150 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ch. 



12 Park Crescent, Portland Place, 

 February 14,th, 1902. 



My dear Lord Avebury — I regret that there is 

 no prospect of my being able to attend the House on 

 Tuesday. 



I also much regret to learn that Lord Salisbury, after 

 all the additional evidence obtained by the Committee, 

 should still hesitate. 



The only objection that I have heard raised to a 

 Measure so manifestly conceived in the best interests 

 of the health and well being of the Community, is that 

 it might possibly interfere with the convenience of the 

 purchaser. But this has, it seems to me, been most 

 adequately guarded against in the Bill. — Believe me, 

 very sincerely yours. Lister. 



On February 18 Lord Avebury moved the 

 Second Reading of the Bill, saying that he had 

 not introduced vs^ords to carry out Lord Salisbury's 

 suggestion, as he thought the Government had 

 better draft their own words, and he would accept 

 them. Much to his surprise the Government 

 declined to accept this proposition, and threw 

 out the Bill by 57 to 26. Lord Salisbury was 

 absent from the House. Had he been present 

 it is unlikely — so at least Lord Avebury believed 

 — ^that this would have occurred. He notes in 

 his diary : " Bishop of Winchester, Spencer and 

 Rosebery were for us : Belper, Wemyss, Hard- 

 wicke and the Chancellor against." He seems 

 to have felt the defeat rather keenly, and a few 

 days later wrote to decline re-election as Chair- 

 man of the Liberal Unionist Council on account 

 of the line taken by the Government on the Bill, 

 and also wrote a letter of expostulation, at the 

 same time, to Lord Belper. His refusal to 

 consent to re-election as Chairman of the Party 

 Council drew what he speaks of as "a very kind 



