128 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK 



CH. 



etiquette Hobhouse ought not to have given me 

 information without Forster's knowledge. How- 

 ever, I had supposed Forster would have supported 

 me. What I felt most was that Forster in his 

 speech, having deprived me of my facts at the 

 last moment, said that I had not shown any 

 practical grievances which the Bill would 

 remove ! " 



The following is Lord Hobhouse's letter, above 

 referred to. 



16 Devonshire Place, W., 

 January 18, 1871. 



My dear Sir John — I send you some remarks on 

 those defects of the Endowed Schools' Act on which you 

 wish to fasten. I hope you will not feel like Hamet, 

 who prayed for water and had the Tigris turned through 

 his garden. The subject embraces a long period of 

 history, and endless ramifications of detail, and if one 

 labours to be brief, we become obscure. 



I have a very strong feeling, and a very clear opinion, 

 about these matters, and should be delighted if you 

 could succeed. I suspect, however, that you will not, 

 first, because the sons of Zeruiah are still too strong for 

 us ; secondly, because many men will say, not un- 

 reasonably, that the subject is a very contentious and 

 irritating one, that it was settled on an intelligible basis 

 in 1869 after much discussion, and that we ought at 

 least to see how this works in practice before we alter it. 



Forster objects also that a simple repeal of sec. 19 

 will expose to invasion a purely private endowment 

 never intended to have any national character : such 

 as my friends, the Southertians, if they existed and had 

 a school. On my principles this would be no objection, 

 but they do not prevail, and the difficulty is one likely 

 to be felt, and should be considered. 



It must be remembered, too, that sec. 19 was reckoned 

 as fair at the time. It is a great advance on the recom- 

 mendations of the Report ; and that its formers thought 

 bold, though it always seemed to me a very timid 

 utterance on these matters. 



I am disposed to think that an attack in front must 



