74
THE GENERAL ELECTION.
1
THOMAS HUXLEY,
?
[August 1, 1895.
were amazing, his courage equal to both. The Homeric battle at Oxford in 1860 was a case in point. The British Association met there that year, when the intellect of England was in a state of profound agitation Origin of over the recently published
The Oxford of that day was Species." redolent of the high church orthodoxy which favoured authority, scientific stagnation, and good port wine. There was a fierce flatter in the dove-cotes of the Dons: the evolu tionists were scouted and flouted by scholarly quidnunes, and wore hooted all the way from Dan to Beersheba. HUXLEY at first declined combat on the groun:l that & general audience in which sentiment "would unduly interfere with intellect was not the public before which such a dis- This refusal, "cussion could be garried on." which was really due to consideration for the susceptibilities of the Dons and the religious emotional feelings of the ladies, was misunderstood, the anti-evolutionists debited to cowardice what was due to courtesy, and
At King Edward's signal soon Dashed from the ranks Sir RICHARD OWEN. This great scientist was the most eminent paleontologist and comparative anatomist in England, and.the most determined opponent of the new views. Approaching, as he said, the question in the spirit of a philosopher, he stated that there were facts which could guide men to right conclusions, "that the brain of the
gorilla presented more difference as pared with the brain of man, than it did when compared with the brain of the lowest "of the quadrumana.” This weighty ex cathedra judgment was too much for Hux- LEY. Springing to his feet he faced the autocrat of the anatomic world and gave the assertion a direct and unqualified con- "tradiction," promising to make good his position and "to justify this unusual pro- "cedure elsewhere." He abundantly did so later on in Man's Place in Naturo.”
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
BALFOUR, the leader of the House of Com- | tended to virility; but he exhibits more than mons, is a declared bimetallist, and no mere strength: common sense in his works. seems sublimed into something like inspira- The General Election has resulted in a doubt an opportunity will be taken soon complete triumph for the allied Conserva-after the meeting of the new Parliament tion; he is unsurpassed in happiness of on the ques-illustration and in humorous simile; ho is tive and Liberal Unionist parties, Reuter's to again raise a debate
Although it will a past-master of satire, that most dangerous latest telegram leaves five seats still un- tion of the standards.
Satire is accounted for, but for practical purposes we necessarily be treated as a non-party ques and turgid of all literary tools.
BALFOUR'S opinions will na- as a rule sterile of goodly issue. AS GEORGE may look upon the election as complete. tion, Mr. The total number of seats in the House is turally be regarded as of great weight by MEREDITH says, "it is not a fruit-bearing. rod, though it occasionally scoffs up a 670. The Conservative party alone Dum-nany of the Government's adherents who
'few slam serpents," HUXLEY, however, uses bers 340, which will give them a majority do not understand the question sufficiently
upon it with the finest art; dissociating it from of ten over all the other parties combined, to form opinions of their own and their allies the Liberal Unionists it. The Bimetallic League, however, has invective, he feathers its shafts with accurate number 70, making the total strength of taken measures during the election to knowledge both of the men and opinions His readiness and quickness the Unionist party 410, giving them turn the attention of candidates to this im- he aims at. a majority of 150 over the Liberal and portant subject and many of them will no Irish parties combined, even if the five seats doubt have been questioned at their clection unaccounted for should go to the latter. Start-meetings as to their monetary faith. The ing with such a majority and with the good prospects of silver therefore appear more understanding that exists between the two favourable than at any previous period in sections of the Unionist party the coalition the history of the question in the England, Government ought to remain firmly seated but there is grave danger that the cause of for the full term of seven years, during true bimetallism may be ruined by the mis- which period the country may expect to enjoy | taken advocacy of currency inflationists. the advantage of peace from political turmoil, and for the first time for
a very long series of parliaments the balance of parties.
