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For many years past Mr. Gladstone has been the “leading article” in the stock-in-trade of Caricaturists and Parodists. His personal appearance, his collars, his umbrella, his hobby for felling trees, his great learning, his immense vitality, and his mode of speaking, have all furnished topics for satires and lampoons.
It would be impossible to refer to anything like a proportion of these, but the following may be mentioned as typical examples.
The Morning Post (London), September 24, 1884, contained an unreported Midlothian Speech on Free Trade, supposed to have been delivered by Mr. Gladstone, but really written by Mr. Edward Sullivan.
The St. Stephen’s Review (London), October 29, 1887, contained a prospectus, of which the following is a brief abstract:—
THE HAWARDEN ESTATE BLOCK WOOD COMPANY, LIMITED.
Incorporated under the Companies Acts, 1862 to 1883, whereby the liability of the Shareholders is limited to the amount of their Shares.
Capital £100,000, in 100,000 Shares of £1 each.
Payable—5s. per share on Application, 5s. per share on Allotment, and the remainder One Month after Allotment
DIRECTORS.