On the division only 58 Members were found willing to
vote for Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman's Motion, while 167 voted against it,—a majority of 109. Sir Henry Campbell- Bannerman's extraordinary speech, and still more extra- ordinary vote, made an extremely bad impression in the House, and it is not too much to say that he undid in twenty minutes all the good he had done to his party by his previous sound leading and sensible speaking. What men want in a leader is straight walking, and not concessions first to the right-hand and then to the left-hand aide of the road. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman:a attempt to swing first one way and then the other, and so to please both sides, of course merely annoyed the two wings of his party. His speech, in fact, makes one think of what Junius said of the Duke of Grafton: "Is this the wisdom of a great statesman or the ominous oscillation of a pendulum ?"
Previous page
