has pleasantly whiled away an hour of travel. But
I have also had impressed on me the unwisdom of
speaking unreservedly to strangers. In one instance I
recollect, the matter had a pleasant sequel which makes
it worth repeating. I was travelling from London
to ray home In Croraer, and had for a travelling
corapanlon a raost Interesting and well-informed
lady, who talked well on most subjects, had traveUed
far and wide, and possessed a keen and Instructed eye
for the beauties of nature. During the journey she
remarked the fine church of Worstead, and, struck
with the elegance of Its architecture unusual In so
far-away a village, she inquired whether I thought It
would be well attended. When I replied that most likely
the congregation woiUd seldom be large, she went on
to say that she believed I was probably right, for it
was a dreadful habit of the poorer classes to associate
themselves with Nonconformist bodies. On that
point I expressed no opinion, but assured her that,

Elections anb Electioneering 265
at any rate, she would find a fine church to worship
in at Croraer. " Yes, so I have heard," said the lady ;
adding, " I presume you attend its services." Her
consternation was almost pitiable when I replied that
I was one of "the poorer classes" and associated
with a Nonconformist body — viz. the Wesleyan chapel,
whose services I attended on Sunday. But her
penitence did not end with the profuse apologies at
once proffered. On the following Sunday raorning she
presented herself at the Wesleyan Chapel, placed a
handsome contribution In the plate, and when the
service was over expressed her pleasure and profit
she had derived there. Addressing me by ray narae,
which she had learned since the preceding day, she
frankly expressed her Indebtedness for the rebuke
so gently adralnistered In the railway-carriage ; and
so the incident closed to our rautual satisfaction.
Poverty, runs the proverb, gives one strange bed
fellows ; and certainly political pilgrlraages make
one acquainted with every kind of accomraodation,
frora the lordly raanslon to the two-rooraed cottage.
I reraeraber in one county bye-election having to
address a raeeting In a straggling village through which,
in days gone by, raany of the mail-coaches travelled.
The only reraaining evidence of those prosperous tiraes
was what had once been a well-equipped hostelry,
which had fallen on evil days. Upon ray arrival, the
doors of this hotel were closed to me on the ground
that all the available sleeping accomraodation was
engaged — a statement which I had strong reasons to

266 Ibenrs Broabburst
doubt — Indeed, It was obviously untrue. As I could
not stay in the street all night, I sought and obtained
accomraodation In a labourer's cottage, where every
exertion was made to supply my wants, and It was
not the fault of my friends that their efforts were not
entirely successful. I paid ray bill in the raorning,
and as the poor woman did not know what tp charge
me, I made it out myself, receipted It for her, and
handed her the money. She was scarcely able to find
words to express her gratitude, for It probably amounted
to more than a week's wages of the farm labourer In
the neighbourhood. I took care to publish abroad
in the reraaining portions of the division ray experience
of this particular place ; and a gentleraan who had
taken an active part in the contest on the opposite
side declared, after the election, that they lost the battle
raainly through the stupidity of refusing rae sleeping
accoramodation in the village hotel.
On another occasion I was selected to deliver the
annual address to sorae political institute or other in
a large northern village. I had been informed by
letter that one of their chief men would entertain me
for the night If I would accept his hospitality, to which,
of course, I readily agreed. It was a cold, damp
night in early December when I arrived at ray destina
tion, and ray host and others were in attendance to
receive me. I was conducted with considerable pomp
and ceremony to his house, which I found to be a
general provision shop. The entrance to the resi
dential part of the estabhshment was through the shop.

Elections anb Electioneering 267
under the flap of the counter, and then across a large
storage shed, which seemed to contain principally
paraffin oil casks and other highly inflammable material —
at any rate, so It appeared to rae. I was araply enter
tained before the raeeting, though to an epicure the
viands provided might have seemed to be lacking In
quality. A huge teapot filled with the blackest and
strongest brew of that herb which " cheers but not
Inebriates " was set before me, and I was compelled
to declare that It was entirely contrary to ray habit
to drink tea so late In the afternoon on account of Its
effect in preventing sleep. This did not raise rae in
the estimation of my host, who declared It was the
strongest drink he ever allowed on his premises. If
any beverage ever deserved the narae of "strong
drink," that terrible decoction certainly did. Besides
being a total abstainer of the raost violent description,
my host proved to be an anti-tobacconist, a vegetarian,
and an anti-vacclnator, having recently testified to his
conscientious convictions by undergoing Imprisonraent
for his anti-vaccine principles.
My sleeping accoraodation was about as narrow as
my host himself. After scaling with difficulty a
corkscrew staircase, I was ushered Into a charaber
wherein there was no danger of losing oneself
I experienced the greatest difficulty in finding space
for rayself, except In a recurabent position on the
bed. A lean-to roof and a suspiciously closed
fireplace did not add to my comfort, for I have
always been one of the raost fidgety and nervous of

268 "Ibenrs Broabburst
people respecting ray sleeping accommodation. How
ever, I found sorae consolation in the fact that ray
whiskey-flask was quite full. I was glad enough to
finish ray repast and get away to the place of raeeting,
for I badly wanted a smoke as well as opportunity of
hearing the political news of the district. I was in
no hurry to begin the meeting, for as soon as it was
over I must return to my dubious quarters. So far
as I can recollect this Is the only occasion on which I
have longed for a raeeting to last all night.
However, all things have their end, and spin it
out as I would the raeeting terminated at last, and I
returned to the general provision shop. Once again
I was conducted through the shop, under the flap
of the counter, and through the oil warehouse to the
living-rooms. My apprehensions of a fire returned
with extraordinary strength. I remember that I re
sorted to every expedient I could sumraon to ray
assistance to engage ray host In conversation, and
thus while away the hours of night. Politics, vacci
nation, teraperance, anti-tobacco, woraan suffrage, the
opium question' — all these matters were questions
upon which my friend had strong opinions. Every
one proved as successful as I anticipated, and so
the time went merrily on, until I had exhausted
every subject I could think of. In despair I turned
to my host's business affairs, suggesting that they
raust be extensive and hoping that they were
profitable. But I had selected ray topic In an un
lucky moment, and my host's reply proved entirely

Elections anb Electioneering 269
destructive of any prospect of sleep that I might have
entertained. It occurred In this way. He began by explaining the
difficulties encountered and the watchfulness necessary
in connection with shop-assistants, and he went on
to expatiate upon the sins of raankind In general
and the carelessness of apprentice boys in particular.
This was not disturbing to ray nervous systera, but
when he added that he had been lately suffering
frora an invasion of rats and mice, my hair nearly
stood on end, for no woman in creation was ever more
ready to scream or faint at the appearance of these
creatures in a bedroora than I. But even this was
not the worst. He went on to describe their
destructive habits In this particular establishraent, where
cases of lucifer raatches were housed In the sarae shed
with the paraffin oil, and he told rae how only a: few
nights before one of these inquisitive vermin had
gnawed through a case containing raany dozens of
boxes of the old-fashioned red brimstone matches,
which were guaranteed to light anywhere with the least
possible amount of friction. Then, with great pathos
and indignation with the rat race, he described how
one of thera had just worked through a packing-case
and was Iramediately upon the matches themselves
when it had evidently been disturbed. Had a few
more minutes elapsed before the Interruption, the
contact of Its teeth with these explosive goods would
undoubtedly have set the case on fire. The dozen
or so oil barrels would most certainly have joined

270 "Ibenrs Broabburst
in the fun, and that establishraent with others would
Inevitably have been destroyed. He proceeded to
assure rae that when you lived under these conditions
there was always the fear of an outbreak of fire at
any raoment. Then, as if to cap the whole situation,
he explained that my bedroora was iramediately over
the oil warehouse, and warned me that If I heard any
noises in the night I was not to be alarraed. Then
with a hearty good-night the worthy raan took his leave.
Wellington's petition for " night or Blucher " was not
raore hearty than mine for daylight or sleep. Very
early in the morning I descended from ray unkindly
couch, and with the excuse that the country habits
of my youth were soraetiraes not to be denied, I
escaped the offer of breakfast, and caught the first
train of the day, thankful that I had escaped the fate
of untlraely creraation.
On another occasion a somewhat similar experience
befel me. I was speaking at a public gathering In the
West of England. My host for the night was a man
of humble position, but, like all West-country folk,
exceedingly hospitable. Before proceeding to the meeting
I was invited to partake of a repast, for which, after
my long journey from London, I was quite ready. My
hostess had evidently made most elaborate and plentiful
provision for my needs, but the assortment of dishes
was scarcely Inviting. They consisted of a plate of
mussels, another of winkles, with cold bacon and plum
cake as side-dishes. My heart — or sorae other portion
of my anatomy — quailed before the sight, and I

Elections anb Electioneering 271
hastily assured my hospitable friends that my tastes
were exceedingly siraple, that bread-and-butter forraed
my staple food, and that my doctor absolutely forbade
my touching shell fish. I felt no small compunction at
the disappointment clearly felt by my refusal to partake
freely of the dainties, which had evidently been most
carefuUy prepared in the strongest of vinegar and the
hottest black pepper.
Nothing Is easier for a public speaker than through
Ignorance of local feeling to raake a serious blunder
when addressing a raeeting In a strange locality. On
the other hand, luck raay turn this very Ignorance to
unexpected account sometimes, as it occasionally has
done for me. On one occasion I was addressing a
meeting In support of Mr. Cozens Hardy at Melton
Constable, and as we were on the borders of Mr.
Joseph Arch's constituency, I did not forget him in my
speech. Wishing to get home that night, I hurried
through ray address In order to catch ray train, and was
just about to leave when a raan in the audience rose
and begged leave to put a question. About this time
the Tory Party, through the medium of the Primrose
League, were endeavouring to poison the minds of the
agricultural labourers against Mr. Arch on account of
the large raeasure of failure then attending the operation
of the Agricultural Labourers' Union. My questioner
wanted to know if I could give any information about
the balance-sheet of Mr. Arch's Union. I rephed that
it was a matter with which I was not personally
connected and into which I had no right to Inquire.