By the death of THOMAS HUXLEY, which will not be at the mercy of the Irish vote.
favour The immense majority in
of took place on the 30th ult, English thought Born the Conservatives and Tiberal Unionists and letters are poorer than they were. not only rings the death knell of home rule, at Ealing ju 1825 HUXLEY was educated as a doctor and actually served at sea for some but indicates that the country bas had a
The charms of surfeit of fads and revolutionary proposals. time as a naval surgeon. Even the working classes seem to have pure science soon drew him, as they drew turned from the nostrums that have been HELMHOLTZ, away from medicine, but not held out to them and to liave expressed by before his fine researches on the Oceanie their votes a desire for government by com- Hydrozoa and his brilliant monographs ou Toon sense. At the general election of 1892 other comparative anatomy subjects had re- four labour members were returned and ceived due recognition by his election to the afterwards great activity was displayed in Royal Society at the early age of six and the organisation of the Independent Labour twenty. In the following year (1852) the Party. In the report last September of the Society bestowed its gold medal on the National Administrative Council of the young Fellow, and from that date the life Party a list of fifteen constituencies history of HUXLEY has been the history of given for which candidates English science. Primarily a comparative had been selected and approved. Of anatomist he yet made brilliant excursions these only two have been returned, a fact to many fields of science and in nearly which very clearly indicates the strength of every case brought off the spolia opima, the anti-socialistic and anti-revolutionary | Net only in geology but in general biology, feeling which has swept the country. The physiology, embryology, and morphology, he Conservative Party as at present constituted did rare original work, to say nothing of is not less mindful of the true interests of writing text books which on their literary the working classes than its opponents, but merits aloue may be almost reckoned Eng.
how 118 conception of those interests lish classics. Although the recognized head hould be promoted and safeguarded does and front of British science for more than a not include the dangling of an impossible generation, and although he has done as much original research as almost any wan Utopia before the working mau's eyes.
With the return of Lord SALISBURY to of his time, it is chiefly as a man of letters Pen and ink will power it seems to be taken for granted that that HUXLEY will live. a stronger foreign policy will be adopted by give him his stature in the eyes of posterity. Eugland. There is much need of it. As A would be essayest by battening on to Hux 'between Lord Salisbury's and Lord ROSE LEY'S Collected Essays (republished just. At the same meeting he had his famous BERY's personal opinions regarding foreign re- before his death, in ten volumes) might live passage of arms with the Bishop of Oxford, lations there is perhaps not much to choose, but like a gentleman for years; he might quarry the well known Saponaceous Samuel. This the former will have the advantage of being a folio and hardly be found out, so great is adroit and versatile prelate, utterly unin- supported by a strong and united party, the mass of original thought and wit there. formed in science but splendidly endowed whereas Lord ROSEBERY'S following has in. His prose is masterly in an age of great with all the arts of the rhetorician, as- TENNYSON Once complained, sailed DARWIN's book and Darwin him- been weak and divided. It is to be hoped prose masters. the new Premier will take full advantage of to GEORGE ELIOT that it was difficult to dis- self with inimitable wit, sarcasm, and his favourable position and make England's tinguish oneself in these days when every ignorance. Whirled along by the wild ap- name abroad respected as it used to be. But body wrote so well; and truly it was no plause of sympathizers in the audience it must be confessed that when Lord small matter to have had to compete he became grossly personal, and turning
RUSKIN, to Mr. HUILEY asked whether he
арь on SALISBURY was in power before England's with such contemporaries as
his grandfather's foreign policy, in so far as China in par- MACAULAY, NEWMAN, BUCKLE, FROUDE, related to an
or his grandmother's side. HUXLEY gravely ticular was concerned, was no more satis- THACKERAY, MAINE, PATER, and STEVENSON.
To us the leading feature of HUXLEY'S refuted the Bishop's argument and ex- factory than it has been since. The same may be said with regard to Siam, and it was literary expression is virility; this was posed his ignorance, then with splendid
crushed him
the following also Lord SALISBURY that abandoned probably the outcome of the literature to Madagascar to France. The position of the which his best efforts were largely restricted, philippic:“I asserted and I repeat that a has no reason to be ashamed of hav- Conservative party then, however, was not, viz., controversy. He was ever in the very what it is now, and in view of the state of front of battle, fighting duels with the "ing anjape for his grandfather. If there "were an ancestor whom I should feel shame ዚ man, А home politics at that time there may have stoutest foes he could find. He came to the been some excuse for not inviting a challenge combat fully armed, ready to smite bip and "in recalling, it would be in Parliament on the Government's foreign thigh and to be smitten. He tells us that man of restless and versatile intellect policy.
he was naturally combative and was con-bo, not content with an equivocal success The return of the Conservatives to'stantly sharpening his beak and claws In-
When he had to bite into bräns, power will no doubt also raise high hopes readiness. in the breasts of the bimetallists, Mr. he wrote with strong aqua fortis. All this
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