VARIOUS ACTIVITIES 311 



painter was making for the Linnean Society. Sir 

 John records his impression of it as being " very 

 like, but, I think, too red." 



I do not know the occasion of the following 

 remonstrance, but presumably it was due to Sir 

 John having done Lord Palmerston the injustice 

 of denying him a jeu de mot which was rightly his : 



Bank of England, 

 3rd June 1891. 



My dear Lubbock — On what grounds is the best 

 joke I have ever heard made attributed to " a witty 

 Manchester man " ? 



The man who made it was Lord Palmerston, and to 

 myself. 



He had returned from a tour to Lancashire where he 

 had been well received, and I, on meeting him, by way 

 of something to say, called his attention to the distinction 

 between the revenues and expenditure of Liverpool and 

 Manchester, the latter spending much less on showy 

 buildings, but on useful things quite as much. To which 

 he answered, " Oh yes, it is the old story, ' light come, 

 light go ' with Liverpool. They have the local dues, 

 and if you change a letter it is explained in Deus nobis 

 haec otia fecit, — Dues, etc." 



I have often told the story, and I think at Manchester. 

 — Yours, H. R. Grenfell. 



By virtue of Sir John's efforts in composing 

 the Dock Strike, the Coal and Gas Companies' 

 difficulties, and other troubles between Labour 

 and Capital, his good influences as a pacificator, 

 in these conditions, became widely recognised 

 and were much sought. Of this recognition the 

 following appeal may be taken as good evidence. 



House of Commons, 

 June 11th, 1891. 



Dear Sir John Lubbock — In common with many 

 other of our fellow-citizens, we have noted the serious 

 differences which have arisen between the omnibus 



