ndemnatory of the Lords, and yet speaking in defence
of their conduct. Gladstone most earnestly and eloquently
condemning them, and declaring that action and not resolutions
became the House of Commons, and that though he agreed to the
language and spirit of the resolutions, if action were proposed he
would support the proposal, and taunted the conservatives with
silently abetting "a gigantic innovation on the constitution."
Loudly and tempestuously cheered by the radicals, and no one else.
Yet he was the true conservative at this moment. But ought he to
have spoken this as chancellor of the exchequer, and from the
treasury bench, after the first lord of the treasury had spoken in
almost totally opposite sense? The answer may be that it was a
House of Commons, and not a government question. I fear he is very
unwell, and I greatly fear killing himself. 17.--"I have lived," he
said, speaking of the debate on the Lords and the paper duty, "to
hear a radical read a long passage from Mr. Burke amid the jeers
and scoffs of the so-called conservatives."

The struggle still went on:--

_July 20._--H. of C. Lost my Savings Bank Monies bill; my _first_
defeat in a measure of finance in the H. of C. This ought to be
very good for me; and I earnestly wish to make it so.

_Aug. 6._--H. of C. Spoke 1-1/2 hour on the Paper duty; a favourable
House. Voted in 266-233. A most kind and indeed notable reception
afterwards.

_Aug. 7._--This was a day of congratulations from many kind M.P.'s.

The occasion of the notable reception was the moving of his resolutions
reducing the customs duty on imported paper to the level of the excise
duty. This proceeding was made necessary by the treaty, and was taken to
be, as Mr. Gladstone intended that it should be, a clear indication of
further determination to abolish customs duty and excise duty alike. The
first resolution was carried by 33, and when he rose to move the second
the cheering from the liberal benches kept him standing for four or five
minutes--cheering intended to be heard the whole length of the corridor
that led to another place.(25)

(M10) The great result, as Greville says in a sentence that always amused
the chief person concerned, is "to give some life to half-dead,
broken-down, and tempest-tossed Gladstone." In this rather tame fashion
the battle ended for the session, but the b