272 "Ibenrs Broabburst
I added that I knew nothing more of the Union's
balance-sheet than I knew of the balance-sheet of my
questioner, and with that I left the platform. As I
hurried to the station I caught the sound of repeated
roars of laughter which rather mystified rae. Later on
the mystery was explained. It appeared that the
gentleman who had displayed so rauch anxiety about
the solvency of Mr. Arch's Union had hiraself been
recently In financial straits, frora which he had only
been relieved by the process which Is known as " passing
through the Courts."
Another Instance of the sarae good luck occurred at
a large raeeting In Worcestershire. The raain burden
of ray speech was the advocacy of Home Rule for
Ireland. A well-dressed raan sitting a dozen rows frora
the platforra kept Interjecting remarks that would have
been very confusing to many speakers. While I was
pressing horae one of the chief points In my argument
he suddenly exclaimed, " You had better give them
whiskey than Horae Rule." I turned to the Interrupter
and assured hira that although his sole aira in life
raight begin and end In the consuraptlon of strong
drink, the Irish people had objects far loftier than the
gratification of such a desire. At this the meeting
broke out Into a mighty cheer and rose In a body to
jeer the Interrupter, who promptly raade his escape. I
heard afterwards that he was one of the hardest
drinkers In the district.
A curious Incident of ralstaken identity, in which a
newspaper reporter was taken for me, occurred at a

Elections anb Electioneering 273
great meeting I addressed In Crewe. The reporter In
question was good enough to send me an account of
the incident, and I cannot do better than let hira tell
his tale in his own graphic manner.
MR. HENRY BROADHURST'S GREATEST
TRIUMPH
A MEMORABLE NIGHT
Part I
If twenty-four hours were allotted me in which to arrive
at a decision on the question whether I would prefer death
to a repetition of the worst ordeal I ever suffered in my
life, I think the time would be spent in earnest prayer for
the withdrawal of Mr. Henry Broadhurst from the political
sphere. It would afford me the only means of escape.
But by the cleverest design or arrangement it would be
utterly impossible to place me in such a predicament that
I should again be lionised by an enormous crowd of
persons in mistake for the great electioneering champion
of the Liberal Party, whose eloquence had aroused them
into a state of wild delight. The effect of that eloquence
upon myself is lifelong. Since they called me " Mr.
Broadhurst " and paused for one of his speeches from me,
I have most carefully avoided situations in which it would
be possible for me to perform the smallest part of a
public speaker.
I am stating here a few simple facts, and in order to
make them quite clearly understood I would ask for the
difference to be specially noted between an orator with
a marvellous influence over his audience and a nervous
man who would fall speechless if called upon for a
sentence. These two persons — namely, Mr. Broadhurst and
18

274 "Ibenrs Broabburst
myself — happened to meet one night in November, 1885.
It was the time when the whole world was interested in
the question of alleged intimidation of the artisans of
Crewe by their foremen in the service of the London &
Nort;h- Western Railway Company. I only refer to it now
in trying to convey an idea of the vast importance of the
contest in which the local political parties were then
engaged, and to emphasise , the special reason why the
Liberals sought the help of their most influential leaders
who were likely to give it. After a secret conclave the
local Liberal leaders agreed unanimously to invite Mr.
Henry Broadhurst, as their chief speaker, to a demonstra
tion. The fact that the municipal elections, fought on
political lines, had gone; overwhelmingly against the
Liberals greatly increased their anxiety and accentuated
their fears. For it was taken as a positive indication that
the workmen, who on former occasions had given abundant
proof of their Radicalism, were really afraid to vote against
the railway company's officials, who were the Conservative
candidates. When it was announced that Mr. Broadhurst would
address a meeting in the Corn Exchange on behalf of
the Liberal candidate for Parliamentary representation, not
a great many were expected to constitute his audience.
Yet so attractive was the personality in that specimen of
a working man whose life. was an example to self-helpers,
that hundreds of men who lingered outside the Corn
Exchange ventured inside when he rose to speak. The
place became crowded, and crowds remained in the main
street immediately outside who were stronger in common
curiosity than in political feeling. For a while the meeting
was passive merely, and I, a reporter, had already made
notes about insipidity, coldness, despondency, and so forth,
A change, a marvellous change, occurred within an hour.
As a Pressman of considerable experience I have attended

Elections anb Electioneering 275
hundreds of political meetings — meetings which were
addressed by Cabinet Ministers and by Ireland's most
eloquent representatives (modern Mark Antonys, some of
them) — and it is with perfect sincerity and truthfulness that
I commit myself in writing thus : the most enthusiastic of
all was Mr. Broadhurst's meeting at Crewe, with only the
solitary exception of the " record " meeting in Bingley Hall,
Birmingham, where an audience of 20,000 people addressed
by Mr. Gladstone on Home Rule cheered him continuously
for ten minutes.
The hearts of the Crewe artisans were touched. There
was a fellow-feeling between the speaker and themselves.
Mr. Broadhurst secured their close attention and then their
deepest sympathies by a most entertaining and touching
account of his experiences and hardships in early life — of
the " insolence of office and the spurns that patient merit
of the unworthy takes." All that gloom, that ennui which
characterised the early part of the proceedings was dispelled,
and an appeal (I can liken it to nothing I ever heard
elsewhere) to the chivalry of free men completed the
transformation perfectly. I write of it, possessing a
memory on which that occasion will ever remain indelibly
impressed, as about the most sensational fact of election
eering history, that in an hour Mr. Broadhurst, single-
handed, crushed the great monster of intimidation which
had become such a terror, and captured Crewe, then one
of the new divisions, for the Liberal Party. I am not
sure that the misadventure that occurred to me after the
meeting did not save Henry Broadhurst's life. The men
might have killed him by a demonstration of personal
attachment. With this " possibility " in view, prudence
was exercised in devising a means whereby the hero
might escape the crowd, which in increasing proportions
waited without.
\Exit Broadhurst; enter Your Humble Servant.

276 "Ibenrs Broabburst
Part II
Realising how inconvenient it would be to push through
the dense crowd at the main entrance, I waited inside the
building for a porter who had promised to lead the way
to an exit into a quiet side-street. Fifteen minutes
previously — just before the meeting ended — a gentleman
had entered this way. He said he had been in a neighbour
ing hotel, and I readily believed him. He was not able
to express himself very clearly in giving me to understand,
as he did, that a cab was waiting in the side-street to
take him home, a few miles in the country ; and as I was
going in the same direction homewards, I was delighted
when he said, " Come along with me." We reached the
door, and it was suddenly flung open just as I was asking
him what all the hubbub outside was about. The meaning
of it — there was not time to realise it before striding across
a narrow footpath to the cab-door — was plain enough
after we were seated in the conveyance. The impatient
crowd, suspecting the subterfuge to avoid an open-air
demonstration — the strategy to get Mr. Broadhurst away —
had rushed round from the main entrance to this side-
street, being perfectly right in supposing it was intended
to convey him off in this very cab. Someone had seen
it and guessed the secret. It was Mr. Broadhurst's cab.
What right had I in it ? The thought brought on a great
dread of all kinds of punishment.
The night was dark, very dark, and there was little or
no light — a fact which had been considered over the plan
of escape. When, therefore, we two persons emerged from
the doorway it was impossible to discern what we were
like in general form. I heard afterwards how Mr.
Broadhurst got away. It was simple enough. Finding
the main entrance clear, when the crowd rushed round
to the cab, he slipped off unobserved. I, even I, the most

