A. L. Armstrong

“ Harcourt's first legislative measure was the Ground Game Act, or the hares and rabbits bill, which he introduced on 27 May. The object of the bill was the better protection of the occupier of land against the ravages of hares and rabbits, and it provided that the occupier should have equal rights with the landlord to kill and take ground game. The bill aroused the bitterest opposition of a section of the tory party, and though the second reading was moved on 10 June, it was not finally passed until 27 August. The keen opposition brought out all Harcourt's adroitness in debate and retort. ”

“ As leader in the House of Commons of a party with a small majority and a large and contentious programme, he exhibited unexpected skill, tact, and patience. His opinions did not always coincide with those of the prime minister, and, though for the most part they worked together in harmony, the cabinet councils were not free from friction. Both announced before the opening of parliament (12 March) adherence to the Newcastle programme, and Harcourt promised early legislation on the subject of temperance, to which he deemed himself personally pledged. ”

“ The conservative government was defeated by a combination of liberals and home rulers and Gladstone again became prime minister, 1 February. Lord Hartington, Sir Henry James, and Goschen at once declined to entertain a measure of home rule. Mr. Chamberlain and Sir George Trevelyan agreed to consider its details, without much hope of final assent. Harcourt had no hesitation in accepting Gladstone's guidance. Party loyalty was a paramount obligation. He would not desert the party ship and was sanguine of an early reunion with former colleagues who refused to join a home rule cabinet. ”

“ He retained his seat by a large majority. 'I wish I could join you in retiring' he wrote on 18 Oct. 1900 to Goschen who was resigning his place in the unionist government. 'Your party can, with regret, afford it. Mine is too short-handed to spare a single man at the ropes.'
In the new parliament Harcourt watched narrowly the course of events in South Africa. He declared that the cost of the war would have to be borne by the British tax-payer and that it was idle for the government to expect a contribution from the Transvaal (Hansard, 13 Dec. 1900) . ”

“ It sought to consolidate the various governing bodies of the whole of London into a single corporation with full control of a large and defined area. The debate continued, with intervals, till 9 July, but the complexities of the bill and the ceaseless opposition which it aroused forced Harcourt reluctantly to abandon the measure. Meanwhile he was active both in parliament and the country in the struggle with the House of Lords over the franchise bill of 1884, and was as effective as the circumstances admitted in defence of the Egyptian policy of the government. ”

“ A split among the nationalists followed, and the Hberal position in the House of Commons was weakened.
During the session of 1891 Gladstone's health often kept him away from the house, and Harcourt filled his place as leader of the opposition. Speaking in different parts of the country, he urged legislation in the interest of the agricultural labourer, the compulsory purchase of land for small holdings, local power to restrict the sale of liquor, declaring that home rule itself was insufficient to bring the liberals back to office. ”

“ Instinctively an aristocrat and living in an aristocratic atmosphere, he never hesitated to express his contempt for every form of meanness or pretension. Unable to suffer fools gladly, and impatient of mediocrity, he earned the reputation of irascibility and haughtiness. ”

“ In discussions on the ballot bill in 1872 Harcourt carried against the government by 167 to 166 an amendment substituting ‘with corrupt intent’ for the word ‘wilfully’ in the clause making it punishable for a man ‘wilfully’ to disclose the name of the candidate for whom he voted. ”

“ At his instance Gladstone appointed early in 1873 a select committee, with Harcourt as one of its members, to consider civil service expenditure. In debate on the Irish University bill, on 13 Feb., he denounced the clauses which prohibited the teaching of philosophy and modern history, declaring them to be ‘the anathema of the Vatican against modern civilisation.’ On the defeat of the second reading of this bill (March) Gladstone resigned, but he resumed office owing to Disraeli's refusal to form a ministry. ”

“ Balfour's Irish local government bill, which passed its second reading on 24 May and was shortly afterwards withdrawn.
From the beginning of the year till after the dissolution of parliament on 29 June 1892, Harcourt sought to heal differences within the party and held several conferences at his private house with members of the extreme radical wing. At the end of June parliament dissolved, and at the ensuing general election 355 liberals and nationalists were returned, and 315 conservatives and liberal-unionists, thus giving a majority of 40 pledged to home rule. ”

