UNITED STATES AND CANADA 47 



make he answered straightforwardly that his instruc- 

 tions were confidential. He never for an instant 

 manifested any impatience or showed any disposi- 

 tion to make people " mind their own business," 

 which is a prominent characteristic in the average 

 English official." 



On the morning of Saturday, November 19, Sir 

 Lionel West called and took us all over to the 

 State Department, when we were introduced to 

 Mr. Bayard, who made himself very agreeable. He 

 subsequently escorted us all to the White House just 

 opposite, to be presented to the President, who re- 

 ceived us in his office. Seated in a revolving chair, 

 he chatted principally with Mr. Chamberlain on 

 commonplace topics, but made no allusion to the 

 object of our Mission. 



Grover Cleveland was born at Caldwell, New 

 Jersey, in 1837, so was just fifty at this time. In his 

 early days he had seen a good many ups and downs, 

 when " dollars " had been none too plentiful ; but 

 he was a man of determination and a hard worker. 

 He was called to the bar in 1859, and for some time 

 practised law at Buffalo, where he rose to be District 

 Attorney. In 1881 he became Mayor of Buffalo, 

 in 1883 Governor of New York, and in 1884 he was 

 elected President of the United States in the Demo- 



