Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 2.djvu/226

 liberal conference at Sheffield, and after the meeting they informed Gladstone of the delegates' opinion that the continuation of Parnell's leadership of the nationalists would be disastrous to home rule. Harcourt discussed the point with Gladstone, Mr. Arnold Morley, Mr. John Morley,and Lord Granville at Lord Rondel's house in London on 24 Nov. 1890. In the result Gladstone repudiated Parnell as leader of the Irish party. A split among the nationalists followed, and the Hberal position in the House of Commons was weakened.

During the session of 1891 Gladstone's health often kept him away from the house, and Harcourt filled his place as leader of the opposition. Speaking in different parts of the country, he urged legislation in the interest of the agricultural labourer, the compulsory purchase of land for small holdings, local power to restrict the sale of liquor, declaring that home rule itself was insufficient to bring the liberals back to office. Home rule, disestablishment of the church in Wales, local control of liquor traffic, electoral reform, payment of members of parliament, the establishment of district councils, and the ending or mending of the House of Lords formed the Newcastle programme of the party which was formulated by the National Liberal Federation at Newcastle on 2 Oct. 1891, when Gladstone gave it his benediction. At Glasgow in October Harcourt championed with vigour the pronouncement which governed the policy of the party for the next four years. He was indefatigable in pressing the programme on the notice of the country, addressing upon it twenty-two public meetings next year. In the House of Commons he was not less active. In the session of 1892 he strenuously opposed Mr. Balfour's Irish local government bill, which passed its second reading on 24 May and was shortly afterwards withdrawn.

From the beginning of the year till after the dissolution of parliament on 29 June 1892, Harcourt sought to heal differences within the party and held several conferences at his private house with members of the extreme radical wing. At the end of June parliament dissolved, and at the ensuing general election 355 liberals and nationalists were returned, and 315 conservatives and liberal-unionists, thus giving a majority of 40 pledged to home rule. To Harcourt's efforts the result was largely due, but though returned at the head of the poll in his own constituency, it was by a considerably reduced majority. On 16 Aug. Gladstone again became prime minister with Harcourt as chancellor of the exchequer. Parliament met on 31 Jan. 1893, and the government's programme embraced not only home rule but bills for regulating a local veto, employers' liability, and local government. Gladstone's age and infirmities devolved on Harcourt, his lieutenant, a large share of the work of leading the house. Besides his budget, he took charge of the local veto bill, which provided that, on the demand of one-tenth of the municipal voters in any borough or ward, a vote might be taken which, by a majority of two-thirds of those actually voting, could extinguish every public-house licence in that area for a period of three years. The measure awoke bitter opposition, and was abandoned, to be reintroduced early in 1895. Harcourt's budget, which he introduced on 24 April, avoided surprises for lack of time. A deficit of 1,574,000l. was met by raising the income tax from 6d. to 1d. The session was mainly occupied by the home rule bill, which passed the third reading in the House of Commons on 1 Sept. by a majority of 34 and was rejected by the House of Lords on 8 Sept. by 419 against 41. The bill was thereupon for the time reluctantly dropped by the government. During the following autumn session Harcourt was prominent in the debates on the parish councils bill, which carried the session on to 10 Jan. 1894. At the beginning of Feb. the House of Lords amended the parish councils bill and greatly altered its powers. Harcourt, speaking at the annual conference of the National Liberal Federation at Portsmouth on 14 Feb., strongly denounced the action of the upper house, which he described as 'the champion of all abuses and the enemy of all reform.' On 1 March Gladstone made his last speech in the House of Commons, and on the same day attended his last cabinet council. Harcourt spoke a few words of 'acknowledgement and farewell,' of which Gladstone wrote to the Queen that they were 'undeservedly' kind. Two days later parliament was prorogued, and on the same day Gladstone resigned. The Queen on her own responsibility, and without consulting Gladstone, sent for Lord Rosebery, secretary for foreign affairs, and he consented to form a ministry.

The choice was a disappointment to Harcourt. He had well earned the reversion of the premiership. Entering public life when Lord Rosebery was at Eton, he had borne the brunt of a long stem fight and had acquired a wide experience of parliamentary ways. Since 1885 he had