§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE) (Edinburgh, Mid Lothian)With the indulgence of the House, Sir, I wish to say a very few words which, I think, may serve the purpose of giving expression, not merely to my own feeling, but to the general, if not universal, feeling of the House—a feeling of deep concern and regret at the loss we sustained yesterday 976 through the removal by the hand of death of one of our most distinguished Members. Mr. Forster, Sir, was a man worthy to be remembered, both for his public acts and for his personal character. As regards his public acts, undoubtedly he earned for himself a high place among the legislators of this country by the able and successful manner in which, 15 years ago, he carried through this House two measures of very great importance and very great complexity—one of them the Act relating to Education, the other the Act for the establishment of Secret Voting. Perhaps, Sir, in his personal character he had something more original and even more interesting than in his legislative acts. He was a man upon whom there could be no doubt that Nature had laid her hand for the purpose of forming a thoroughly genuine and independent character. It was, indeed, our fate, who had been his Colleagues and had been responsible during years for his acts, to differ from him on more than one important subject after he had ceased to hold Office in the Government of 1880. Whatever those differences were, they never produced in our minds, more than they produced in the minds of the public, the smallest question as to the high integrity of the motives by which Mr. Forster was actuated, and the loftiness of the aims which governed his whole public life. It has been well remarked that although he had ceased to be in direct connection with the Society of Friends, he continued to retain throughout his life that strong and hearty love of freedom and that wakeful philanthropy which all along have been, perhaps, the most marked characteristics of that Religious Society. Sir, it is unquestionable that the late Mr. Forster was a man who never deviated from the straight path he had marked out for himself—a man of unflinching courage, although a lover of peace—a man profoundly attached to the greatness and welfare of his country, and acutely sensible of whatever appertained to its honour—a man who, when he took Office in connection with the Irish Department, although circumstances were not, in all points, favourable to the realization of his desires, undoubtedly did so in a spirit of self-sacrifice and in a spirit of genuine philanthropy, addressed in particular to the case of Ireland—a 977 man, Sir, as to whom, when we consider him all in all, for his abilities and for his moral aims, we cannot form a better wish, for our country or for the House, than that the country may continue to produce many such men, and that many such men may from time to time be elected to sit upon the Benches of the British House of Commons.
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS - BEACH (Bristol, W.)After the eloquent tribute which has been paid by the right hon. Gentleman to the distinguished Member of this House whom we have so lately lost, it is unnecessary for me to say anything more than that I am confident that every Member who sits upon this side of the House cordially sympathizes with those words which have fallen from the right hon. Gentleman—that we feel that we have lost in the late Mr. Forster a man of high courage, of great ability, and of sincere devotion to the interests of his country.
§ The House suspended its Sitting at Seven of the clock.
§ The House resumed its Sitting at Nine of the clock.
§ Notice taken, that 40 Members were not present; House counted, and 40 Members not being present,
§ House adjourned at five minutes after Nine o'clock.