deny, the most influential man in the House of Commons is the first man in the State after the Sovereign, Peel has been that man during the last fifteen years, whether he was Minister or sat on the Opposition benches.

'Peel's mind and character rested on moral foundations which I have not seen once shaken either in his public or his private life. From these foundations rose that never-failing spring of fairness, honesty, kindness, and moderation and regard for others, which Peel showed at all times and under all circumstances. On these foundations grew that love of country which pervaded his whole being, which knew of but one object-the true welfare of England; of but one glory and one reward for each citizen-viz., to have contributed something towards that welfare. Such love of country admits of but one ambition, and hence the ambition of that man was as pure as his heart. To make every sacrifice for that ambition which the fates of his country demand from every one, he considered his most sacred duty, and he has made those sacrifices, however difficult they may have been to him. Wherein lay the real difficulty of those sacrifices will perhaps hereafter be explained by those who knew the secret of the political circumstances and the personal character of the men with whom he was brought in contact, and who would not think of weighing imponderable sacrifices in the balance of vulgar gain. If he has met with antagonists who have questioned his motives, it was from ignorance or ma

licious intent. The man whose feelings for his own country rested on so firm a foundation could not be dishonest or unfair towards other countries; the same right understanding, fairness, and moderation which he evinced in his treatment of internal affairs, guided Peel in his treatment of all foreign questions. The wish frequently expressed by him, to see the welfare of all nations improved, was thoroughly sincere. He knew France and Italy from his own observation, and he had studied the political history of the former with great industry. For Germany he had a good-will, nay, a predilection, particularly for Prussia.'

After the death of Sir Robert Peel began the disintegration of the party distinguished by his name. Several of its members formally joined the Conservative ranks; but others, such as Sir James Graham, Mr. Gladstone, and Mr. Sidney Herbert, held themselves aloof both from the Whigs and the Tories. They did not feel themselves at liberty at once to throw in their lot with the former, for Conservative traditions still exercised considerable influence over them, and they could not join the latter, as they were already the subjects of strong liberalising tendencies. From this time forward, and almost until Sir James Graham's death, eleven years afterwards, Mr. Gladstone was greatly indebted to that statesman for his growth in the principles and the administrative art in politics. Although by no means always a popular, Sir James Graham was eminently a practical statesman, skilled in the rou

tine of Parliamentary life, and capable of greatly influencing and impressing younger politicians with strongly-developed business aptitudes. Indeed, the influence he wielded over many of his contemporaries appears to have been much greater than that exercised by men of more commanding talents in the world of statesmanship. His knowledge of Parliamentary tactics made him a power; and it was said of him that if he could be prevailed upon to speak in the course of a great debate, his speech was worth fifty votes. His Parliamentary lore was displayed with such advantage in the Committee on Privilege, in reference to the right of the Lords to interfere on a money bill, that he averted a collision between the two Houses of the Legislature. He was confessedly-said an estimate formed of him upon his death-the best educated and most thoroughly ac

complished statesman of the period, though in regard to particular endowments he was inferior to several other distinguished men. No contemporary speaker was able so entirely to command the undivided attention of the House of Commons. He appears, however, to have had two serious defectsin the first place, his great understanding was not balanced by an equally strong judgment; and, secondly, he suffered from a moral timidity which paralysed him at the most anxious and critical moments. However great may have been the indebtedness of Mr. Gladstone to Sir James Graham, if the former had not been possessed of far wider sympathies-to say nothing of superior special intellectual qualitiesthan his political mentor, he could never have carried out those important legislative Acts by which his name will now chiefly be remembered.