A History of Our Own Times (Volume 6); From the Accession of Queen Victoria to the General Election of 1880 Paperback - 1908

From the publisher

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1897. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II. THE BRADLAUGH EPISODE. Among the new men whom the general election brought into the House of Commons on the Liberal side, the two most remarkable were Mr. Labouchere and Mr. Bradlaugh. Mr. Labouchere, indeed, could not be called in the strict sense a new member, for he had been in the House of Commons twice before: once when he sat for Windsor, and later when he sat for Middlesex. But he had only held a seat in the House for a short season each time, and had not taken much pains to make a great figure in politics--had only given proof that he was a very advanced Radical indeed for that period of political growth. He was a nephew of Lord Taunton, the 'H. Labouchere' Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of O'Connell's time, and he was understood to have inherited his uncle's fortune. He had been in the diplomatic service in various parts of the world, and was believed to have made a keen study of men and manners wherever he went. He had a taste for journalism, and had founded a paper named Truth, which quickly became at once a brilliant and a solid success; and in it he expressed his own opinions with an utter disregard for the supposed trammels of party. He had undoubtedly rendered many times a great public service by his fearless exposure of various commercial and charitable shams and frauds, and the threat of an action never had any other effect on him than to make him repeat the charge and invite his menacer to a court of law. He usually expressed his opinions, both in and out of the House of Commons, in the form of satire and sarcasm. He had inherited a marvellous gift of humour, perhaps from some of his French Huguenot ancestors, and many solemn Englishmen could not quite believe in the political sincerity of one who made so many good ...