240 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ch. 



much, that I really feel the boy is as keen as I 

 am, and does not only do it out of affection," 



Except for a few colds and minor ills, he was 

 in excellent health and vigour all through this 

 year, playing golf energetically, and giving his 

 breakfast and other parties. One of his breakfast 

 guests, who also came to his house at other times 

 as a visitor, was probably the most popular man 

 in England that year — " Mark Twain." 



In February he was asked by the New York 

 press to telegraph his views as to a reform of 

 the American Currency, which was urgently 

 needed. His observations in reply were ex- 

 tensively circulated in the United States. 



On the 25th he brought in a Bill to amend 

 the law relating to Debentures, on behalf of 

 the Bankers, the Chambers of Commerce, and, 

 in fact, the whole commercial community. A 

 recent decision had reversed the commonly re- 

 ceived interpretation of the law, and thrown 

 things into confusion. The Bill passed the House 

 of Lords, and the Government introduced its 

 provisions into their Companies' Act Amendment 

 Bill, which covered other ground as well. In 

 May, when the Bill itself came up, he proposed 

 several other amendments which were agreed to 

 in the Lords. His views on Free Trade met 

 with a good deal of kindly response in France, 

 where the question of income-tax was being 

 discussed at this time. The following letter on 

 the subject is interesting both on its own account 

 and for Lord Avebury's reply : 