Elections anb Electioneering 277
nervous being alive, was that Mr. Broadhurst, the invisible
object of the admiration of the wrestling, yelling, delighted
multitude, for a space which, though an eternity in the
imagination, was limited in actual time to some five minutes.
A strange metamorphosis, indeed ! The proceedings in
that period, commencing with three thundering cheers that
" made the welkin ring " as the people crushed us into
the cab, it is impossible for me to adequately describe.
The cabman waited. Of course I had no authority to
order him on. He told me later that his orders were to
wait for Mr. Broadhurst and three other gentlemen who
were to accompany him in the drive to his hotel, and he
was waiting when we entered for " the other two.'' The
clamour of the crowd for a speech developed into a sort
of madness, and as the cab remained motionless, feelings
of hope and wonder must have become strangely mixed.
Some wondered; " what was up," and some said " he was
only thinking of what he had to say."
My friend expressed his firm conviction to me that
everybody was mad drunk, and it was a pity, he observed,
that he was the only man who could take a glass and keep
sober. My life, I felt, was at stake, and so I durst not
curse him. Louder and wilder became the demand for
a speech, and the pressure around the vehicle increased
as the throng itself increased with " outsiders," attracted
by the " scene." Amid all the fearful tumult my companion
coolly dropped the window on his side and, thrusting his
head out, tried to make himself heard. Some little time
was spent in noisily calling for silence. Then, commanding
attention by shouting " Ladies and gentlemen," he succeeded
in convincing them of his inability, through circumstances
over which he certainly ought to have had control, to make
a speech. No one knew what he was trying to communi
cate or what more there was in his mind than some
confused ideas about closing-time, Broadhurst's good

278 "Ibenrs Broabburst
health, his own pugilistic abilities, and admiration for
himself and the Grand Old Man. In a maudlin manner
he called for three cheers for — presumably for me. The
crowd, doubtful hitherto which of us two was Mr.
Broadhurst, knew positively now, and after my friend
had withdrawn everybody made for my side. Efforts
were made to open the door. I held the handle inside
with all my strength, and I suppose they concluded that
the door was locked. Everybody joined in renewed
clamour for a speech. I was dumb enough already. They
paused for a response. Shouts followed : " Let him take
time," " Give him a chance," " He's done up," " We'll make
him say something." One man insisted that if I was too
exhausted to speak, I should at least condescend to lower
the window and shake hands with my admirers. A
further pause, then more clamour. I heard another
voice imploring, " Now, Harry, lad, just one word," and
yet another, as if coaxing me to sing, " Just a little more
encouragement." It surprised them that I still remained
mute. It alarmed them. Said one suspiciously, " Why
the devil won't he speak ? There's something up with
him." The darkness of the night was so far my best protection,
but I had now practically given up all hope of escape.
Every moment I was expecting the appearance of Mr.
Broadhurst and his friends, and wondering how many there
were, and what the torture would be when he had in
dignantly cast me out upon this mob, incensed as they
must be by my deception. Mutilation and inquests came
across my mind. I mention this seriously, truthfully.
I believe my heart sank to the very lowest depths of despair
when someone exclaimed, " Broadhurst must be ill. Let
us break the window and get at him. Who has got some
matches ? " Matches were produced and struck. The
wind came to my aid while I ducked down and tried

Elections anb Electioneering 279
vainly to crouch under the seat. I was sure they would
presently discover me, drag me out, and pitilessly lynch
me. My friend, who had hitherto seemed little concerned,
now began to manifest some uneasiness. He tried to tell
the cabman to drive on. The cabman understood ; and
himself much alarmed, accepted the order and cracked his
whip. By the horror of the situation I was bereft of so
much of my wits that I could not think of the possibility
of being driven off deliberately in Mr. Broadhurst's cab.
Before the driver could find an opening in the crowd,
though he desperately sought one, it was proposed by
one madman and readily decided by a host of others to
unharness the horse and draw their hero themselves
triumphantly to the Liberal Club. The endeavour occa
sioned greater excitement, alarming confusion, provoked
the cabman into hostilities — he slashed his whip right and
left, and startled the horse, which had already been
prancing about impatiently. Its rearing and plunging
caused a stampede, the driver laid on mightily with his
whip, and the animal dashed off wildly. The mob who
followed were soon outpaced, and only three persons
knew where we halted.
Before that night the Conservatives boasted of promises
being made to them of votes which, after reasonable
allowances, would give them a majority of about 2,000.
The result was, the return of the Liberal candidate by
a majority of over 800. It was Broadhurst's greatest
triumph, and / know it.
In an earlier chapter I have alluded to a vein of
superstition which runs In ray blood. This may be
the result of heredity or of the rural environment
of my early years ; but whatever its source, I have never
been able to get rid of it. I reraeraber as a lad of
sixteen working in a village six or seven railes frora

28o Ibenrs Broabburst
my home, and ray way to and from work lay across
fields and a large common, where I seldom met any
human being. I used to leave home on Monday raorn
ing at half-past three, In order to be at work by six,
returning on Saturday night at six o'clock. One dark
winter's night I was taking my homeward way at a
brisk rate along a footpath bordered on one side by
a thick hedge. Suddenly I thought I heard someone
on the other side of the hedge calling In distinct tones,
" Harry ! Harry ! " I recognised the voice Instantly
as that of the wife of one of ray brothers, and so
strong was the Irapresslon raade upon me that I stopped
short and hstened intently. But no other sound was
to be heard, and I continued my journey. The first
news that greeted me on ray arrival horae was the
announcement of the sudden death of the person
whose voice I had heard caUing rae by name.
After an Interval of many years I was the recipient
of another intimation of death, though hardly of so
striking a character. It was In the autumn of 1886
that, at the earnest solicitation of a friend, I spent a
month's holiday In Scotland. The spot selected was
GuUane, a quiet, sandy village lying between North
Berwick and Aberlaidy. Readers of the works of
Robert Louis Stevenson will reraeraber that he makes
GuUane the scene of Allan Breck's escape and
David Balfour's capture In " Catrlona." It was
here that I first saw golf played, and, needless to
say, In a few days caught a very severe attack of the
golf-fever. Unfortunately, urgent business caUed rae

Elections anb Electioneering 281
back to London before I had been at GuUane a week ;
but the affair did not take long to settle, and I wa?
able to return to Scotland by the following night mail.
For sorae inexplicable reason I have always experienced
sorae tiraldity In crossing the long bridge which spans
the Tweed at Tweedmouth and Berwick, and ray
Imagination would persist In picturing the vibration
sustained by the masonry frora the weight of the heavy
locoraotlves and railway-coaches. On raore than on
one occasion, when crossing the bridge, I have drawn a
mental picture of a fearful disaster caused by a collision
or by the giving way of some portion of the structure.
On this particular journey I had slept well till we
reached Newcastle. As soon as we had left that noisy
station behind I dropped off to sleep again. But ray
slurabers were disturbed, and presently I was drearaing
that the train was in the raiddle of the stone bridge
over the Tweed when one of the arches gave way,
and the train was precipitated Into the river. Dragged
down beneath the surface of the water, I experienced a
terrible feeling of suffocation and realised the pangs of
death. In my dream I fancied my old friend Alfred
Bailey, of Preston, was with me, and in the midst of
my death struggle I wondered if he were sharing the
same ghastly sensations.
I awoke from this horribly vivid nightmare In a perfect
frenzy, the perspiration standing In great drops upon
me. Rushing to the window, I found the train whirling
through the Berwick station just as daylight was break
ing. Needless to say, I had no more sleep, and was

282 Ibenrs Broabburst
glad to reach Edinburgh, where a refreshing bath and
a substantial breakfast at the Club in Prince's Street
speedily restored my composure. I caught an early
local train to Longnlddry station, and drove thence to
my lodgings in GuUane. As I entered the garden-
gate a messenger ran up with a telegram addressed
to rae. Tearing It open, I found It contained the
announceraent of the sudden death of Mr. Bailey at
Preston. He certainly had been 111 for some weeks,
but no one expected a fatal termination to this Illness.
These two events — the dream and Mr. Bailey's death —
made a strong impression on my mind ; and a
week later, meeting the chairman of the East Coast
Railway, I related ray vision of the night. I believe
as a consequence the bridge was thoroughly exaralned
by the corapany's engineer, and, I need scarcely add,
It was found to be as stable as a rock and as firra
and solid as the day It was first opened for traffic.
In the foregoing stories I am afraid I have dwelt
too rauch on ray own success at repartee. To
convince the reader that self-coraplacency is not
the principal ingredient in ray character, I will tell
one or two incidents where the laugh was certainly
against me. A few years ago I went one raorning
to call on Lord Rosebery at Berkeley Square. Near
the Liberal leader's residence extensive repairs were
being carried on, and this so changed the appearance
of the place that I could not deterralne whether the
house under repair or the next was his. Unfortu
nately, I had forgotten the nuraber, and I was at a

