Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/12

 4] ENGLISH HISTOBY. [,a*.

unrecognised under the act, and consequently the victims had no redress. A desire was also expressed to raise the limit of age for the employment of boys and girls from thirteen to fourteen years. With regard to the former a great diversity of opinion was shown ; but of the employment of girls, even at any age, there was practically unanimous disapproval.

The more active political campaign, preceding the meeting of Parliament, was opened at Brechin by Mr. Morley (Jan. 17), who took this occasion to explain his withdrawal, in company with Sir Wm, Harcourt, from active participation in the policy of the front Opposition bench. His reception by his constituents was sufficiently cordial to show that he had not thereby lost their confidence. There were, he said, cross-currents running in the country, and in the Liberal party, as was not unnatural in the bewildering circumstances of the day. These cross-currents had affected the leaders of the Liberal party, and had compelled Sir Wm. Harcourt to resign, for no man could continue to lead a party when his authority was liable at any juncture to be called in question. Sir Wm. Harcourt had acted, therefore, as Mr. Pitt had acted in 1801, Mr. Gladstone in 1894, and Lord Bosebery two years later. The personal aspects of such acts were always obscure, and on them Mr. Morley threw no light, beyond saying that he agreed with Sir Wm. Harcourt. He himself had not resigned, for he had nothing to resign. He had kept in the background during the past year to avoid having any share in making the cross-currents in question ; and he had decided independently of Sir Wm. Harcourt, but on similar grounds, that he could no longer take an active and responsible part in the formal counsels of the heads of the Liberal party. He would not go about the country praising Mr. Gladstone and at the same time wiping off the slate all the lessons Mr. Glad- stone had taught. The Liberal party, he contended, would only prosper so long as it stuck to its watchwords — peace, economy, and reform. Imperialism meant militarism, and militarism meant vast expenditure — an increase of power in the privileged classes, and outlay for every purpose except the improvement of the taxpayer's home. He objected to the conquest of the Soudan as likely to yield no return ; to the means employed for ejecting France from Fashoda, and to the treatment of the wounded at Omdurman. In conclusion Mr. Morley eloquently denounced the policy of making war for the sake of making money. " I want here to put a question to you. Have you in Scotland made up your minds, once for all, that it is right to kill people because it is good for trade ? You will admit, as a nation with a conscience, that that is a delicate question, an interesting question, and a nice question. If you have not considered it, you should. It was only the other day, in another part of Africa, you were with your famous Maxim guns mowing down swaths of Matabele who had been driven by the plunder of their cattle, by forced labour, and by stupid mismanagement, into what is