Page images
PDF
EPUB

of those institutions, and therefore could not be complied with. Speaking at Shoreditch on the day following, however, Dr. Macnamara pointed out that, for the twenty-six Church colleges built between 1842 and 1872, the cost of building was 293,160., of which the State had provided 97,4751.; and that trust funds at the present time supplied less than 5 per cent. of the cost of maintenance. The colleges, therefore, should alter their trust deeds rather than the State its policy.

It may be added that the Headmasters' Conference on December 21 condemned Mr. McKenna's new regulations respecting grants to secondary schools as tending to impose on those institutions an undesirable uniformity.

Most progress of all, however, was made in organising the new Territorial Army, after its inauguration at Buckingham Palace by the King (Oct. 26, p. 235). On November 12 Mr. Haldane and Sir A. Keogh, the Director-General of the Army Medical Service, had met a number of London medical men at the Royal College of Physicians, to prepare to organise the Territorial Medical Service. Sir A. Keogh sketched the medical needs of the Territorial Army, as comprising a medical officer in each district, a sanitary officer in each divisional area, four general hospitals in London, and twenty-three in the country, with 520 beds each. On November 18 it was further announced that the King had commanded that no one should in future be made a deputy-lieutenant unless he had served for ten years either in the forces or in connection with a County Territorial Army Association; and on the same day the War Office published the designations of the new districts and commands and the names of the district commanders. After this the work proceeded apace. Misgivings were expressed by some of its critics-for example, by Sir Charles Dilke, at Fulham, on December 1, who feared that it was too rigid and might discourage Volunteers from coming under it; but he advised his hearers to make the best of it, and it had been taken up with zeal. Mr. Haldane, though it has been possible to notice only a few of his speeches, was indefatigable during the autumn in explaining its principles throughout the country at Volunteer prizegivings and on other occasions; Lord Lucas of Crudwell was charged with the instruction of county associations in its administrative details; and, while its author pointed out that much time would be required to work it out completely, the preliminary steps followed in quick succession. On December 21, Mr. Haldane was able to announce at Edinburgh that on the previous day the King had assented to the "biggest Army Order" of recent years. Till the end of the summer the Militia would remain as it was, but recruiting would be for the Special Reserve, which would be in full being by August. Behind the fighting line system there would be a machinery which Mr. Cardwell had dreamt of, but had not had the opportunity of accomplishing. They were within measurable distance of work

ing out the organisation of the entire force without political heart-burning or recrimination, and when it was done, the Army would be as efficient as the Navy had been. They desired the Army and Navy to work together as under Elizabeth, Cromwell, and the elder and younger Pitt. On the previous day General Sir John French had eulogised Mr. Haldane, and dwelt on the grandeur of a nation voluntarily in arms.

The Army Order referred to by Mr. Haldane indicated that the Royal Garrison Artillery Militia, except certain Irish corps, would be converted into Royal Reserve Artillery, the two battalions of Royal Engineer Militia into Reserve siege and railway companies; the Royal Army Medical Corps Militia would be disbanded. Recruiting would cease for the Militia and begin for the Special Reserve on January 1, 1908. A statement in The Times of December 26 gave the available Volunteer material as 190,000 men, to form fourteen divisions of 12,000 men each of the new territorial force. These were, however, so distributed as to be superabundant in some districts, e.g., in Scotland, Lancashire and Wales, and deficient in others, notably London, Northumbria and the West Riding of Yorkshire.

At the end of the year the Unionist party seemed likely to receive a valuable if independent recruit in the House of Lords. Lord Curzon of Kedleston had recently devoted himself with characteristic energy and thoroughness to his duties as Chancellor of the University of Oxford, and his public utterances, especially his Romanes Lecture on Frontiers at Oxford (Nov. 2), and his presidential address, vindicating "true Imperialism," at the Birmingham and Midland Institute (Dec. 11), had exhibited him as a statesman as well as a political philosopher. He had preferred an Irish peerage in 1898, in the hope of returning eventually to the House of Commons; but his health would have precluded this step, even had he not been suspected of Free Trade views; and on December 27 it was announced that as the Prime Minister had refused him an English peerage, he would stand for the vacancy caused by the death of Lord Kilmaine among the Irish representative Peers. His candidature was endorsed by the Marquess of Londonderry and the Duke of Abercorn, but he was only an Irish peer by a kind of fiction, and he must eventually succeed to his father's Barony of Scarsdale. He was, however, elected on January 20.

