212 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ch. 



for Committee. No notice of opposition nor a 

 single amendment was put down, so that the 

 friends of the Bill were not summoned. To our 

 great surprise both Lansdowne and Spencer 

 spoke against the Bill, and it was thrown out 

 on a motion of Wemyss. Felt some indignation, 

 but though the course was very unusual, am 

 satisfied that there was no intentional want of 

 fairness." 



A great domestic event of the year, besides 

 Eric's going to Eton, was the engagement and 

 marriage of his daughter, Irene, to Mr. E. H. 

 Pelham, son of the President of Trinity College, 

 Oxford. They became engaged at the end of 

 July, and were married in the beginning of 

 December. The younger daughter was thus 

 the first to be married. Mr. Pelham was in the 

 Education Office, and private secretary to Mr. 

 Birrell when the latter was head of the Board of 

 Education. 



On August 12, Lord Avebury took part 

 in rather a memorable ceremony, namely : 

 " Luncheon to the French Fleet at Westminster 

 Hall. It was a remarkable sight. I was between 

 Strathcona and M. le Ponsard, Chief Engineer, 

 Halsbury, Balfour, the Speaker, and Morley, 

 spoke for us — all well, especially Balfour. The 

 French seemed very pleased." 



An entry in his diary of two days later may 

 indicate his principal literary activities at this 

 time : " Am working at an article on ' Books,' at 

 new editions of The Scenery of Switzerland, The 

 Pleasures of Life, and Free Trade and at my 

 Botany book — also at speeches for the opening 