Elections anb Electioneering 283
coraplete loss to know at which house to knock. As
I stood uncertain a butcher's boy carae along laden
with a tray of meat. Of hira I Inquired which
was Lord Rosebery's house, and pointing to the one
I had just decided to try, he answered, " That's
it." I thanked hira, and was just about to ring the
bell when I heard a shout. Turning round, I found
the lad gesticulating furiously ; pointing to the area
gate, he was calling out In loud tones, " That's the
way for you ! There's the area gate ! You raustn't
go to the front door, I tell you ! "
Another experience of the same kind befel rae
when Mr. Soraers Soraerset, the son of the Lady
Henry Soraerset, raade his first bow before the
electors of the division of South Herefordshire. I
was deputed with Mr. Ellis Griffith, the Meraber
for Anglesey, to attend the deraonstration which was
to be held on August Bank Holiday. I was to stay
at Eastnor Castle, but I had not been Inforraed of
the place of meeting. My train was late In arriving ;
I was tired and hungry after a long journey, and I
felt I raust get sorae refreshment before facing the
audience. Coming out of the station I found a pair-
horse carriage awaiting rae, with a smart coachman
on the box and a dapper little fellow in top-boots
and cockade with his hand on the door. When we
had got clear of the town I asked the coachman
where he was going to take me. " Oh ! to the front
door, sir," he replied. I thanked him and ventured
no further inquiries. Of course, I Intended to find

284 Ibenrs Broabburst
out whether I was being conveyed direct to the
raeeting before going to the Castle.
An arausing instance- of ralstaken identity occurred
during the prolonged sittings In the early part of
1880. On this particular occasion I had reraalned
in the House tlU seven o'clock In the raorning, when
I gave notice to the Whips that I must go home.
They urged me to remain another hour or so, but
I refused, alleging that my house was entirely un
protected except for ray dog, and he would want his
breakfast by the tirae I reached horae. This statement,
duly embroidered, was repeated with much success by
one of the legal advisers of the Government, gaining
a wide circulation, and at each stage receiving raany
interesting additions. A few days later, when, thanks
to the exertions of the Irish Party, all-night sittings
were of alraost unbroken continuity, Mr. Grant
Duff happened to meet Mr. Thoraas Burt on the
terrace, and of course the obstructionist policy of
the Irishraen was the burden of the conversation.
Now, Mr. Grant Duff had heard the dog story, but
soraehow confused the hero and ascribed its origin
to Mr. Burt. Being a noted dog-fancier and breeder
of dogs hiraself, he naturaUy alluded to the incident,
and reraarked, " Yes, Mr. Burt, It is a killing tirae ;
but I agree with you that the dogs should not suffer,
and I am glad to hear that you Insisted upon going
horae the other morning in order that your bull-dog
might have ;his breakfast at his regular hour." Only
those who know the grave and staid Meraber for

Elections anb Electioneering 285
Morpeth can reahse the look of horror which over
spread his countenance at the Idea of his owning a
bull-dog. " I don't know to what you refer, Mr.
Duff," he exclalraed. " I never owned a dog in my
hfe, and certainly not a bull-dog." Mr. Grant Duff
hurriedly withdrew, with profuse apologies. But the
story did not end there. At a later hour In the
evening another Meraber was discussing with Mr.
Burt the all-absorbing topic of the exhaustion of
Members and Its effect on their health, when Mr. Burt
exclalraed, " Yes, and on their minds too, for Mr.
Grant Duff has actually been asking rae what tirae
In the raorning I retire from Parliament to feed ray
bull-dogs ! "

CHAPTER XV
LABOUR MEMBERS IN PARLIAMENT
I HAVE often been asked what I think of Labour
representatives In Parliament, and this seems
a favourable opportunity of jotting down sorae im
pressions on this large question. In the early days
of trades-unionism the Idea of Labour Members of
Parliaraent was opposed by nearly all classes, and
received even by the great raass of workraen with
indifference. In fact, working men have never been
enthusiastic about having representatives of their own
class in the legislative assembly. If it were otherwise
we should have at least fifty Labour Merabers in the
present House of Coraraons, in spite of financial
obstacles. In raost of the great centres of Industry
the working class population possess an overwhelming
preponderance of votes, and if they were determined
to be represented by one of themselves they could
sweep away aU opposition. They could relieve him
of the expense involved In the hiring of large halls
for public meetings ; the considerable cost of postage
might be avoided by mapping out the division Into
streets and half-streets, and the necessary literature
distributed by raen appointed to visit each section ; and
286

Xabour /Ibembers in iparliament 287
the heavy outlay on bill-posting could be dispensed with
by the use of the windows of voters' houses. In such
ways the cost of a contested election might be reduced
to reasonable llraits. Of course there would still
remain the official or returning officer's charges. These
frequently araount to two or three hundred pounds for
each candidate, and the sum raust be paid down before
the returning officer will accept the noraination papers.
It is a raonstrous sharae that in a country boasting
of a free Parliaraent this golden bar to freedom of
selection and election of a Parliamentary representa
tive should be maintained. So long as it continues
there can be no free representation. I have on more
than one occasion made efforts In Parliament to relieve
candidates frora this iraposition and transfer the burden
to other shoulders, as Is now the case In all local
government elections. With fifty Labour representa
tives In Parliament instead of the present nuraber,
less than a dozen, now returned, the reforra I have
outlined raight easily be obtained from the raost
reluctant of Governraents. Other reforras would
quickly follow, such as the payraent of Merabers,
including a rearrangement of the hours during which
the House of Commons sits, securing the adjournment
of debates at ten o'clock In place of midnight, which
would enable Merabers to reach even suburban homes
without trouble. This Is an extremely important
matter for Labour Members, because accomraodation
can be obtained at a distance of miles from Charing
Cross at one-fourth the cost of that In central London.

288 "Ibenrs Broabburst
These points will readily suggest others to thoughtful
politicians. Speaking from my own experience, I have
found Parliamentary life for a man of circumscribed
means to be a life of drudgery and of great per
sonal sacrifice. Then why not retire ? the reader will
naturally ask. My reply raay seera paradoxical, but
it is true that In some cases It Is easier to get into
Parhament than to withdraw from it. For example.
Party exigencies often corapel a man against his will
to remain a Meraber, and when one Is coramltted to
a contest no Britisher cares to lose the garae. Again,
if you have spent a half or even a third of your life
at Westminster the fascination of the place gets hold
of you. The excitement of the opening of each session
rouses even the raost jaded Meraber. There are always
many interesting men to be met at St. Stephen's whom
one could not encounter elsewhere, at least, not under
the same favourable social conditions. There are the
distinguished visitors of all colours and nationalities.
And to descend from great things to small, there are the
strawberry teas on the terrace In sumraer. Although
the characteristics of this function have greatly changed
during the last few years, but soraetiraes even now you
raay find there raen of world-wide farae In different
walks of life. To these charms you must add the
pleasure of showing your friends and constituents the
historic features of the buildings and its contents. If
your visitors happen to be uninteresting your knowledge
of the place becomes very limited. If they are of
the opposite character, and especially if they happen

Xabour Members in parliament 289
to be young and attractive raerabers of the predoralnant
sex, the cunning legislator enlarges on his theme, and
when knowledge ends is not above improvising. These
are a few of the elements which an analysis of the
fascinations of the House of Commons reveals. Every
August when the House rises the weary and washed-
out legislator vows never again to enter those dreary
portals ; but the early days of February find him
among the first-comers to place his hat upon the
sacred cushions, his loins girded and his sword buckled
on, fresh as any young blood for the fray.
Many good folk of unimpeachable Liberal syrnpathles
look upon the Idea of the payment of Members with
grave suspicion. They believe It would degrade the
dignity of the British legislation. But why? Lord
Salisbury and the Duke of Devonshire are millionaires,
and the pay attached to their respective offices must be
a matter of utter Indifference to them. Yet they take
their ministerial salaries as regularly as the hurablest
messenger In their departments. The receipt of a
stipend does not offend their sense of dignity. Take
the case of Mr. Chamberlain. No one supposes he
cares two straws for his five thousand a year as Colonial
Secretary. This emolument does not Influence his
work ; he could do equally well without it, and never
be compelled to take one cigar or one hansora less
than he does now. Then why should the Labour
Members lose dignity by receiving from the State
a stipend which would enable them to obtain the
necessaries of life in the discharge of a national duty
19

290 "Ibenrs Broabburst
without those Irksorae and galling necessities at present
Inseparable from their existence ? The British Par
liament stands alraost alone In refusing to remuner
ate its Merabers. It Is difficult for the outsider to
realise the constant calls on one's petty cash account.
Cabs are out of the question, except In pressing
eraergencies, and to raeet the exceptional outlay
retrenchraent In other directions must follow. You
must eat and drink, and the most frugal meal will cost
you twice the amount of a meal taken at home. You
cannot tell a visitor, especially a constituent, that to
give him a cup of tea will put an Inconvenient strain on
your resources. Your dress must be decent. Postage
is one of the most constant and serious burdens to
a poor man ; the most moderate estimate on this head
is sixteen-pence a day, and woe betide the luckless
victim who has charge of a motion or a Bill which
attracts even partial Interest In the country ! Equally
to be deplored Is your fate If a considerable body
of your constituents take a deep Interest In a BIU
promoted by another Member and express by letter
their desire that you should support the measure.
You may reply by postcard, certainly ; but a couple
of hundred postcards cost a good deal of raoney. All
Ministers have their letters franked, and they possess
secretaries to deal with their correspondence. Rich
Merabers can find sirailar relief frora the drudgery of
letter-writing ; but to the Labour Meraber this corre
spondence forras a continuous physical and financial
tax which he ought not to bear.

