1-150-737 - The Cartoon Collector/Heritage-Images

'An Unexpected Cut', 1874. With a felled tree entitled Irish Established Church behind him, Mr Gladstone, the Liberal Leader of the Opposition, prepares to take his 'Pamphlet' axe to the tree carved with Papal Infallibility. Mr Punch watches. This relates to the anti-Papal leaflet on Vatican Decrees recently published. Only the previous month, he had written an article on Ritualism and his opposition to it. This came as a surprise, as many had previously believed that Gladstone was secretly attracted to ritual. From Punch, or the London Charivari, November 21, 1874.