XXVI POLITICAL REMINISCENCES 5 



continues to limit it to that amount, I think that he 

 will very shortly find himself alone in that opinion. 



I was glad to see that his late colleague, Mr. Courtney, 

 who signed the report with him, has announced this 

 morning, in your columns, that he has advanced since 

 then in his opinions, and has now come to the conclusion 

 that gold has been getting dearer and dearer every day. 



In any case I think my friend Sir John will have some 

 difficulty in convincing unfortunate landowners that the 

 fall in rents has been only nominal, and that, " so far 

 from any real fall, there has been an actual rise of 10 

 per cent." — I am your obedient servant, 



Henry Chaplin. 



21, Berkeley-square, Jan. 27.^ 



Athenaeum Club, 

 Jan. 30, 1893. 



To the Editor of the Times. 



Sir — Mr. Chaplin's letter does not answer the point 

 which I raised. I should not, however, ask you to be so 

 good as to insert another letter from me but for his 

 remark that I shall " have some difficulty in convincing 

 unfortunate landowners that the fall in rents has been 

 only nominal." 



Perhaps you will allow me to point out that I said 

 just the reverse. My contention was that, if there has 

 been a rise of 30 ^ in the value of gold, as he supposes, 

 then the fall in rents is to that extent only nominal ; 

 and that if, as he and I both believe, the fall in rents is 

 a real fall, then there can be no such appreciation of gold 

 as he supposes. — I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 



John Lubbock.^ 



On March 21 he moved a strongly worded 

 resohition in the House, respecting the hours of 

 workers in shops. At first the papers expressed 

 the view that it was too strong, and much opposi- 

 tion was prophesied. 



The forecast, however, was not reahsed. It 

 was found that the shopkeepers themselves 

 were strongly in favour of the suggestion ; the 



1 The Times of Jan. 30, 1893. = Ibid. Jan. 31, 1893. 



