20 DECEMBER 1873, Page 8

MR. WINTERBOTHAM AND LORD MORLEY.

THE sudden and premature death of Mr. Winterbotham leaves a greater gap in Parliamentary life and in the Minis- terial phalanx than the public would be apt to imagine. He was in more than one way and in a v-ery high degree a repre- sentative man. That phrase has been used and misused since

Emerson made it popular until it has become a little conven- tional or even ridiculous, but it is a strictly true, and therefore simple, description of Mr. Winterbotham's position. He was not a great statesman, and probably never would have become one, though he might have been a most successful Minister, but he was an admirable example of a class of men who will henceforward claim a much larger share in the business of Government than they have hitherto done. Essentially a man of the middle-class, with middle-class ways and tone, he had in him all the strength of that class—its energy, direct- ness, and audacity—and the power to make that strength — manifest both to Parliament and his superiors, who, it should not be forgotten, offered him the legal member- ship of the Indian Council, a post held by many men occupying far larger space than himself in the public eye. He was almost the only man in the Reformed Parlia- ment who, without the slightest aid from connection, or fortune, or personal favour, had forced himself into office at the age of thirty-three, and whose appointment distinctly gratified a very considerable section of the electorate. His speech on education was, perhaps, the most lucid exposition, of the real grievance of all Nonconformists, the social ascendancy of the Church and the harshness with which it is occa- sionally maintained, ever heard in Parliament ; and it was a positive consolation to the entire body to hear that a Dis- senter so resolute and so representative not only of their usual views, but of their esoteric grievance, should become a member of the Administration. No Nonconformist wanted his views better stated than they were sure to be set forth by Mr. Winterbotham. The speech gave Mr. Winterbotham a secure seat for Stroud, while his conduct in office, webelieve—his power of giving a somewhat hard, but weighty, opinion, and defending it afterwards in his place—made him decidedly acceptable to his chiefs. We have seldom been able to agree with him, and doubt if he ever quite did himself justice politically outside Parliament, but his premature death is a definite loss both to his party and his country. A little more time, a little less sensitiveness about questions of Church and State, in short, a little more mellowness, and Mr. Winterbotham might have developed into a Cabinet Minister, forming an invaluable link between a large and determined section of the people and the majority. That he would have been a good administrator is certain, and he might have grown into more than that,—a frank and decided, but practical exponent of the views of the English Ecclesiastical Left.

We question if his place can be filled just now, for the difficulty of finding a Nonconformist of the same calibre, and equally ready to accept subordinate offices, is almost insuper- able. The aristocracy and the very rich, who alone enter Parliament young, cannot fulfil the function, and the wealthy Dissenters who do get elected are almost always far past the age for thorough political training. The subordinate offices are not very attractive to men over forty. Unless the Under- Secretary happens to represent his department, and sometimes even then, he is expected to work as hard as he would in a profession, to form decided opinions which may be instantly suppressed by his superior, to stand loyally by:a chief he may not like, to defend a policy he may not approve, and of late years to be as silent as is compatible with having a voice in Parliament at all. We hear of the Under-Secretaries out- side—of Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen, for example, we hear sufficient—but their appearances in the great debates are few and far between, while even on matters of their own depart- ments they are usually as dry and sttooinct as obituaries. Lord Morley, who really succeeds Mr. Winterbotham, though he exchanges with Mr. Hibbert as to the partionlar office, may bear all that easily, because he has only to satisfy his political chiefs, has nothing to hope and little to fear from the public, and therefore need not care about silence ; but to the young member of the House of Commons who has shown power enough to be selected for "business," the necessity of self-effacement is a most annoying draw- back to his triumph. There is no sound reason to urge against the practice, except that it works the Premier and his Adlatus in the leadership of the House almost to death,`for Administration requires an apprenticeship, like everything else, but thea the apprenticeship should, as in every other case, begin at a younger age. Manure not children at thirty, as constituencies seem. to think, or boys, at forty, as Cabinet Ministers obviously believe. Experience is not the first quality of an Under-Secretary, so far as the national interest is con-

