Then Mr. Gladstone went on to the question of Disestab-
lishment as regards Scotland. He reminded his audience that if that were made a test-question, it must have the same disastrous effect on the questions really before the electorate, for suitable candidates, fully prepared to give hearty sup- port to all the Liberal measures proposed, would necessarily be rejected only because they did not happen to agree with the constituency on a question still unripe for treatment. More- over, he reminded his audience that the very first result of making the Scotch Disestablishment Question a main issue of the General Election must be that the foes of Disestablish- ment in England would rush to the polls to support the interests of the Church of Scotland, in order that they might throw their weight into the scales against Disestablishment of any kind. Moreover, he did not think the Scotch people had at all made up their minds on this matter. As a mere straw which showed which way the wind may be blowing, he mentioned that at one of the Scotch stations on his journey, a man had called out to him, "Never mind about Disestab- lishment ;" whereupon a friend of Disestablishment called for three cheers for Disestablishment, without the least response. But when another man called for three cheers for the Liberal Party, the crowd gave rapturous acclamations of assent. Mr. Gladstone declined to vote for Dr. Cameron's abstract resolution in favour of Disestablishment, as he had always declined to vote in favour of abstract resolutions which he did not see his way to embody in practical legislation, and he could not accept the vote which might be given on that resolution as a sufficient test of the convictions and wishes of the Scotch people. Finally, he made one more eloquent appeal to the Liberals to secure a unity of action, so all-important to the work they had before them.
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