be most bitter. I do trust now that there is a prospect of comparative peace during the session, so that we may pass our Reform Bill, and that we may have another autumn in which to enjoy office; but I don't calculate on anything."

On April 11 and 12 came the great struggle on household suffrage and the compound householder, and the Government proposal was carried on April 12 by 310 to 289.

April 13.-Our decisive victory last night makes me a happy man. I was sorry when Monday's motion went off without a division. It is now clear that if we had 21 majority last night it would have been 50 on Coleridge's motion; so I think we are safe from a dissolution. After all the anxiety of Wednesday and Thursday, to-day is such a relief. On Thursday we were sure to be beaten, and I had written my address to my constituents."

On July 22 the Reform Bill was introduced into the House of Lords.

"July 23, 1867.-Yesterday was quite an historic night, and very interesting to me. Thirty-five years had passed since I had been present in the House of Lords on the second reading of a Reform Bill. The contrast was very remarkable. The old plain building with no ornament but the tapestry of the Armada was gone, and there was a splendid, highly decorated medieval hall. The leaders of the two opposite parties, Lord Derby and Lord Russell, had been members of the same Cabinet in 1832, and were ranged on opposite sides in 1867. The two great surviving gladiators of that day, the Whig Lord Chancellor Lord Brougham, and a Tory bishop, Henry of Exeter, were 'conspicuous by their absence.' There was a Duke of Wellington--not the Duke he came to vote for the bill. Lord Grey, too, was there; but he was a very different man from the fine noble-looking Prime Minister of '32, and, curiously enough, he came against

the bill: so he and the Duke of Wellington had changed places. There was a Lord Eldon - not old Eldon, but his great-grandson; there was Lord Ellenborough, an uncompromising opponent of the bill of '67 as he had been of that of '32; and Lord Shaftesbury, who as Lord Ashley had fought the last great contested election against the bill of 32, came to oppose the bill of '67. The same opinions as Lord Carnarvon had held in '32 were ably maintained by his grandson in '67. Royal dukes were not so many : there was a Prince of Wales and a Duke of Cambridge; but the Dukes of Cumberland, Sussex, and Gloucester had no representatives. Close to me on the steps of the Throne were two prominent members of the Legislature who in '32 had been prominent members of the Oxford Debating Society: Mr Gladstone the Tory orator of '32 become the Radical of '67, and Mr Lowe the Radical of '32 become the ultraConservative of '67. Outside, Palace Yard was tranquil and deserted; inside, the debate was languid, save when a few enthusiastic Tory peer

I

esses cheered Lord Carnarvon. don't think that the debate sustained the character of the assembly."

I can find no letters or notes by my father on the remainder of the session. On February 25, 1868, Lord Derby's resignation was announced, and Mr Disraeli became Prime Minister. He wrote to my father:

Private.

:

"DEAR MOWBRAY, I hope you will do me the favour of filling in the new Administration the office which you held under the Government of Lord Derby. Our great friend much wishes that we should all keep together.-Yours very faithfully, B. DISRAELI."

tions on the Irish Church I can find no account.

A contest for Durham, the first since his original election, was impending, and on June 29 he issued an address to "The old and new Electors of the City of Durham," stating his intention of coming forward once more to claim their suffrages; but before the time arrived for him to do so, circumstances had altered, and he had decided to relinquish the seat which he had held for sixteen years, and to fight for the representation of his own University. He felt the honour of the call, but left his old seat with regret. For some months Sir William Heathcote's health had been failing, and when he decided to retire from Parliament, the chairman of Mr Hardy's committee in 1865, who had organised the victory over Mr Gladstone, seemed the most fitting person to sit as Mr Hardy's colleague in 1868. In October a committee was formed in Oxford, and the contest began- a contest referred to by the Times' in October 22 as "second only to the interests of Mr Gladstone's Lancashire election." Sir Roundell Palmer was a formidable opponent, and the daily letters to my grandmother written during the contest reflect the fluctuations of hopes and fears from day to day. On November 11, Sir Roundell Palmer retired :

"November 12. The paper will have informed you of the joyous news which 'the morrow of S. Martin,' henceforth a memorable day in the household calendar, has brought to the M.P. elect! I did not expect

it to-day, although on Monday I was prepared for it; but I thought they had made their arrangements for going to the poll. And now arises the serious thought which has been pressing on me for many days past, how very much the honour is beyond anything that I could venture to dream of, and how serious the responsibility which will devolve on me in my new sphere of action. I only hope and pray that as God has been pleased to call me to such a post He may give me grace and strength to do my duty to the Church and University.

"November 30.-We have been calling on Sir Roundell Palmer's daughters, and there has been a pleasant little interchange of amiable sentiments between the ladies. The Ch. Ch. bells have rung merrily in honour of the new Ch. Ch. burgess,-they say the first time since the days of Sir R. Inglis. Gladstone, although a Ch. Ch. man, did not come in as a Ch. Ch. member. We have been at the Union, and have had the old journals down and looked at those which were kept by the rt. honble. member for Greenwich when he was secretary, as

well as by Mr Cornish when he was secretary."

