Gladstone's Speeches : Descriptive Index and Bibliography. By A. T.
Bassett. (Methuen and Co. 12s. 6d. net.)—Mr. Bassett has compiled an invaluable supplement to Lord Morley's Life of Gladstone,. com- prising an index to his speeches from June 3rd, 1833, to May 4th, 1897, and a bibliography of his writings, which arc far more numerous than we had supposed. His maiden speech in the House was a defence of the management of his father's slave plantation in Demerara ; his last public speech was delivered at Hawarden and dealt with the con- dition of the clergy. The index is briefly annotated and gives the length of each speech. Fourteen of tho most notable orations are reprinted in full, with useful introductions by Mr. Herbert Paul. They Include his attack on Palmerston's foreign policy (1850), his denun- ciation of the Treaty of Berlin (1878), and his famous opening speech in the Midlothian campaign of 1879, expressing a detestation of the Turk which every one now shares. His first Budget speech and his speech introducing the first Home Rule Bill arc of much historic interest ; his closely reasoned argument (of 1863) for the taxation of charities. which failed to convince the House, exhibits Gladstone as a most skilful and ingenious debater. As Lord Bryce says in a preface that is all too concise, the power of Gladstone's oratory cannot he fully appre- ciated in the printed text ; yet the speeches all read well, and will recall to many of us the old man eloquent who charmed three generations with his wonderful gift of oratory, whether they agreed with his policy or not.
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