160 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ch. 



pliment, under the circumstances, of being ap- 

 pointed one of the trustees of the British Museum. 

 These appointments had always been made 

 rather on political lines, the Prime Minister 

 virtually controlling them and inviting an ad- 

 herent of his own Party. Lord Beaconsfield, 

 however, writes to him that " On my motion you 

 were elected a Trustee of the British Museum," 

 and further speaks of his hope that Sir John 

 would accept this " interesting and important 

 post." Sir John accepted the invitation and 

 fulfilled the duties of the position with the zeal 

 of a man whose heart is in the work. 



The same year he passed the Dental Prac- 

 titioners Act. The Medical Act did not apply to 

 Dentists. Their case differed somewhat from that 

 of other medical men, but this Act applied similar 

 provisions to them, with certain slight modifica- 

 tions. 



The Acceptance of Bills Act, which he also 

 passed, was rendered necessary by a decision of 

 the Law Courts that the writing of one's name 

 across a Bill was not an acceptance unless the 

 name was preceded by the word " accepted " 

 or some abbreviation of it. But many English, 

 and the great bulk of Scotch bills merely had 

 the name, and were consequently technically not 

 accepted. He was therefore applied to by the 

 Banking profession to bring the letter of the law 

 into accord with what had always been under- 

 stood to be its spirit. 



The following letter of about the same date 

 from B. de St. Hilaire, who was French Foreign 

 Minister under Thiers, may be cited for the value 