When once the contest was over there were no longer supporters and opponents only constituents. With Sir Roundell Palmer he resumed his old friendship, and on March 10, 1869, he writes:

"Coming out with Walpole we met Roundell Palmer. He first passed me without speaking, then seemed to recollect himself and said, 'Oh, Mowbray, I don't think we have met since' shook hands warmly and kindly, and moved off rapidly."

In connection with the contest, it is pleasant to recall that the last speech which my father made was at the opening of the new buildings of the Wellington Club at Reading, of which he was president, on December 19, 1898. The ceremony was per

formed by the Earl of Selborne, the son of his old opponent, who was the principal guest at the luncheon which followed, at which my father presided. Two other letters, dated March 1869, may be quoted:

"March 2, 1869.-We had a marvellous speech last night of three hours and twenty minutes from W. E. G., I should think as remarkable as any he ever made, but it almost takes away one's breath to have such sweeping schemes quietly propounded.

If all this is to be done as a matter

of course, I really don't know what institution is safe. Tomorrow I think of sleeping in town, as I am steward of a dinner to be given to Lord George Hamilton."

"March 4.-We had the fun of

being in a majority of 3 before dinner yesterday, which gave a zest to the entertainment, which was very successful. George Hamilton, who is a remarkably clever young fellow, made a first-rate speech: nothing could have been better done. In fact, I don't know such good young fellows as the Marquis and his brothers Claud and George. The eldest brother was Chairman of my London Committee. I made a speech, as you will see, which was very well received, but it came very late."

With respect to the threatened quarrel between the Houses on the amendments to the Irish Church Bill, he wrote:

"July 23, 1869. After I wrote yesterday I found that the good sense of Lords Granville, Clarendon, &c., has prevailed over the madness of the Prime Minister, and that we were saved all the worry and danger of the crisis. I was in the Lords and heard it out, and I am inexpressibly thankful for the result. I deplore the bill; but, if the Irish Church was to be disestablished (and that, I think, was decided by the nation at the election, and confirmed by the Lords on the second reading), then I don't want a constitutional

crisis for the sake of £100,000 more or less. As it is, the substantial maintained the amendment which victory is with the Lords: they they carried on Tuesday, and they have secured many pecuniary advantages to the Church. As is the case opinions; some of our ultra men are in all compromises, one hears various discontented. But I am glad to say the Rads. are furious. Gladstone showed his sense of defeat and mortification so much as to shut himself up and be ill yesterday. As it is, I think, as R. Palmer (with whom chat yesterday) said, it is a settleI was again in the most confidential ment at which all good men will rejoice, and all bad men be angry.”

On the Bishops' Resignation Bill he writes:

"Aug. 6, 1869. - Gladstone was quite genial and pleasant-as Hope remarked, he was the Gladstone of twenty years ago, and was quite unlike his present self. I believe he was really happy to do one good thing among all his mischief."

On Lord Derby's death, in October 1869, the University of Oxford chose Lord Salisbury to succeed as Chancellor, and his installation at Hatfield is described by my father in this letter to his mother, on

November 24:

"Nothing could be more magnificent than all the accompaniments of the ceremonial of yesterday. We met at King's Cross a little before five o'clock. Six carriages were in waiting for us at Hatfield Station at 5.42. Hardy and I came up in one with the Bishops of Oxford and Rochester. We found rather a large party in the house. Lord and Lady Salisbury and nearly all the children were in the room where we were received. Lord Chelmsford, Sir W. and Lady Heathcote, Beresford Hope and Lady Mildred, Lady Alderson and two daughters, and Richmond (the R.A.) We had tea and so forth, and then went to our rooms to robe. Assembling in the library, we formed a

procession to a long gallery. Vice-Chancellor, preceded by the three University bedels with their maces, then the doctors and the proctors, Earl Bathurst and myself, and the other M.A.'s. The gallery is 166 feet long; it was arranged in the centre like the Convocation House. A grand chair of state and a table in front, a smaller chair on the right, two chairs on either side for the proctors, and a chair and table for the registrar, and chairs down on each side for the members of the Convocation. The family were in a large sort of wing opening out of the gallery, and the servants at the other end of it. The Vice-Chancellor took the chair, opened the Convocation,

and sent the bedels to conduct the Chancellor in. He was brought into Convocation, and the Vice-Chancellor placed him in the chair, the registrar having first read the deed of election. The public orator made rather a long speech, lamenting the loss the University had sustained by the death of Lord Derby and congratulating the Chancellor. The Vice-Chancellor made a congratulatory speech, and then Lord Salisbury replied in a very neat speech and good specimen of Latinity. Then we had a sumptuous banquet to about forty in a grand old hall. It is a wonderful house. We had service this morning in chapel at 9.30, and I came up with the party at 11.55."

