COFFEE DUTY AND BELLAIRS 153 



Mr. Gladstone's proposal. A few days afterwards 

 a meeting was called in the tea room of the House 

 of Commons {a most appropriate place), where I was 

 introduced to Sir Wilfrid Lawson, who informed me 

 of his determination to oppose the proposal, as he 

 thought it was a heavy discouragement to the con- 

 sumption of a valuable and pleasant beverage, and 

 a substitute for alcoholic liquor. Mr. Gladstone 

 postponed the consideration of that part of the 

 budget which received violent opposition, and it 

 was not until July that the confirmation of his 

 proposals was passed with some modifications. Still 

 in the result very heavy penalties were enacted, 

 quite sufficient to deter the greater portion of the 

 XxzA^ front selling duty-paid date coffee. In the 

 meantime the consumption fell from tons to cwts. 

 week by week, so what with this, the German fiasco, 

 and the collapse of the trade, together with the 

 lawsuit brought by Mr. Ffarrington Bellairs for a 

 return of his money and exemption from calls on his 

 shares, the destruction of this marvellously success- 

 ful company was effected. The Bellairs trial came 

 on in due course before Mr. Justice Lopes, and, 

 I need scarcely observe, was eagerly watched by the 

 people of the Stock Exchange, who were very 

 jealous of a company that had achieved success with- 

 out their assistance. Chiefly, I believe, through the 

 eloquence of Sir Charles Russell — now Lord Russell 

 of Killowen — with his masterly management of the 

 case, plaintiff obtained a verdict, although we, the 

 directors, considered it was dead arainst the welofht 