oesheelbitt inexperienti, hpWever annoyingfhetaefect may make him te his-official chief. Thepublic men iireo-daIoad'ed as they_ are. with work, nattirally, dislike the great -duty of train- ing.successors ; and thiadwets on the constituencies till, for that and other ,,r easonaosrpg,imen of any class outside the aristocracy or the veryovsalthY have absolutely no chance of entrance into PArliepsentond;consequently into office. This is conspicuously true of the extreme Left, and will result one day, should they ever obtain power, in their finding them- selves in a. position such as the Liberals of Prussia occupied a few. years •ago,—that they coeld, as far ai mere votes went,. resist or ,earry any measure, but were absolutely without the means of forog. a, government which Could do the daily work. It.is anu_fanit of the Government, except in their negligence in„edunating, for they are obviously ready to utilise men, like Mr. ;Winterbothain ; but they do not curiae, at least in anfficient strength; and the Ministry, which must judge rapidly, falls back on the Peer or Peerling, who is there quite ready,.quites effective, and entirely indifferent to any elmstitu- eney's opinion. In administrative work the State suffers no in jury. The EarI of ;AiorIey will make just as good an Under- Secretary as his?,priskqessor, it may be, for he has given some signs of strength,t--7tayetn. better, but middle-clasi government cannot he lohiltIniadtp.„-;:lf the aristocrats are to be always indispenaablek gigyAnwiat, whatever the electorate may be, orJwitateverasjay,kiits wishes, will be aristocratic also ; in other moxds, *gill,* a Government as little representa- tive of the people:as ajopular electoral system Will allow. Weisotwthe diffinnity indicated in the succession of Lord More-Itt kyair. Wintgabo-tham the more carefully, because we

helieveyait a false 4%4 reference to Office pervades the .Raditaliparty i lost eveiy country in the world. The

" notion :ambit iskotte main function of an electorate to elect the : men who are. .to administer, and not merely to criticise administration, has never got fairly into their heads. Not twenty years ago it was a custom to administer 'a sort of oath to a Radical candidate that he would "never take office, never desert the people "—that is, never attempt to carry its will into action—and althonAh ,Ithat practice has been abandoned, the feeling whickilIckattei/b.lt,,still lingers, and the man selected for training alwaya.paigrawhiS first Speech to his constittlenti in an apologetic torte.4 54y -should he apologise for doing them service, and joining the team which has to pull the coach they. send their, order* by ; or, to take the other and better view, fer, jotning the officers who have both to lead and discipline ,the? , The answer always is that a Radical who takes ,eirice oglyfays ceases to be a Radical ; that-he be- comes firetr 0.14414(*e Conservative, and then almost Tory; that he is much morelindul while 06491:Sing than governing, and that he is wanted to„bully the Govehinient and not to be a member of 1t.:., iNe,ependent criticism is valuable, though it6.418,,ngjt; ejlnrays from the mouths of the very yonng that itcin la* Axpected ; but not to Mention that office :adds tAberfitopinita actical experience, there 'follows a result freatso*# 0c less, which Radioa3, how- ever .extreme, notoap oyeh jut which they alVitdrget, and that is admici4ifikirce Fey. A party whial it never

ready for.power,,ksia,

AticpeeffilitR, compelled to executed iv eke

mote but

usually more,thanekaanAbsK it,ob is"g, are alyiNVerking through unwillipolagatitiPli M.ga8, At were, Qualkers draw up military eodea, .tctrog s prepare restrictive 'licensing laws, or Bishops .gg 1.1 for equality in burial rites,

always putting ariatpic itE/{y out the destruction of game, Master and man art IA? ines are rigidly assessed.

,nyi g,illiugly together. The and Millionaires %Age, atior mall may be .14444rflePg. Fthen he was bred in other ideas, and sLightlidleampeidais. niftster, and is always think- ing of resignation,44%npark, will ntotloe done very thoroughly; or the progress4euyewripid, or the master very cordially content. ti erl eau&

fr-f