g the conditions
required for his operation on the income-tax he names economic estimates.
In this quarter, he tells us, grave difficulties arose:--

No trustworthy account of the dissolution of parliament which took
place early in 1874 has ever been published. When I proposed the
dissolution to the cabinet, they acceded to it without opposition,
or, I think, even discussion. The actual occasion of the measure
was known, I think, only to Lord Granville and Lord Cardwell with
myself, it having a sufficient warrant from other sources.

In 1871, the year of the abolition of purchase and other important
army reforms, I had, in full understanding with Cardwell, made a
lengthened speech, in which I referred to the immediate
augmentations of military expenditure which the reforms demanded,
but held out to the House of Commons the prospect of compensating
abatements at early dates through the operation of the new system
of relying considerably upon reserves for imperial defence.

When Cardwell laid before me at the proper time, in view of the
approaching session, his proposed estimates for 1874-5, I was
strongly of opinion that the time had arrived for our furnishing
by a very moderate reduction of expenditure on the army, some
earnest of the reality of the promise made in 1871 which had been
so efficacious in procuring the enlargement that we had then
required. Cardwell, though not an extravagant minister, objected
to my demand of (I think) L200,000. I conferred with Granville,
who, without any direct knowledge of the subject, took my side,
and thought Cardwell would give way. But he continued to resist;
and, viewing the age of the parliament, I was thus driven to the
idea of dissolution, for I regarded the matter as virtually
involving the whole question of the value of our promises, an
anticipation which has proved to be correct. Cardwell entered
readily into the plan of dissolving, and moreover thought that if
my views carried the day with the constituencies, this would
enable him to comply.

The papers in my hands confirm Mr. Gladstone's recollection on this part
of the transaction, except that Mr. Goschen, then at the head of the
admiralty, was to some extent in the same position as Mr. Cardwell. The
prime minister was in active controversy with both the great spending
departments, and with littl