198 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK 



CH. 



whether Sir John would prefer Mr. Childers' 

 fixed charge Plan, under which the redemption 

 of Debt would increase from, say, £6,000,000 in 

 1885 to £9,000,000 in 1895, and to £13,000,000 

 in 1905, or a fixed redemption, say of £7,000,000 

 in permanent operation through the form of 

 Terminable Annuities. The latter was Mr. Hub- 

 bard's proposition. 

 Sir John replied : 



15 Lombard Street, 

 21 June 1883. 



My dear Hubbard — I did not answer your note 

 yesterday, as I thought I should perhaps have seen you 

 at the House. 



£7,000,000 does not seem to me enough to devote to 

 the repayment of debt under existing circumstances. 



I am very sorry that the Government will not have 

 the advantage of your support, for it seems to me that 

 the importance of reducing debt somehow is much 

 greater than the exact method which is adopted. — Believe 

 me, yours very truly, 



John Lubbock. 



Right Hon. John G. Hubbard. 



The final words of the above letter : " the 

 importance of reducing the debt somehow is 

 much greater than the exact method which is 

 adopted," are worth notice, because they are so 

 very typical of the exceedingly practical way in 

 which Sir John always set himself to the realisa- 

 tion of any of the very many plans which he took 

 in hand. As has been said of him, he was 

 " singularly adroit." He would take the means 

 which seemed best to him, but if he failed of 

 success by those means he would immediately 

 turn, with remarkable suppleness and dexterity, 

 and recommence the attempt to attain his end 

 by some other means. It was largely this quick 