Xabour /ibembers in parliament 291
The belief that Merabers are paid for committee
work is not confined to the working classes. I re
member twenty years ago being advised by a solicitor
of raature age, who had acted on several occasions as
election agent to a prorainent politician, to take care
to get ray share of committee work ; the pay would
be a great assistance to me. Many people who are too
polite to refer directly to the matter share the belief
of my lawyer friend. This foolish but widespread
error Is, I believe, a considerable hindrance to a poor
Member's receiving the consideration his pecuniary
position entitles him to. Yet It Is not confined to
the outside public. Only a year or two ago I
received a note from a Meraber of Parliament of
more than twelve years' standing in the House of
Coraraons, asking in confidence whether any payment
attached to service on a Royal Commission.? To be
credited with receiving handsorae payment when you are
getting nothing aggravates your comparative poverty.
Other opponents of the payment of Members object
that It would encourage professional politicians and
adventurers. It Is the greatest delusion In the world
that the present condition of affairs keeps them out ;
but of course I cannot enlarge upon this point without
involving myself in unpleasant personalities. I firmly
believe that the reduction of election expenses in the
direction suggested above, together with the payraent
of Merabers, would introduce to political life raany
men of great ability who are prevented now from
offering their services by reason of Insufficient Incomes.

292 Ibenrs Broabburst
I think it may fairly be claimed for those of ray
order who have been or are now In Parliament that,
amidst all the display and glitter of wealth by which
their lives in the precincts of the House are surrounded,
they have not lost their heads, but have retained the
simple habits of life In which they were reared. In
fact, I have no hesitation in affirming that their frugal
and homely habits have exercised a restraining influence
upon some of their wealthy colleagues. Most of them
have their homes In the provinces, and this Involves
a separation from family life for the greater part of
the year. The result is an additional cost beyond the
ordinary one of maintenance.
Two great interests lack Parliamentary representa
tives on the Labour side — viz. agriculture and shipping.
It Is most desirable that Intelligent representatives of
these vast industries should be found In the House
of Coraraons. Their needs were forraerly voiced
by Mr. Joseph Arch and Mr. J. Havelock Wilson,
but neither are now Members. The capitalists and
owners In both Interests are largely represented ; but
It cannot be for the highest good of the State that
these two Interests, which are the basis of national
prosperity, should possess only a one-sided representa
tion in the National Assembly.
I believe a good case for the success of Labour
Members of Parliaraent can be made out from the
records of the past thirty years. When one thinks
of the mistakes which might have been raade but
have been avoided by the sraaU band of working

Xabour /Ibembers in parliament 293
men who have found their way Into Parliament, one
Is bound to express admiration at their good sense
and self-restraint. To realise the full raeaning of
this stateraent the reader raust carry his mind back
to their original condition of life. Some were born
before the days of board schools and compulsory edu
cation ; all were the children of poor parents. Some
began to earn their living at an age when the majority
of their fellow-merabers had not escaped the charge
of the nursery governess. Their future appeared
to be hedged about by the necessity of physical
toil for a weekly wage ; Parliaraent and politics were
meaningless terms to some. Even now their situation
amazes them ; they have been thrust from position
to position without design or forethought. They
find theraselves in a whirl of exclteraent, surrounded
by the possessors of vast wealth, the bearers of
noble and ancient naraes, the learned professor, the
profound philosopher, the Intrepid world-traveller.
Yet In this vast human maze they hold their own
with credit. Here and there may be found eccen
tricities, but no boorishness, httle if any vulgarity,
and no disordered rainds. They have earned a
reputation for their class of solid and abiding worth
to the coramonwealth.

CHAPTER XVI
MEN T HAVE KNOWN
MR. JOHN BRIGHT was always regarded with
sorae suspicion from the trades-union point
of view. This was probably Inevitable from the
nature of his opinions In all matters affecting trade.
He was essentially for absolute freedom of action In
this and kindred raatters ; but the trades-unionists
thought that he carried this practice to extremes in
connection with Labour matters, and on the question
of Labour representation he was not thought, from
the workmen's point of view, to be orthodox. He
had spoken against class representation, and so had
the workers ; but their position was better defined,
as being opposed to class exclusion, which was the
case until the period commenced In 1874 and 1880
and fiirther developed In 1885 and 1892.
As Secretary of the Labour Representative League
I had had sorae correspondence with Mr. Bright with
regard to sorae speeches he had raade on the proposed
sending of workraen to Parliaraent, and none of his
replies were considered to be quite satisfactory. As
a general politician, apart frora Labour questions, he
was, of course, universally Idolised by the workers,
294

/iften 5 bave "iRnown 295
and no part of the community more highly appreciated
his great statesmanship and raagnificent oratory.
When I was returned for Stoke In 1880, these little
divergencies of opinion did not prevent his giving me
a warm welcorae to the House of Coraraons, and
during the remaining years of his life he was always
exceedingly friendly, perhaps I ought to say exceed
ingly kind and generous, in his bearing towards rae,
always ready with a jocular remark, never patronising,
and many and raany an hour have I spent in his
corapany In the smoke-room listening to his talk on
subjects weighty as well as witty ; no raan's company
and conversation affotded me greater delight, instruc
tion, and entertainment.
The meerschaura pipe presented to me by the
Glasgow Trades in 1881 was a formidable-looking
object, and required considerable care In handling for
fear of breakage. I am not a lover of meerschaum
pipes, nor Indeed of any pipe except the good old
clay ; but having received this as a token of good
will, I thought It ray duty to colour It In order to
testify to my Scotch friends ray appreciation of
their kindness. I used to charge this pipe with
great care and exactitude, that the colouring process
raight be carried out systeraatlcally, and with some
regard to finish and effect In that line of art.
Mr. Bright, In a jocular manner, would persist In
taking the deepest interest in the progress of that
undertaking ; he would frequently examine the result
of my labours, and Inquire as to the time occupied

296 "Ibenrs Broabburst
and the cost Incurred, and what period of time I
thought would be necessary successfully to accomplish
my task. His inlraitable huraour when pursuing these
inquiries can only be appreciated by those who were
privileged to know him In his arm-chair moods. I
becarae greatly attached to hira, an attachraent which
alraost araounted to affection, and this apart altogether
frora his public life and great position in the nation.
I have heard sorae of his great speeches, and I shall
never forget the St. James's Hall speech in the 'Sixties
during the Reforra agitation. His peroration was
raagnificent, and Its effect electrical. It seeraed to exalt
the very soul of the audience, and left an impression
which few of his hearers can have forgotten.
Another speech which deeply Impressed Itself upon
my mind was made during the debate on the Burial
BIU In the Parliaraent of 1880, when Mr. Bright
was pleading for greater freedora for Nonconforralst
interraents in churchyards. During this speech he
described the devotion of an old worker with whom
he had been acquainted, who for raany years had
walked fifteen miles each Sunday to visit the grave
of his dead wife, buried In unconsecrated ground, and
with tremendous effect he asked the House to say
whether devotion of this kind would desecrate the
consecrated ground of the Church. The passage was
alraost sublime. He spoke from the Treasury Bench,
his long white locks shining in the rays of light
streaming through the western windows of the
House ; the combination of colour and the age of

/Iben 5 bave iP^nown 297
the orator, his deep pathos and his great earnestness,
produced an Indescribable effect upon the House, and
did much to soften the tone of debate and to promote
a freer passage for the raeasure through Parliament.
It will be an everlasting regret that no worthy like
ness In statue forra is left to the nation of the Great
Tribune. His was a face, like raany others, that cannot
be reproduced In raarble after death ; the only effective
likeness I can conceive to have been possible of hira
would have been one raodelled frora life In clay by a
supremely sympathetic artist. The great character
istics of sympathy, love, and devotion written deep
on some faces are, in my opinion, utterly Impossible
to reproduce In marble, and the attempts made
and the failures experienced should not be too severely
visited upon the heads of the unhappy sculptors who
take up a task alraost humanly Impossible.
Another raan for whora I had an exceptionally deep
personal regard was the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon. I
looked upon hira as one of the strongest raen of
our age, the siraplest and kindliest of men. A
two minutes' chat with Mr. Spurgeon was like a
week's sea-breezes to the weary metropolitan worker.
I met him only on rare occasions, but I count it one
of the good fortunes of ray life to have known hira
even thus slightly.
One event In ray life in connection with the
Araerican people I shall always remember with pleasure
and pride. I think it was in 1877 that General Grant
visited London. I was charged with the duty of

298 Ibenrs Broabburst
preparing an address and organising a deputation of
Labour representatives to present it to the distinguished
soldier-statesman. He was not a raan easy of access,
and It was with difficulty that we were enabled to
arrange an Interview with hira. But when the
preliminary obstacles were overcome he received the
address and the deputation with marked favour, and
it was said by one who knew hira that his speech in
reply, short as it was, was raarked with exceptional
warrath of feeling and pleasure. A raan less like a
great soldier and the defender of a great nation in
outward appearance could not be conceived, and It was
only In the Indescribable atmosphere of his presence
that one could at all realise his greatness and strength
of character.
The only other American of distinction It has been
my good fortune to have personal acquaintance with
was Mr. Russell Lowell. I first raet hira at a break
fast party at Mr. Gladstone's house. I had read his
poeras, with raany of which I had been greatly
fascinated, and sorae of which I hked better than
any I had ever read. Of course this led rae to regard
hira with raore than usual Interest. I liked hira In
person as rauch as I did In his works. I met him
again at a public dinner a few years after, and was
surprised at his approaching and speaking to rae In
a familiar manner, as if we had been in the habit
of frequently seeing each other. He was a capital
speaker, so far as I heard him, and his conversation
was most enjoyable.

