LIBERAL

1p., 12mo. 8 lines. On aged paper with a small hole (not affecting text) and pin marks. He thanks him for his 'kind thought' in sending 'the Danish Images', adding: 'I assure you the present was a very welcome one to me.'

2pp., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. A very funny letter, written in the style that became known as 'birrelling'. He begins: 'Dear Sir. | I admire the enthusiasm which from the depths of an Office bearing the historically-ominous title of "Ministry of Food", & lodged in a once ducal mansion, can dictate (in type) so spirited a letter as your's [sic] of the 27th. ult. I wish I could believe in your vision of Three hundred Boys shouting Come - to an (almost) Septuagenarian Lecturer. It is of course all nonsense.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. 40 lines. In fair condition, creased and with minor damage to second leaf from previous mounting. Addressing Reed as 'Dear Charles', Curwen explains that when asked who he would like as chairman for a forthcoming meeting, 'it was natural I should mention you, because of our old regard'. He is sorry that his 'friends' applied 'again - after your declining'.

2pp., 12mo. On aged paper. He only received Goodrich's note on his return from London on the previous day, 'too late to attend the meeting which I certainly should have done to vote for Mr Sturge had I been able'. However he sees from the newspapers that 'his election took place all right | In haste | Yours very truly | [signed] Jesse Collings'.

2pp., 12mo. On bifolium. On aged and lightly-creased paper. The letter, written while Gladstone's Liberals were in opposition to Benjamin Disraeli's Conservatives, begins: 'Mr.

Each of the seven letters is 1p., 12mo. All fair, on lightly-aged paper, and each with rust staining from paperclip in top left-hand corner of page. In the first letter she thanks him for his 'charming letter', giving her 'a warm welcome as your new colleage'. In the second letter she apologies for being unable to attend a meeting of 'the Design Panel', as she has 'a broadcast on Sunday, and the B.B.C. are clamouring to have the script on Friday'. In the third letter she thanks him for 'enclosing Proof of The Housewives' Ultimatum'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In pencil. Lightly-aged and worn. In pencil, with deletions and emendations. Docketed in another hand on reverse of second leaf: 'MS. speech delivered at Guildhall Banquet by Lord Northbrook, First Lord of Admiralty - 9th Novr. 1883.' And with the following in the second hand at the head of the first page: 'Lord Northbrook's Speech - Nov. 9. 1883 at Guildhall'. A very short speech, well reported in The Times of 10 November 1883.

10pp., 12mo. Stapled and unbound as issued. Worn and stained, but with contents complete. Signed in type at end: 'ARNOLD LUPTON.

1p., 12mo. 11 lines in a somewhat shaky hand. Date added in pencil, presumably by Frederick. He is glad to learn that Frederick's wife has been 'deriving benefit from change of air & rest'. He counsels against the couple's returning to London, as this will 'run the risk that she should lose the benefit of either of these advantages'. If RIce's 'cold and inflammation should increase so as to be serious', he will let Frederick know and he can join him in London. In the meantime he urges him to 'stay quietly at your ease if you do not hear to the contrary'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The poem is of eighteen lines, and begins: 'I agree, my dear friend that whatever we feel | We are really no more than the "flies on the wheel." | And that there's little more which each one of [us] does | Than fluster & flurry & worry & buzz | But each has his place if he only could know it | But I doubt very much if my place is a poet!

1p., 12mo. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with short closed tear to one edge and traces of mount on blank second leaf of bifolium. Signature slightly smudged. Brassey writes that he has been 'detained at the House of Lords, where I have been acting as chairman of a private committee', and as a result 'found it impossible to go down to the Albert Docks yesterday afternoon'. The letter almost certainly relates to the Albert Dock Seaman's Hospital, which was officially opened the following year, as a branch of the Dreadnought Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich.

2pp., 12mo. 25 lines. Fair, on aged paper, with a few ink spots caused by clumsy blotting. He has 'gone through the papers referring to the case' in which Wyld is 'kindly interested', and finds 'that the decision of the Board is in accordance with its uniform rule in similiar cases. | Mr. Mayall received his appointment as Relieving Officer on the express stipulation that he should reside in Bodmin'. Mayall's 'removal would have been objected to by this Board without any adverse representation from Guardians of the District'.

1p., landscape 12mo. On creased and aged paper. The name of the recipient is not given. In reply to his letter 'I acquaint you that my return to Parliament for the Borough of Armagh is dated the 15th of December 1832 and that I have not been a Member of Parliament prior to the above period'.

1p., 12mo. On aged paper, with traces of grey paper mount adhering to the reverse. He thanks the unnamed male recipient for the 'very kind favor of the 23rd. Instant': 'my Parliamentary duties & business engagements demand so much of my time that I am obliged to decline, with but very rare exceptions indeed, all invitations of the character named'. He asks the recipient 'to have me excused complying with your wishes'.

1p., 8vo. Fair, on aged and lightly-worn paper. The letter begins: 'If the only son of a widow, upon whose earnings the mother depends, does not volunteer, he will, if unmarried, and of military age, be entitled to appeal for exemption from the Military Service Act. Mr. Walter Long expressly stated in the House of Commons that it was the intention of the authorities to exempt such cases.' Simon goes on to discuss the position of 'the Local Tribunal', and to point out the position of those who attest. He has added in pen: 'Appeal must be made before March 2nd'.

1p., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Bryce writes that he has not forgotten Hackett's 'invitation to the American Booksellers Association's banquet' in New York, but that it is unlikely that he will be able to attend 'seems to be extremely small, so that I must ask you not to announce me as being present.

