284 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ch. 



Under these circumstances Sir John protested, 

 and declined to accompany the Lord Mayor. 



The Dock Directors were more than a little 

 indignant, thinking that the Lord Mayor should 

 have heard both sides, and positively refused the 

 proposal. 



Next week the Lord Mayor again begged Sir 

 John to attend a meeting at the Mansion House. 

 The leaders of the men attended, and eventually 

 a compromise was arrived at, and Cardinal 

 Manning agreed, notwithstanding his great age, 

 to go to Poplar and lay the proposition before the 

 men. 



The following is Mr. Buxton's account of the 

 Cardinal's interview with the representatives of 

 the men : 



The Mansion House, London, E.C., 

 Sept. 11/89. 



Dear Sir John — I write this at the request of Cardinal 

 Manning — and I have read it over to him. 



Yesterday evening, as arranged, he and I met the 

 whole of the Strike Committee (with few exceptions) at 

 Poplar. 



After a very prolonged and animated discussion, and 

 very great opposition at first on the part of many of the 

 men present, probably of the large majority, the enclosed 

 resolution was ultimately passed — practically unanim- 

 ously — and signed by the Executive Committee. 



In yours and the Lord Mayor's inevitable absence 

 from town, Cardinal Manning and myself saw Mr. 

 Norwood privately this afternoon, and laid the resolution 

 before him. 



He will officially lay it before his Board at 2 o'clock 

 to-morrow — until which time the matter is absolutely 

 private. 



The proposition is practically that which we urged on 

 the men on Monday, and which it was understood you 

 would be prepared, in conjunction with the Lord Mayor, 

 to press on the Board, if the men would accept it in 

 writing — and this they have now done. 