/IBen 5 bave IRnown 299
Cardinal Manning was another raan for whom I had
a great regard. I first raet him when serving on the
Royal Coraraission on the Housing of the Poor. I do
not regard hira as a great statesraan, or as one having
what raight be described as the grip of things ; but
undoubtedly his soul was overflowing with the railk of
huraan kindness, great forbearance towards the weak
nesses of huraanity, and deep syrapathy with Its trials
and sufferings. At his request I met him on several
occasions at his private house. Our common bond
of sympathy was the bettering of the condition of the
workpeople. My speech against the opening of museums
and picture-galleries on Sunday enhsted his hearty
syrapathy and support, and on one occasion, when
discussing this question In his house, he asked whether
the great fact had ever occurred to me that London,
the centre of the world for civilising and Christian
influence. In addition to being the greatest centre of
commerce that the world has ever seen or known,
almost voluntarily agreed to forgo the delivery of
letters on Sunday, and apparently suffered no Incon
venience In Its competition with the world from this
fact. He spoke raost strongly against the growing habit
of Society of turning Sunday Into a day of pleasure,
frivolity, and social gatherings, assuring rae that he
made It a rule never to dine out on Sundays, and that
he had endeavoured to use his Influence with his friends
to cause as little labour as possible either In their own
domestic circle or outside it on the sacred day of rest.
Then he descanted with that beauty of language and

300 "Ibenrs Broabburst
refineraent of feeling peculiar to hira on what life
raight have been without the day of rest, and the
danger to Labour of tarapering with Its sacred
observance. A discussion and a horaily from hira on
such a subject as this had a similar effect upon one's
emotional feelings to that produced by a raagnificent
sunset on a suraraer's evening.
In these occasional Interviews and chatty half-hours
he only once raised a subject upon which I could
not agree with hira, and that arose in connection
with the education question. Knowing that I was
a worshipper with the Wesleyan Methodist Church
and that I had all ray life been associated with
that body, he approached rae on the question of
religious teaching In the schools, and seeraed to
be under the Irapresslon that the overwhelraing
majority of Wesleyan > Methodists held sIraUar
views to his own. Although having no authority
to speak for thera, I could and did unhesitatingly
speak for rayself, and expressed strong views against
increased grants for sectarian teaching In eleraentary
schools, and I ventured to express ray gravest doubts
as to the Information which had been given him
regarding the position of the majority of Methodists
in relation to this subject. He was visibly disappointed
— I raight alraost say that his face betrayed evidence of
sorae pain at the views I stated. With some expres
sions of regret the subject was dismissed, and It was
never again referred to, but I do not think It In any
way lessened his friendly feeling towards me.

/Iben B bave iRnown 301
In raany respects two of the raost reraarkable dinners
I have attended were both held at Greenwich. One
was given by Lord Rosebery as a compliraent to the
Labour Party early In 1886. Araong the guests were
Mr. Gladstone, Mr. John Morley, and a few other
prominent raerabers of the Liberal Party. Lord
Rosebery was at the head of the table, and I was on
Mr. Gladstone's right. The dinner was the raost jovial
I ever remember ; politics were abandoned, and the
feature of the evening was the telling of good stories
by our host, Mr. Gladstone, and Mr. Morley. Needless
to say, the Prime Minister easily took first place.
Some of his House of Commons reminiscences of the
time of Peel, Palmerston, and others would have been
worth preserving had I been in the habit of keeping
a diary. Possibly some of the others present may
have done so.
One anecdote, however, I reraeraber quite well. I
think It was Palmerston who, Mr. Gladstone told
us, had a wonderful habit of sleeping In his place on
the Front Bench, and his head would move back
wards and forwards to such an extraordinary degree
that it frequently attracted the Speaker's attention,
and even alarmed him. At the close of the session
the Speaker privately gave orders for the backs of
the two front benches to be heightened, so that those
occupying them raight, with very little inconvenience,
rest the head on the top of it, to the delight and
corafort of dozing Front Bench Members in the next
session. This explained — what I never understood

302 "Ibenrs Broabburst
before — why these benches are raore comfortable for
a lounge than those In the other part of the House.
Mr. Gladstone also reminded us that In those days
the tea-room In the House was arranged very much after
the fashion of a London coffee-house — that is, having
rows of settles, with a narrow table between — where it
was the habit for Members to get their chops, accom
panied by a fragrant drink raade from Chinese tea.
On one occasion when Palmerston was enjoying his
evening repast at one of these tables, Hume went over
to Mr. Gladstone, who was sitting in the sarae roora,
and remarked that he thought Palmerston had some
thing In him and raight possibly prove a useful and
active Member of the House in course of tirae !
The second political dinner, curiously enough, took
place In the sarae year, and also at Greenwich, in the
raonth of August. At the first one we were a great
and powerful Party, and to many there appeared to
be a brilliant future In store for us. But the disasters
which followed upon the introduction and rejection
of the Home Rule Bill in the June of that year
had by August left us a scattered and disjointed
remnant of the aU-powerful Government of a few
raonths before. On this occasion our host was Sir
Henry (now Lord) James. The company nurabered
about a dozen. Araongst thera were Sir WiUIara
Harcourt, Mr. Charaberlain, Mr. Jesse Colhngs, Mr.
Asquith, and sorae others. Including rayself.
We went down in the orthodox style by boat
frora Westrainster. It was the first occasion on

/iben 3 bave Iftnown 303
which I had noticed Mr. Asquith. On the way
down I kept wondering who he could be, but before
going in to dinner Sir Henry James introduced me
to him. I failed to catch his name, and I took the
first opportunity of asking Sir Henry to tell me who
he was. I said : " I did not catch the name of the
young raan to whora you Introduced me just now. He
Is an interesting looking chap, and I should hke to know
more about him." Sir Henry's reply was : " You will
very soon know about him ; he Is one of the ablest
and most brilliant among the new Members elected
to Parliament of late years." He certainly raade sorae
Impression upon rae, but In what direction I could not
well say. He appeared to contain great strength of will ;
a rather strongly hewn Yorkshire face showing unmis
takable pugnacity of character ; bluntness, — principally
in manner only. On the whole, I took hira to be a man
with whora It would not be wise to have an unnecessary
quarrel. How far Sir Henry's estimate of his future
has been fulfilled all the world now knows. Certainly
Mr. Asquith's outward appearance has undergone a
remarkable change, for at the present time he Is one
of the best dressed and most presentable raen among
the Liberal leaders.
The dinner was one of the most elaborate I ever
sat down to, with regard to the number of courses,
the quahty of the food, and the variety of wine and
fruit. It was a curious gathering, and for the first
half-hour or so the conversation seemed to hang
fire and there did not appear any prospect of its

304 "Ibenrs Broabburst
becoming a cordial meeting. Our resourceful host
exerted all his raarvellous powers of ingenuity to
Infuse life Into the company, and' presently addressed
an inquiry to me across the table as to the state
of health of my bull-terrier, asking whether I had
lately brought him to the House of Coraraons. I
replied that he had not recently visited that place
with rae, but I thought the time was coming when
It would be necessary to bring hira in order to clear
out the rats. The tone, the occasion, and the raanner
prevented the reraark frora being considered offensive,
and no one joined raore heartily in the laughter
which greeted ray hint than Mr. Charaberlain and
his friend Mr. Jesse Colhngs. The raeeting at once
became more genial, and a very pleasant evening was
the ultimate outcome. I have always thought that
the real object of that dinner was to prevent, if possible,
the unhappy differences which had so lately culminated
In placing the Conservatives In power frora beeoraing
chronic. I firmly believe that some at least of the
Unionists at that time were quite unaware that the
cleavage was so wide and reunion so remote as it
has proved to be, and that the gathering was intended
to be a golden bridge by which the two sections of
the Liberal Party might be reunited. Events have
proved how great was the disappointment of those
who hoped for this result.
During the years in which I was frequently in
personal contact with Mr. Gladstone I always received
at his hands the deepest consideration. Nothing could