2 pp, 12mo. He is only in Putney for a day, and does not expect to be able to see Schnadhorst. Sir Charles Dilke 'says that Oct. 13 is fixed for Halifax, and that he is not sure that he may not be able to go there after all'. If this is so, 'it would be best to change my day at Newport from the 13th. October'. He will tell '', and would be grateful to Schnadhorst for arranging another day.

4to, 1 p. Good, on aged paper, with light traces of mount on reverse. Giving the results of his enquiries 'with regard to the statement attributed to one of our Inspectors by a speaker at the January Educational Conference at University College', with reference to W. N. Bruce.

The three items are clear and complete: good, on lightly-aged paper, with the two autograph letters carrying traces of the leaf of the album to which they were attached. First Autograph Letter: 4to, 1 p. Thanking Stuart, now that his 'campaign is over for the time being', for 'the very full, fair and accurate reports of all my meetings, which you have published in the Daily News'.

Folio, 1 p. Twenty-six lines. Text clear and complete, with three minor autograph corrections. On wove paper with an American watermark. Good, on aged paper.

4to, 1 p. Nine lines. Text clear and complete. On bifolium of paper watermarked 'J WHATMAN | 1855'. Aged and lightly-stained. Reads 'I have the Honor to inform you that Parliament having been called to meet on Thursday the 3d of December Business of great Importance will then immediately be brought forward, and I trust that it may be consistent with your Convenience to attend in your Place in the House of Commons on that Day'. From the papers of James Wyld (1812-1887), cartographer and Member of Parliament for Bodmin.

12mo, 4 pp. 64 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He was 'mistaken about the Marylebone Election - Having been a prisoner so much lately' he had 'not seen many electors & those whom I saw thought it was too late & regretted to see a split in the liberal party'. He 'did not influence a single vote being too unwell to take any part in it'. He 'left town to escape the excitement'. He has 'already troubled our new Representative with a little Parliamentary Business', and is sending Wyld 'some documents on the same subject by the Book post'.

Both 12mo, 2 pp. On bifoliums, the first with mourning border. Both texts clear and complete. Aged and lightly creased, with the first item bearing traces of being mounted in an album. Letter One: He hopes to be 'present at the next Sessions', and will be 'quite prepared after the County business is over, to attend the Committee of Subscribers to Sir William Heathcotes Portrait'.

12mo, 1 p. Ten lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. He does not have 'sufficient information' to give an opinion on the question his unnamed correspondent refers to, 'namely whether a 5 days a week system would be preferable to Miners to an uniform 8 hours a day work'. The question is 'quite new' to him, and he 'must reserve an opinion till I know more about the subject'. Later in 1892 Shaw-Lefevre would be appointed First Commissioner of Works in Gladstone's government.

12mo, 3 pp. 30 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. His 'answer to Mr. King' is that 'under the present system the Post Office is completely under the control of the Treasury, and the Post Master General is little more than a clerk of the Treasury. The Treasury looks at the questions submitted to them from the point of view of the Exchequer and with a view to obtaining a continually growing revenue from the Post Office'. Suggestions for improvement of the service are 'continually & systematically refused'.

12mo, 2 pp. 13 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. His unnamed correspondent has 'done no end of good by rousing the attention of the Engineering World to the Portsmouth Question'. He is engaged on 20 April, and so will be prevented from availing himself of 'Col Grey's Offer'.

On both sides of a piece of paper 25.5 x 41 cm. 44 lines. Fair, on aged paper. The upper part of the first page laid down on card, resulting in loss of text. Begins 'I am of opinion that no partnership was created between Mr. H. D. Kingdon & Mr. Newman by the Indenture of 1838 sufficient to bar the former on an action upon that deed.' The document dates from the year in which Cockburn took silk. H. D. Kingdon was author of 'The Old English Mastiff' (London, 1873).

Folio, 3 pp. On two pieces of paper, 33 x 41 cm. 84 lines. Clear and complete. Fair, on aged and lightly-discoloured paper. The reverse of the last leaf is docketed '1848 | Abstract of the Title to Haskins Orchard in Payhembury Devon'. The upper part of the first page carries the last part of a deed of covenant, transcribed in another hand, with a query in the left-hand margin in Jessel's autograph, initialed by him. Beneath this, and continuing to the end of the third page, is Jessel's opinion, beginning 'I have perused this abstract on behalf of Mrs.

On both sides of a piece of paper 33 x 41.5 cm. 39 lines. Text clear and complete. In good condition, on laid paper. The lower part of the last leaf laid down on piece of card, with no loss of Atherton's text. Atherton gives his response to three queries, the latter part of the second, and whole of the third of which are present, in another hand (totalling twelve lines), at the head of the first page. Atherton ends his statement: 'Until however it shall have been ascertained what course Braddick means to pursue on the 20th., and also whether Mr.

Typescript (folio, 2 pp), with a couple of manuscript corrections. Fair, on aged paper, with light marks from a paperclip at head. Thirty-six line poem, in heroic couplets, with 'W E G. Christmas 1869' at end, beginning 'Happy the gamester, on whose earliest throw, | Grim Fortune frowns, and cuts his treasure low; | But hapless he, whom luck shall onward lure, | She only means to make his ruin sure.' Made for Sir Robert Joseph Phillimore, of the Courant, Henley on Thames, judge, Liberal MP and lifelong friend of Gladstone's.