XXXV POLITICAL, SOCIAL, LITERARY 151 



letter " from the Duke of Devonshire pressing 

 him to reconsider this decision. This was 

 followed by a letter from Lord Belper, as to 

 which he writes : " Had a friendly letter from 

 Belper and a long talk with him in the House of 

 Lords. I am in hopes they will not oppose us 

 next year." And the conclusion of the matter, 

 for the moment, was that he consented to re- 

 election to the Chairmanship. 



Early in March he had interviews on the 

 same subject on two successive days with Lord 

 Ritchie, after the last of which he writes : "I 

 hope something may be done," and again, two 

 days later, he saw the same Minister again. A 

 month later he writes : " Had a very satis- 

 factory interview with Sir K. Digby about the 

 Early Closing Bill, which I am going to re- 

 introduce, and think we settled everything satis- 

 factorily." On April 28 he " arranged with 

 Lord Salisbury to take the Early Closing Bill 

 on Monday next. I believe the whole Committee 

 will support." But again his hopes and all 

 present prospect of passing the Bill were defeated, 

 for on the Monday he writes : " Brought in the 

 Early Closing Bill, with Salisbury's clauses. 

 The Government having declined previously to 

 alter it, on the ground that it would be a new 

 Bill, now turned round and said it was the same, 

 and moved the ' previous question.' " 



Thus for the time being all his work had 

 availed nothing, though later it served its purpose, 

 for the Government, finding the Shopkeepers 

 strongly in its favour, brought in the Bill them- 

 selves. 