/Iben 3 bave IRnown 305
exceed his forbearance and civility to me. During
my residence at Brixton HIU I cultivated pretty success
fully a fine bed of carnations and some very lovely
pinks, the roots of the latter being given to me by
the late Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. Of the
carnations I was particularly proud, and on several
occasions I sent small boxes of thera to Mr. Gladstone,
who wore sorae of the blooras In the House of
Coraraons. During the progress of ray illness frora
1888 it was thought that the only chance I had of
living for any considerable tirae was to leave London
and to reside perraanently In the country. For
this purpose I built myself a cottage at Cromer, to
which I removed In May, 1890. Before I left
London Mr. Gladstone carae to my house at Brixton
and took tea with me, a neighbouring doctor who
attended my family, my wife, my niece, and a lady
friend of theirs being the only persons present. He
spent soraething hke an hour and a half with us, re
counting sorae raost interesting personal reralnlscences,
and talking pleasantly of the events of the earlier part
of the century. Then he plunged into the story of
the Free Trade conflict, telling us of the price
of sugar, tea, coffee, bread, and other necessaries
of life. It was one continuous, gossipy conversation
from the time he entered to the time he left. I
reraeraber his noticing a large photograph of ray
faraous buU-terrler, for whose warhke and determined
appearance he expressed admiration, and suggested that
one or two of that breed would prove valuable
20

3o6 Ibenrs Broabburst
defenders to the public purse, if they could be placed
at the entrance of the Treasury Departraent. Then he
drove back to the House, and frora that time I had
but few opportunities of personal intercourse with him.
Mr. Gladstone's civlhties to me were not merely
personal, but intended, as I always felt, to show that
he recognised the claims of the labouring people to
consideration. Probably no statesman uttered words
so helpful to Labour representation as he did. Speak
ing at BIrralnghara in 1888, on the occasion of
receiving an address of the workraen of that town.
In the conclusion of one of his speeches, the like of
which no other raan could make, and speaking of the
difficulties of selecting the right representatives, he
used these striking words, which I may perhaps be
pardoned for quoting : —
" I can assure you that I never submitted a
recoraraendatlon to Her Majesty for the filling
of a political office with greater satisfaction than
when I submitted the name of Mr. Henry Broad
hurst. I did so, not only because I knew that he
was the representative of the working raen, chosen
by the working men, but I had had the opportunity
of seeing his character and his qualities tested. In
circurastances of difficulty, and I knew that there
was not a more competent and capable, and more
creditable and honourable representative of the
working classes than Mr. Henry Broadhurst. I
will add this, that If by any unhappy accident
Mr. Henry Broadhurst had been taken out of our

ilben 3 bave iftnown 307
view, and had been found In any circumstances
not in a position to take office at that time, there
would have been no difficulty In selecting frora his
coUeagues another representative of Labour, a raan
who would have done honour to the same office If he
had been appointed. We all wish, we all sincerely
and cordially wish that the number of working
raen In Parliaraent should be increased. We are
very glad to have those who are already there, but
undoubtedly the nuraber ought to be Increased."
On ray way to the Aberdeen Trades Congress In
1884 I found It necessary for the discharge of
sorae official duties to break ray journey at Edinburgh,
and subsequently learned that that particular night
had been suddenly fixed upon for a great reception
to Mr. Gladstone In the Waverley Market. The
Edinburgh Trades Council had been Invited to
nominate a speaker to represent the Labour Party
of the city, and they unanimously selected me for
that purpose. On receiving this great compliment
I saw at once that such an arrangement would not
be satisfactory, nor would it fulfil the object In
view, and I pointed out that the speaker must be
an Edinburgh man. This view of the case they
reluctantly acquiesced In ; but I received a platform
ticket to witness this great sight. It was stated that
there were 16,000 persons In and about the covered
market that night. As Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone
entered the building the combined bands struck
up and the vast mass of people joined in their

3o8 Ibenrs Broabburst
national song, "Scots wha hae for Wallace bled."
The effect was tremendous. I did not after all
escape a part in the raeeting. There were loud
calls for rae frora several parts of the hall, and
I had to respond. Up to this tirae Mr. and Mrs.
Gladstone had no knowledge of ray presence, and
when I left ray seat for the rostrura, they both rose
and gave me a hearty greeting, which event appeared
to excite great enthusiasm amongst the audience.
The next morning I resumed my journey to
Aberdeen, and found just outside Edinburgh that a
saloon car sent on from Dalmeny had been attached
to our train. Thus I becarae a fellow-traveller, as
far as Aberdeen, of the great leader. It was the
first occasion on which I raade a journey In the
same train as Mr. Gladstone, although not the last
one. From Edinburgh to Aberdeen was one continuous
and brilliant march of triumph. The fact that the
Idol of the masses was to travel In that train was
known throughout the districts abutting upon the
railway for the whole length of the journey. Every
station was lined with people ; at some of thera
presentations were raade. Constant delays of the
train occurred, and the utraost exertions of the rail
way officials, supported by bodies of police, were
needed at the stations to prevent accidents to the
people, who clambered up steps and on the roofs
of the coaches to get a glimpse of their hero. At
Perth most elaborate preparations to prevent rushing
and crushing had been raade, and the regulations were

/iben 3 bave Iknown 309
strictly observed by the people until the train pulled
up. Then with one united plunge forward, locks,
bolts, and bars were rent asunder, police and station
officials were overwhelraed, and the whole building
was flooded with a seething mass of human beings.
In a lesser degree this state of things continued
till we reached Aberdeen. Here ray journey finished.
If I reraeraber rightly, Mr. Gladstone went on to
Haddo, Lord Aberdeen's house near by, and the
following week to Braemar, from which place he
sent me a cordial invitation to spend a day with
him at that Highland holiday resort, but I found
it impossible to do so, on account of my official
work at the Trades Congress.
The most Interesting occasion outside the House of
Coraraons at which I was present In connection with
Mr. Gladstone was In July, 1888, when those who
served under him in his late Government and some
few others of his close and raost faithful political
supporters presented hira with his portrait on his
Golden Wedding day. We assembled In one of the
large reception-rooms at the house of Lord Spencer.
A space backed by folding doors opening Into an
adjoining room was roped off, and within this were
seated a few intimate friends. Presently the folding
doors opened, and Lord Granville entered with Mrs.
Gladstone on his arra, he carrying a bridal bouquet,
and she wearing a long veU, said to be the one she
wore on her raarriage day fifty years before. They
were immediately foUowed by Mr. Gladstone in serai-

310 Ibenrs Broabburst
wedding dress, who took his place beside his wife.
When all was ready Earl Granville approached the
aged pair, with that refineraent of raanner for which
he was so justly celebrated, and In a voice full of
feeling and In tones bordering upon reverence he
read a short address of congratulation, and. If ray
raeraory serves rae truly, he raentioned the fact that
he had met Mrs. Gladstone before she knew Mr.
Gladstone. Then, In a kneeling position, he kissed
her hand, bowed, and took his stand behind thera.
Mrs. Gladstone's few words of acknowledgment were
alraost Inaudible by reason of her emotion. Mr.
Gladstone then spoke, shortly referring to his long
friendship with Lord Granville, and with some refer
ences of a touching nature In harmony with the event.
Then the proceedings closed, and we all dispersed.
I have in my time seen raany notable events. I
was in St. Paul's at the Thanksgiving Service on
the recovery of the Prince of Wales ; I have seen
nearly every great demonstration held in London
since 1866, and have taken part in most of theni;
I was at the opening of the Imperial Institute in
May, 1893 ; I was present at the laying of the
foundation stone sorae six years before ; I had a
good position in Westrainster Abbey on the occasion
of the Jubilee Service In 1887 ; I have seen ship
wrecks and gallant rescues. But I have never wit
nessed a scene so rich, so full of pathos, so suggestive
of the higher life, the Ideal co-existence attainable by
poor human nature, as that shown on this occasion

/Iben 3 bave "Known 3"
by the aged couple whose life was so lofty and noble.
Its effect upon one was that of a wedding of two
pure and spotless souls, rather than that of the fiftieth
anniversary of the marriage ceremony. Few In the
room there were who could have articulated clearly
at that moment, had they been called upon to speak ;
a silence as of the grave prevailed among the forty
or fifty privileged persons. Speaking for rayself, I
felt the whole scene so Intensely that I seemed incapable
of speech or thought of anything except the feeling
engendered by the scene just witnessed. If some
master hand had been present to have described It
In adequate language or painted it with a living brush,
the scene In Lord Spencer's house that day would have
lived long In the history of the country.
Of the world-wide day of mourning when we
coraraitted the ashes of our dead leader to the grave
in Westrainster Abbey I shall not atterapt to say
much. It was the culminating hour of weeks of
anguish. We do not know, we cannot tell whether
the spirits of the departed ever know of the streams
of pure love which gush out from the souls of those
who are left behind when a dearly loved one is
coraraitted to the earth. If they do, how must the
soul of William Ewart Gladstone have been uplifted
on the surge of tears shed by those he knew, and by
countless nurabers whose faces he had never seen, but
whose lives had been ennobled by his hallowed life !
My place in the procession was a little in advance
of the coffin. We had waited llngerlngly round the

