268 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK oh, 



this time. After one of these, on May 6, he 

 writes : " First meeting of City Free Trade 

 Committee. They asked me to write them a 

 manifesto in favour of Free Trade. At 1.30, 

 meeting of Bankers. They asked me to write a 

 manifesto against the Budget, to be considered 

 next week. Meeting of the Council of Foreign 

 Bondholders at 3. Was re-elected President. 

 At the House of Lords carried three amendments 

 to the Government's Electric Lighting Bill, 

 against Municipal trading. Eric went back to 

 Eton. Shall miss him very much. 



"May 7. Golf at Richmond with Sir H. 

 Graham. Annual meeting of Selborne Society. 

 A large gathering and many interesting exhibits." 

 It all hardly reads like the journal of a man who 

 is feeling the weight of years and is shaking off 

 many of his burdens. Yet this, in fact, it is. 

 He spared himself no trouble, however, in the 

 campaign against Protection. 



Early in the year he had received a letter from 

 Mr. C. F. Mallet, who was acting as honorary 

 secretary to the Free Trade Union, asking him 

 to take the chair at a Free Trade Demonstration, 

 of a non-party character, to be held in London. 

 He assented to the request, and later notes in 

 regard to it : " Took the Chair at a Free Trade 

 meeting at the Queen's Hall, which was quite 

 full and admirably organised. The Prime 

 Minister, Balfour of Burleigh, Sir Swire Smith, and 

 H. Vivian spoke. I spoke about a quarter of an 

 hour, and was very well received." 



He had been invited, "as one of Charles 

 Darwin's oldest friends," to " make a short speech 