“ The liberals were heavily defeated in the country. The return of Disraeli to power on 21 Feb. placed Harcourt for the first time in opposition.
Re-elected for Oxford on 3 Feb. 1874, Harcourt proved a formidable enemy of the new conservative government. But his interest in the first session of the new parliament was concentrated on the public worship regulation bill, which, although not a government bill, was warmly supported by Disraeli. A staunch protestant throughout his career, Harcourt enthusiastically championed a measure which was designed to crush ritualism. ”

“ Chamberlain moved for a select committee to inquire into recent events in Africa (30 July) , and he accepted Harcourt's amendment to extend the inquiry to the raid itself. He was appointed a member of the committee, but only one meeting was held before Parliament was prorogued. From Feb. to July 1897 the committee continued its work at short intervals. Harcourt was prominent in examining witnesses, and his examination of Cecil Rhodes, though severe and searching, was universally admitted to be just. ”

“ Through 1887 he denounced the government's treatment of the attacks on Parnell and his colleagues by 'The Times' newspaper and strongly censured the constitution of the royal commission of inquiry into the charges. At the same time he fought hard for a reduction in national expenditure: he championed the social reforms of the party programme. Brilliant passages of arms with Mr. Chamberlain delighted the house. But Harcourt was no blind partisan. He helped to improve the government's Irish land bill, July, and the Allotments Act, Aug. ”

“ He quickly made his mark in London society as an extremely clever young man who could both write and talk well. On the demise of the 'Morning Chronicle,' Beresford Hope inaugurated the 'Saturday Review,' in Nov. 1866, with Douglas Cook as editor. Cook at once enlisted Harcourt's services as one of the original contributors Harcourt wrote continuously for the brilliant periodical from 1855 to 1859.
At the general election of May 1869 he contested the Kirkcaldy Burghs as an independent liberal against the official liberal candidate and old member, Robert Ferguson. ”

“ He devoted most of his time to an energetic campaign outside his constituency. While powerfully supporting his party, he dissociated himself at Blandford (24 Sept. 1885) from Mr. Chamberlain's extreme radicalism. The final result of the general election was that the conservatives and Pamellites exactly balanced the liberals, a difficult situation^ which caused Harcourt disquietude. On 6 Dec. 1885 he wrote to Hartington that he looked 'forward to the tory government keeping up the Pamellite alliance, and so discrediting themselves' (Life of Duke of Devonshire, ii. 26) . ”

“ At liberal demonstrations at Oxford, Scarborough, Sheffield, Southport, Liverpool, and Birmingham (20 Jan. 1880, with John Bright and Mr. Chamberlain) he ridiculed the government's policy of 'bluster and bravado,' and his rhetorical energy conspicuously supplemented that of Gladstone.
In March 1880 Parliament was dissolved, and a general election immediately followed. The contest in Oxford was very keen ; the conservatives considerably reduced the liberal majorities, but Harcourt and his colleague (Sir) Joseph William Chitty [q. v. Suppl. I] were elected (3 April) . ”

“ Delicate issues were involved in the choice in 1880 of a liberal prime minister. Gladstone had abandoned to Lord Hartington the leadership of the liberal party in 1875, and despite his active agitation in the country had not resumed his old post, Harcourt, while energetic in support and exposition of the liberal programme, inclined to whig doctrines. On 29 Dec. 1874 he had written to Goschen (Life, i. 152) 'I have been preaching whig doctrines pur et simple ; they are my principles, and I mean to stick to them coûte que coûte.' He had urged on Hartington in Jan. ”

“ For the second time Harcourt had to seek a new constituency, and West Monmouth was generously vacated in his favour by Cornelius Marshall Warmington, K.C., who was created a baronet in 1908. Although the liberal majority there was over 5000, the seat was contested, but Harcourt succeeded in slightly increasing the majority. Parliament met on 12 Aug. ”