格莱斯顿

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Gladstone, William E(wart)

英国政治家和首相(1868~1874、1880~1885、1886、1892~1894)。1833年托利党人身分当选为国会议员,但在担任多种公职之後,包括财政大臣(1852~1855、1859~1866),逐渐倾向自由党的政策主张并在1866年成为自由党领袖。在他第一任首相任内(1868~1874),监督国家教育改革、选举改革(参阅Ballot Act)和撤销对爱尔兰新教教会的支持(1869)。1875~1876年间他以保加利亚惨案指责迪斯累利政府。在第二任期间,保证1884年改革法案的通过。其内阁授权占领埃及(1882),但解救在喀土木的戈登将军失败(1885),使他大失人心并失去政权。1886年原本可以爱尔兰自治运动重获国会控制权,但因「爱尔兰自治法案」遭议会否决而辞职。此後六年他致力於说服通过「爱尔兰自治法案」。1892年大选中自由党赢得多数席次,在第四届内阁中再次提出「爱尔兰自治法案」,但遭上院否决。死後葬於西敏寺。

1809~1898年

Gladstone, William E(wart)

British politician and prime minister (1868-74, 1880-85, 1886, 1892-94). He entered Parliament in 1833 as a Tory, but after holding various government posts, including chancellor of the exchequer (1852-55, 1859-66), he slowly converted to liberalism and became Liberal party leader in 1866. In his first term as prime minister (1868-74), he oversaw national education reform, voting reform (see Ballot Act), and the disestablishment of the Irish Protestant church (1869). In 1875-76 he denounced the indifference of Benjamin Disraeli's government to the Bulgarian Horrors. In his second term, he secured passage of the Reform Bill of 1884. His cabinet authorized the occupation of Egypt (1882), but his failure to rescue Gen. Charles George Gordon in Khartoum (1885) cost Gladstone much popularity and his government's defeat. In 1886 he was able to use Irish Home Rule to regain control of Parliament, but when his Home Rule Bill was rejected he resigned. He devoted the next six years to trying to convince the electorate to grant Home Rule to Ireland. Liberals won a majority again in 1892, and in his fourth cabinet he piloted through another Home Rule Bill, but it was soundly rejected by the House of Lords. He is buried in Westminster Abbey.