That the Unionist party needed able recruits there could be no doubt. The outlook as the year closed was obscure; but the stability of the Government seemed to be threatened by the growth of the Labour party and the disappointment among advanced Liberals rather than by the energy of the Opposition. The Unionist leaders were ineffectively supported, and the fiscal breach had not been healed. The Government had scored unexpected successes in India, in foreign policy, and in reconciling Capital and Labour; Mr. Haldane's Army scheme, though looked on askance by Liberal and Labour extremists, had made

good progress towards realisation. But the great issues of the coming session were to be Licensing, Land Reform, Education, and the Lords' Veto; and on these public opinion had as yet given no clear sign.

CHAPTER VI.

SCOTLAND AND IRELAND.

I. SCOTLAND.

THOUGH Scottish issues formed so large a part of Parliamentary politics during 1907, the trend of popular feeling was still obscure at its close. Considerable opposition was manifested from the first by landlords and large farmers to the Small Landholders (Scotland) Bill, and the fear that the Land Valuation Bill might lead to the taxation of feu duties, though set at rest by the Prime Minister's reply to a deputation on June 28 (p. 185), had alarmed large classes of investors. The autumn campaign against the Lords was opened by the Prime Minister at Edinburgh on October 5 (p. 238), and his appeal, according to a statement of the secretaries of the Scottish Liberal Association, published in January, was endorsed by some seven hundred Liberal meetings in various parts of Scotland. On the Opposition side Lord Lansdowne, Mr. Long, Mr. Bonar Law and other leaders worked hard to rouse and rally the Unionist forces, but without much visible popular response. The Land Bill was strongly favoured in the Highlands, but little was heard of the feeling of the class in the Lowlands whom it was intended to benefit, and the attitude of the large farmers was indicated by Lord Carrington's refusal, made known September 25, to attend the conference of the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture on the ground that politics could not be avoided. The fear of Socialism among both parties (ANNUAL REGISTER, 1906, p. 215) found expression at the Glasgow municipal elections in November in a severe Socialist defeat. The prospect of devolution in Ireland occasioned the formation of an association with similar aims for Scotland early in the year. Such hopes had been encouraged by the Lord Advocate at Edinburgh on January 9, and were partly satisfied by the institution of a Scottish Grand Committee (p. 68). Among the Unionists the fiscal schism, especially in Glasgow, was even more acute than in England.

The division of property between the Free Churches by Lord Elgin's Commission was considerably advanced by the issue of a Memorandum (July 26) supplementing that published nine months before (ANNUAL REGISTER, 1906, p. 256). Of the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund and the Retired Professors' Fund the Committee, after taking actuarial advice, allotted 35,000l. to the Free Church. For the support of ministers, for

itinerant preachers, and for general administration, the Free Church was to receive 250,000l., 40,000l. being designated for the last-named purpose. This 250,000l. was taken from the Sustentation, Home Missions, and Highlands and Islands Funds, and from other "moneys regarded as applicable," chiefly legacies since 1900 and special funds. From the various foreign and colonial mission funds the Free Church was to receive 25,000l. Congregational Sustentation and Endowment Funds would as a rule follow the allocation of the congregational property. Some minor questions were still outstanding. The total funds, subject to the addition of certain legacies, were stated by the Scottish Secretary in a reply to Mr. Esslemont in the House of Commons, on August 8, as 1,618,000l. The general results of the distribution were stated as follows by a correspondent of the Manchester Guardian on July 30. The "Wee Frees" received some 310,000l. besides the costs of the great lawsuit decided in 1904 and other sums previously paid them, so that their total receipts might amount to about 500,0001. The balances remaining to the United Free Church after the division would be: Aged Ministers', 141,7951.; Sustentation, 66,7187.; Home Missions, 15,4751.; Foreign Missions, 159,6217. Of churches, the Free Church received about 120, the United Free Church about 900, and 38 were allotted jointly. The treatment of the "Wee Frees" appeared very liberal.

