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ROBERT LOWE, VISCOUNT SHERBROOKE.

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ROBERT LOWE, VISCOUNT SHERBROOKE. The death of Lord Sherhrooke. which took place last week, removes from the scene another of the prominent actors in the political struggles of a quarter of a century ago. Mr. Gladstone and Lord Salisbury are still with us. the former displaying all the vigour of his younger days; but Lord Beaconsfield, Lord Russell. Mr. Bright, and Mr. Forster have all gone over to the majority. Since his elevation to the peerage, in 1880, Lord Sher- brooke had taken, practically, no part in politics, his declining years being spent in retirement. chiefly at his house in the country. He only spoke once in the House of Lords. Robert Lowe was the son of the Rev, Robert Lowe, rector of Bingham, Notts., and was born in 1811. He was educated at Winchester and Univer- sity College, Oxford, and took his degree in 1833, with first class honours in classics and second class in mathematics. Two years afterwards he was elected to a fellowship at Magdalen. For some years he remained at Oxford as a private tutor, tin which capacity he was held in very high estimation. In 1842 he was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn, and the same year went out to New South Wales where he soon obtained a large practice at the Bar. In the following year he became a member of the Legis- lative Council, and from that tifce until 185U took a prominent part in the poliflbs of the colony, greatly distinguishing himself by his labours in connection with the education and land questions and legal reforms. In 1850 he returned to Eng- land, and in 1852 was elected M.P. for Kidder- minster. His ability soon obtained recognition, for at the end of the same year he was appointed one of the Joint Secretaries of the Board of Control. In 1855 he exchanged his seat at Kidder- minster for one at Calne, and was included in the Ministry of that year as Vice-President of the Board of Trade. On Lord Palmerston's accession to office in 1859 he was appointed Vice-President of the Committee of the Council of Education. It was while holding this office that he L-ecamc the object of a violent personal attack by Lord Robert Cecil (now Lord Salisbury), who charged him with mutilating certain reports by excluding statements and opinions adverse to the educational views entertained by the members of the Committee of the Council, and moved a vote of censure. Through the indifference of Ministers the vote was carried, and Lowe resigned. But a committee of enquiry entirely exonerated him from blame, and exposed the groundlessness of the charge. The vote was subsequently rescinded. It was, however, during the debates on the reform of the presentation in 1886-7 that Lowe established his position as a debater of the first rank. He then came forward as the fierce and uncompromising opponent of the extension of the franchise, and astonished the House by the vehe- mence and force of his eloquence. A section of the Liberals, led by Mr. Horsman and himself, voted against the earlier Bill, and caused the re- signation of the Government. It was on this occasion that John Bright described them as re- tiring into what might be called their political Cave of Adullam and inviting thither everyone who was in distress and who was discontented. The name stuck, and the Liberal dissentients were thenceforth known as The Cave" or Adullamites." Mr. Lowe's speech against the second reading was perhaps his finest effort in Parliament. It contained this famous passage Surely the heroic work of so many centuries, the matchless achievements of so many wise heads and strong hands, deserve a nobler consummation than to be sacrificed to revolutionary passion, or to the maudlin enthusiasm of humanity. But if we do fall we shall fall deservedly. Unconstrained by any external force, not beaten down by any intestine calamity, in the plethora of wealth and the surfeit of our too exuberant prosperity, we are about, with our own rash and unconstrained hands, to pluck down on our own heads the venerable temple of our liberty and our laws. History may record other catastrophes as signal and as disastrous, but none more wanton and more disgraceful." Ir 1868, on the formation of Mr. Gladstone's Government, he became Chancellor of the Ex- chequer. He was not very successful in this office owing chiefly to his want of popularity, for he was certainly not deficient in financial ability. The storm he provoked by his proposal to tax lucifer matches is still present to the memory of most people. In 1873, on the remodelling of Mr. Glad- stone's Government, he was transferred to the Home Office, Mr. Gladstone himself taking the control of the Exchequer. He did not, however, hold this office long, as the elections of 1874 went against the Government, and they resigned. On Mr. Gladstone's return to power in 1880 Mr. Lowe was not included in the ministerial arrange- ments, but was raised to the peerage. Since tnat time, as we have already stated, he has lived in retirement. Awkward in manner, with a poor- voice and defective, sight, Robert Lowe had everything against him as a public speaker, but in spite of these obstacles he achieved a great reputation. His speeches were distinguished by close argument and felicitous illustration, but as shown in the debates on Reform he could be vehement and declamatory on occasion. His most characteristic traits were his obstinacy and pugnacity. In connection with his disposition to quarrel with those with whom he came in contact we may quote the mock epitaph written by an unfriendly wag some years ago Here lie the bones of Robert Lowe— Where he's gone to I don't know- If to the realms of peace and love, Farewell to happiness above If, haply, to some lower level, We can't congratulate the Devil. Although regarded from a party standpoint he was not orthodox in all his political opinions, his views on most questions were just and compre- hensive. and his name will ever find a place on the roll of English and Colonial statesmen.

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