XIX 



HOME RULE BILL 223 



was even tentatively made. In any case it is 

 not to be thought that he would have contem- 

 plated for a moment the possibility of taking 

 office, under Mr. Gladstone, as a Home Ruler. 



The year ended for him with a quiet family 

 party for Christmas. 



On January 9, 1886, he gave, at the Working 

 Men's College, his lecture on Reading, which 

 contained his list of best 100 books. He writes, 

 on January 21, that " there has been a great 

 deal in the papers about my 100 books." That 

 same 21st of January was the day of the first 

 meeting of Parliament for the momentous and 

 remarkable Session in which Mr. Gladstone was 

 defeated on the Home Rule Bill. Sir John notes 

 that " The Home Rulers took all the seats below 

 the gangway, so I had to move above, where, 

 however, they also mustered in great force." 



They were living this year, for the Parliament 

 season, at 33 Belgrave Square. 



He had an article on Books in the February 

 issue of the Contemporary Review, and observes 

 that the Education Commission was taking up a 

 great deal of his time. Nevertheless, as soon 

 as Parliament met, he introduced the Shop 

 Hours Regulation Bill, which limited the hours 

 of labour of young persons under 18, to 74 a week. 

 He got it through the second Reading on 

 February 18, and it was referred to a Select 

 Committee of which he was appointed Chairman. 

 The Committee took a great deal of evidence, 

 and not only reported in favour of the Bill, but 

 suggested a general Bill for Early Closing. 



The opponents of legislation on the question 