One reason for the split had been the rejection in a somewhat qualified form by the United Free Church of the doctrine. of predestination as contained in the Westminster Confession (ANNUAL REGISTER, 1904, p. 236); but the Established Church itself was now contemplating a modification of the terms of subscription to that Confession, though the formula devised by the General Assembly (May 23) had not found favour among the presbyteries. A memorial, praying for religious equality, was sent to the Prime Minister by the Disestablishment Committee in May; but, in spite of the House of Commons' resolution, condemning compulsory assessments for the repair of ecclesiastical edifices (Feb. 26, p. 39), their demand seemed no nearer accomplishment at the end of the year.

An excellent start was made in the organisation of the Territorial Army, to which was committed the chief share in the defence of the new naval base at Rosyth (p. 256). A Scottish Education Bill, crowded out of the Ministerial programme in 1907, as in 1906, was promised for 1908 by the Scottish Secretary at Edinburgh on November 30. The inordinate length of the summer vacation was curtailed at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow by the adoption of a third term. An active agitation for the endowment of a University Professorship of Scottish history and historical literature exhibited nationalism in a nonpolitical form, and was accompanied by a curious movement, to which The Times devoted a special article, in favour of the cultivation and purification of the "vernacular" or Lowland

Scottish tongue. This was the counterpart in the Lowlands of the Gaelic revival in the Highlands, which found expression and stimulus in the meeting of the Pan-Celtic Congress at Edinburgh (Sept. 24). Two matters connected with Scottish antiquities also claim notice; the successful preservation of the Auld Brig of Ayr (ANNUAL REGISTER, 1906, p. 256), and the unsuccessful efforts to induce the trustees of the will of the Earl of Leven and Melville, who died in 1906, to use his bequest for the restoration of the Chapel of Holyrood, which would probably have involved the destruction of much ancient work.

The distinguished visitors of the year included the Prince and Princess of Wales, who were at Edinburgh on July 10-11, laying the foundation-stone of the new School of Art; the Premiers of Australia, Cape Colony, the Transvaal and New Zealand, who received the freedom of the City of Edinburgh on May 10, and Prince Fushimi. The freedom of no less than four towns-Edinburgh, Glasgow, Montrose and Peebles-was conferred on the Prime Minister, who was welcomed at Edinburgh by Lord Rosebery. The year was the bicentenary of the Union; but there was no formal celebration, though various speakers, notably the Prime Minister, the Earl of Rosebery, and the Lord Chancellor, took occasion to refer to the benefits received by Scotland.

During the sittings of the Royal Commission on Canals and Waterways something was said of a proposed ship canal to connect the Forth and Clyde, probably by way of Grangemouth, Loch Lomond and Loch Long. Suggestions were also made for reconstructing the Crinan Canal and for adapting the Caledonian Canal for use by large ocean-going steamers, a project which was regarded as likely to set up manufactures in the Highlands. A working agreement between the Caledonian and North British Railways, pooling competitive traffic until 1927, was signed late in December, but its details were not disclosed.

The bad weather caused heavy losses, the depreciation of crops during the harvest period being alone estimated to involve a loss of 2,000,000l., but the farmers were partly compensated by considerable abatements of rent. A partial shortage of the root crops was also injurious to the grazing interest. Industrially, however, the year was one of great prosperity. The coal trade was excellent; so was the steel and iron trade for the first nine months, but afterwards the crisis in America gave it a serious check. The textile trades, both in linen and woollen goods, were also thriving. The output of tonnage on the Clyde was 619,919 tons against 598,841 tons-the highest figure previously attained-in 1906. The ships built included three large Allan liners, two large turbine steamers for a new British service between Marseilles and Egypt, two turbine cruisers, two cross-channel turbine steamers, and a new turbine yacht for the King. The Forth yards also showed an increased output

« PreviousContinue »