"Dec. 14.-I have had a most delightful visit at Oxford. We had a very pleasant dinner - party of 43. Last year there was a little constraint, because the senior censor and many of the party had been among my opponents. Of course it was only felt but not expressed But this year when I responded for Christ Church I was very cordially greeted, and my speech told well upon all, Liberals as well as Conservatives. Í adjourned at ten to the Deanery, where we had such a beautiful suc

cession of tableaux by the Miss Liddells and others, and did not break up until twelve. I do so enjoy my visits at Oxford, and I suppose it makes me look young, as Mrs Liddell told me the Dean's sister took me for

my son !"

There are no letters at all VOL. CLXVII.-NO. MXI.

about the Ecclesiastical Commission, on which my father worked for so many years. He has spoken of his early friendship with Archbishop Tait, and it was a great pleasure to him to be associated for so long in after - life with one for whose character he had the greatest respect and regard, and whose statesmanship commanded his highest admiration. He often spoke of Tait as the "greatest Tillotson." Archbishop since

He knew Archbishop Benson well both at Lincoln and at Truro, and when resigning the Commissionership in 1892 he regretted more than anything else the constant intercourse with the present Archbishop, then Bishop of London, whose sterling qualities had won his respect and affection.

The work on the Commission entailed constant attendance during the greater part of the year and quite endless correspondence, and my father attended the Thursday Boards so regularly that I do not think he missed one (save through illness), except when he went to South Shields in June 1890 to open a park there.

After an attack of rheumatism in November. 1890, my father found the cold journeys

C

to town during the winter very trying; so after considerable hesitation he decided that the time had come for him to give up the hard work of the Commission, and on December 1, 1892, he took leave of his colleagues. There was a large gathering of bishops, and of members of the Commission, including the Home Secretary, Mr Asquith, and Mr G. Leveson Gower (Controller of the Household), the unpaid Commissioner of the time. My father felt very deeply all the kind words spoken on the occasion, and the letters which he received. He wrote with respect to them:—

"I have thanked the Archbishop for his charming letter, but it really is too kind and quite painful to receive, for I have done nothing but what any man with a clear head and tolerable ability might have done."

I have put all these notes about the Commission together, and must return to earlier years for parliamentary reminiscences; but first I may quote two letters describing a two days' visit to Paris which my father made in July 1871

"PARIS, July 9.

"I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying my holiday. I had a most perfect crossing, and reached Paris to the minute. I was due at 7.50, and I was in my cab and out of the station at 7.51, which being 7.41 English reckoning, made me feel that I had gained time. We saw Prussians keeping guard at the railway station at Amiens and one other place, lots of military waggons about, otherwise small traces of the war-except in one place where the line had been broken, and they had constructed a temporary wooden bridge. As I drove from the station I saw scarcely a trace of the mischief done until I saw the Place Vendôme so desolate,

with all but the base of the column gone. I came to Meurice's, not liking to go to the Grand, as it was a hospital during the siege. I found it very empty; indeed I have only met one Englishman whom I know, Admiral Duncombe. I soon dressed, and I never rested until after 9 P.M. In fact I believe the old gentleman of fifty-six was just as active as the young man of twenty-two when he first came into Paris on a fine June The day was morning in 1837.

perfection-hot, clear, bright, and sunny. It is a most wonderful sight. There must have been a great deal of most diabolical thought and ingenuity in providing materials, for never was destruction so complete. The Hôtel de Ville is thoroughly done for it is a most striking ruin, but nothing can be rebuilt. The old portion of the Tuileries is the same, only the new portion built by the Emperor seems to have resisted the elements better. A great number of the public offices and official residences of Ministers and a great many private houses through the Rue Rivoli are utter wrecks. No church seems to have suffered. I believe there is one, but I have not been there. Notre

Dame is unhurt. The Sainte Chapelle escaped by a miracle, for the Palais de Justice, in the centre of which it stands, was burned in the most complete way. I had a glorious view from the top of the Tower of Notre Dame. In the afternoon I went to St Cloud. I went by road by Passy, and everywhere the ruined houses told tales of the Prussian siege. St Cloud is the most desolate ruin you can imagine three years ago when I was there it was all bright and glorious. Napoleon and Eugénie were residing there, and there was a great Sunday fair. Now it is annihilated! No one clears the ruins, as they have done to some extent in Paris; the beautiful trim gardens have been untouched all the year. The orangetrees were burnt standing: there they stand in their boxes, which are unburnt! I never saw anything so melancholy. The view from it was superb, and carried one over the history of the siege. Forts Bicêtre, Vanves, Issy, Montrouge, &c., all familiar spots in sight. I came back