312 "Ibenrs Broabburst
raortal remains of him we loved, as a broken-hearted
mother clings to her dead first-born. But the order
came, the sections filed past, and we emerged frora
the great doors of Westrainster HaU into a keen and
wintry air. My eye Involuntarily sought the clock-
tower, on whose tall flanks I had worked, chilled to
the bone, nearly thirty years before ; and meraory
recalled one bitter cold, wet day In the winter of
1858-9 when, almost barefoot, I had crossed the Palace
Yard on ray way to the club-house of my union. The
contrast was almost overwhelraing : then unknown and
penniless ; to-day In a place of honour, the sorrowing
colleague of the greatest Englishman of the century.
So we passed on between the solid walls of huraanity,
standing with bared heads In absolute silence.
Within the Abbey ray place was on the north
side of the grave. On my iramediate right was
the late Lord Chief Justice; and on ray left Lord
Justice Rigby. Behind sat the Lord Chancellor, and
as the Duke of York retired frora his post of
pall-bearer he brushed against me. Then the Prince
of Wales, to-day the King of the raightiest Empire
the world has known, advanced in reverence to Mrs.
Gladstone, and before us aU kissed the trembling
hands of the widow of the greatest commoner of our
land. Thus did the first gentleraan of the nation
acknowledge the equality of aU humanity In the
presence of the King of kings.

INDEX

Aberdare, Lord, 63, 155
Adjournment of House of Com
mons, 287
Aegd Poor Commission, 155
Agricultural labourers' demon
stration, 125
AUard, W., 180
Arch, Joseph, 157, 292
Asquith, H. H., 303
Attacks, personal, 218
Avonmouth Docks strike, 44
Bailey, Alfred, 136
Banbury, 12
Beales, Mr., 85
Berlin, Labour Conference at, 161
Birtwistle, Mr., 136, 160, 163
Blacksmith's shop, life in, 5
Boer war, 259
Bradlaugh, Henry, 214
Bramwell, Lord, "j"]
Bright, John, 37, 79, 175, 204, 294
Brighton, 19
Brixton Hill, residence at, 183
Brunner, Sir John, 221
Building trades lock-out, 30
Bulgarian atrocities, 79
Burnett, Mr., 163
Burt, Thomas, 67, 102, 163, 284

Campaign of misrepresentation,
1 59
Carlisle, Earl of, 79
Chamberlain, Joseph, 129, 196,
203
Childers, Mr., 190, 193, 230
Cholera at Oxford, 7
Christ Church College, 8
Churchill, Lord Randolph, 126
Cirencester, 234
Clemenceau, M., 123
Coachman story, 283
CofBn ships, 129
Conspiracy Laws, 61
Co-operative experiment, 47
Crawford, G. M., 122
Crewe reporter's story, 273
Criminal law codification, 73
Crofters, among the, 230
Cromer Golf Club, 1 56
Dale, Dr., 180, 204
Dingwall, 230
Dog story, 284
Dress, evening and court, 107
Dundee, 220
Eastern Question Association,
79

313

314

3nbe£

Eastnor Castle, 283
Elcho, Lord, 170
Elections :
Argyll, 228
Cirencester, 234
Crewe, 181, 259
High Wycombe, 68
Leicester, 256
Nottingham, 172, 199, 239
Rushcliffe, 259
Stafford, 67
Stoke-upon-Trent, 94
Yarmouth, 176
Ellis, John, 259
Employers' and Workmen's Act,
134
Employers' Liability Bills, 72, 103
Exeter Hall, riot at, 81
Factories and Workshops Con
solidating Act, 73
Fair wages and Government con
tracts, 139
Fitters' Union and warships, 139
Foreign labour, 89
Foreman of mason's yard, 6
Fowler, Sir H. H., 87
Front benches, backs of, 301
Gas-stokers' strike, 59
General Elections, 67, loi, 134, 239
German Emperor, 161
German workmen, 89
Girls in forges, no
Gladstone, W. E., 79, 85, 87, 88,
loi, 103, 124, 131, 137, 165,
301, 304, 310
Glammis Castle, 224
Godwin, G, of The Builder, 93
Golf, 170, 235

Grant Duff, Mr., 284
Grant, General, 297
Great Eastern Railway, 56
Greenwich, 64, 301, 302
Hanley, Quarter Sessions at, 105
Harcourt, Sir William V., 63, 135
Hardie, Keir, 219
Harrison, Frederic, 73
Hawarden Castle, 165
Heath, Robert, 94
Herschell, Lord, 216
Holker, Sir John, 103
Holyoake, G. J., 35
Home Affairs, Under-Secretary
for, 187
Home Rule, 185
Housing question, the, 138, 147
Hyde Park railings, 35
Hyde Park, agricultural labourers
in, 125
Imperial Institute, 154
International Congress in Paris,
120
International Labour Conference,
161
Italian workmen, 89
James, Lord, 63, 104, 135, 177
Kenealy, Dr., 94
Labour Elector, The, 218
Labour representation in Parlia
ment, 286
Labour Representation League, 64
Leasehold enfranchisement, 142
Leng, Sir John, 133, 224
Liberal split, 185, 195, 198

3nbej

315

Littlemore, 3
Loadline on merchant ships, 215
London School Board Election,
64
London Society of Compositors,
220
Longport, 98
Lowell, Russell, 298
Macdonald, Alexander, 67
Magistrates, working men as, 137
Maiden speech, my, 103
Mann, Tom, 219
Manning, Cardinal, 299
Marlborough House garden-party,
211
Matthews, Henry, 213
Maxwell, Mr., 118
Merchant Seamen's Wages Act,
105
Militia, kindness of Cheshire, 17
Miners' Regulation Act, 192
Morley, John, 301
Morris, William, 79
Mowbray, Sir John, 8
Mundella, Mr., 71
Nonconformist chapel sites, 145
Norwich, 14, 16, 25, 238
Official perquisites, 205
" Oliver," the, 112
" Oliver," Punch on, 1 14
Oxford, 7, 102
Paris, Congress in, 120
Parliament, my entry into, 102
Parliament, stonework on Houses
of, 29

Parliamentary Committee of
Trades-Union Congress, 41,
78, 106
Patent Laws reform, 108
Payment of Members, 289
Peace, Charles, 194
Peel, Lord, 210
Penal settlements, visitation of,
210
Perth, incident at, 131
Portsmouth, 17, 19
Presentation at Court, 206
Prince of Wales, 126, 147, 148,
149, 154, 155
Property qualification for muni
cipal franchise, 71
Railway carriage incidents, 65,
264
Reform Club, 183, 185
Reform League, 33
Reform League demonstration, 34
Reid, Sir Robert, 143, 145
Relieving stations, trades-union,
21
Returning officers' expenses, 117,
287
Rosebery, Lord, 165, 282
Rotten Row, 127
Royal Commissions, 149, 155, 158,
i6s
Sandringham, visit to, 148
Schnadhorst, Mr., 217
Scotland, campaign in, 167
Scottish minister and Mr. Glad
stone, 131
Seely, Colonel, 172, 199, 240
Shipton, George R., 190

3i6

3nbe$

Silk-weaving, 238
Sims, George R., 146
Spurgeon, Rev. C. H., 297
Stephen, Sir James Fitzjames,
74
Stoke-upon-Trent, 94
Stonemasons' Society, 41, 43
Strikes, 44, 59, 89
Sugar bounties, 159
Superstition, 284
" Three lives " leasehold, 144
Tied house system, 164
Tillett, J. H., 26
Toynbee, Professor, 76
Trade disputes, 31
Trades-Union Congresses, 41, 70,
221, 304
Trafalgar Square riots, 196
Tramp for work, on the, 16
Transit, improvement in, 54
Travelling, rapid, 262

Trevelyan, Sir George, 135, 139.
140
Wages, payment in public-houses,
6, 52
" Wake, London lads ! " 82
Walpole, Mr. Spencer, 35
Wheatley, 8, 11
Wife's tailoring, my, 102
Wilson, J. Havelock, 292
WInterbotham, Arthur, 233
Women's rights and women's
labour, 116
Woodall, William, 94
Woolwich, 65
Working Men's Association, 33
Workmen's condition, improve
ment in, 5 1
Workmen's trains, 57
Yachting in Scotland, 229
Yarmouth, Great, 14

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