oh. xii MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT 97 



coin. The letter of Mr. Disraeli touches the 

 question of metal, whether bronze or more 

 precious, as the modern medium of exchange. 

 He writes that " Her Majesty is about to issue 

 a Royal Commission, over which Lord Halifax 

 will preside, to consider the proceedings of the 

 Monetary Conference held in Paris last year, and 

 to report on the adaptability of their suggestions 

 to our own monetary system." Knowing that 

 Sir John had given attention to this subject, 

 Mr. Disraeli asks his consent to a recommenda- 

 tion to the Queen that he should be one of the 

 Commission. Sir John consented, and in due 

 course was elected. 



In the same year he was appointed, though 

 a Liberal, by the Conservative Government to 

 act as one of the Public School Commissioners. 

 This Commission was already in being, but a 

 vacancy had been created by the death of one 

 of its members, Sir Edmund Head ; and this 

 vacancy he was called to fill. 



In April there was an eruption of Vesuvius, 

 and he started off to see it with Professor Tyndall, 

 Mr. A. Hamilton, and Mr. Robert Birkbeck. 

 They went up twice. Once the mountain was 

 throwing up stones, the second day steam only. 

 He was evidently immensely impressed by it. 

 Fortunately there was a high wind, and they 

 were able to get quite to the edge. Indeed at 

 one place, where the sides were rather sloping, 

 he ventured a little over the edge. Tyndall 

 insisted on roping him, so that they might be 

 able to drag him back if he lost his head ! 



He returned by way of " Mayence, Dresden, 



VOL. I H 



