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diff --git a/43701-8.txt b/43701-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ba4fc93..0000000 --- a/43701-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7179 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Recollections of a Busy Life, by William B. Forwood - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Recollections of a Busy Life - Being the Reminiscences of a Liverpool Merchant 1840-1910 - -Author: William B. Forwood - -Release Date: September 12, 2013 [EBook #43701] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RECOLLECTIONS OF A BUSY LIFE *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Michael Forwood, Martin Pettit -and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -RECOLLECTIONS OF A BUSY LIFE. - -[Illustration: _Painted by S. Walters._ _Engraved by R. G. Reeve._ - -VIEW OF THE PORT OF LIVERPOOL, 1836.] - - - - -RECOLLECTIONS OF A BUSY LIFE - -BEING THE REMINISCENCES - -OF A LIVERPOOL MERCHANT - -1840-1910. - -BY - -SIR WILLIAM B. FORWOOD D.L. J.P. - -ILLUSTRATED WITH SEVENTEEN PLATES - - "_Work for some good, be it ever so slowly; - Cherish some flower, be it ever so lowly; - Labour! True labour is noble and holy._" - -LIVERPOOL: -HENRY YOUNG & SONS -1910. - - -TO MY CHILDREN -AND -GRANDCHILDREN. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -Many of the following pages were written for private circulation. -Influential friends have, however, urged me to publish them, as they may -appeal to a wider circle of readers. I have consented, with diffidence, -but have availed myself of the opportunity to add some chapters upon -local affairs, which I trust may be of public interest, and recall -pleasing memories of bygone times. - -W. B. F. - -BROMBOROUGH HALL, -_December 1st, 1910_. - - - - -A FOREWORD. - - -There are but few men whose lives are worthy to be written for general -publication, but there are many who have accumulated recollections and -experiences which must be interesting and instructive to those of their -own kith and kin, and it is for these I am about to jot down a few -reminiscences of a life which has been largely spent in public work--in -helping to build up the fortunes of a great seaport, in the local -government of an important Municipality, and in the administration of -Justice. Should these pages fall into the hands of friends I am sure -they will be read with kindly and sympathetic feelings, and strangers -will, I hope, accord to them the consideration and indulgence due to a -narrative written only for private publication. - -Life is said to be short, but when I look back upon the events which -have crowded into mine I seem to have lived a long time, and one cannot -but reflect that if the prospect had always looked as long as the -retrospect, how much more patience and deliberation might have been -thrown into the ordering of one's affairs, and how entirely this might -have altered the course of events and changed the goal of one's -endeavours. It is perhaps a merciful and wise ordinance that no man can -reckon beyond the day that is before him, and therefore each day should -be so lived as to be typical of our life; for it is the only portion of -time of which we may truly say it is our own, and at our own disposal -for good or for evil. - -As each life, therefore, has its ambitions--small or great--its -conquests, its trials, and its failures, so each day has to bear its own -burden of trials and anxieties; and as the daily life is lived, and the -daily task accomplished, so will our life's work be fulfilled; but how -few there are who can look back and say their lives have been a success, -and that they have accomplished all they should or all they might have -done. - -A great philosopher and thinker, who passed away only recently, stated, -on the Jubilee of his Professorship, when his contemporaries were saying -that future generations would proclaim him as having accomplished -greater things than Sir Isaac Newton, that "his life had not been a -success, that he had given his time and his mental powers to the -solution of practical problems of everyday life rather than to the -claims of the higher philosophy;" and so, in our more humble spheres -each of us must feel that we have neglected opportunities, and perhaps -the opportunities which we most regret having neglected are those by -which we could have done good to our fellow-men, and not those which -made for the satisfying of our ambition. - -There can be no isolation more dreary than the isolation of an old age, -cut off by the lack of training and habit from sympathy with humanity, -alone in its selfishness, untouched by the joy of feeling and caring for -others. But even short of this isolation of a selfish old age, there -must come to all of us a feeling of disappointment that our part in -helping forward the well-being of others has not been larger and more -fruitful: - - - "Frail is the web the tired worker weaves - Left incomplete: - Fair was life's promise, scanty are its sheaves; - What are its laurels, but a few sere leaves - Withering beneath our feet." - - -I will, however, cease to moralise, and will conclude with this thought -which, I think, forms an appropriate preface to an autobiography. - -How much greater would be the sum total of human happiness if men would -accept as their guide the experience of those who had gone before! How -many disasters might be avoided! How many successful careers might be -shaped and built up! But I suppose as long as men are as they are they -will refuse to accept the experience of others, but will make their own, -and through blunders and mistakes a certain proportion will arrive at -success, but a larger proportion will struggle on, on the ragged edge -and under the cold shade of adversity until the end of their days. - -W. B. F. - -BROMBOROUGH HALL, -CHESHIRE, -_January 21st, 1910_. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - -A FOREWORD. - PAGE. -CHAPTER I.--EARLY YEARS 1 - - My Father 2 - Edge Hill 4 - Everton 5 - Bootle 5 - Seaforth 6 - The "Great Britain," s.s. 7 - Wrecks on the Seaforth shore 8 - Walton 10 - Aigburth 10 - The Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone 12 - His last speech 13 -1848--Waterloo and Southport Railway: Opening 15 - Edge Lane 16 - Early School-days 17 - Home Life 21 - Wavertree Park 23 - - -CHAPTER II.--VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD 25 - -1857--Sail in the "Red Jacket" 25 - Australia 26 - West Coast of South America 27 - Easterly gales in the Channel 28 - - -CHAPTER III.--LIVERPOOL 31 - - Liverpool in 1860-1870 32 - The Town 33 - The Docks 35 - The Dock Board 37 - Election 38 - Birkenhead 39 - Bootle 41 - The Exchange 42 - Cotton Brokers 44 - Commerce 47 - Shipowners 48 - Merchants 49 - The American War of 1861-1865 51 - Blockade Running 53 - The Southern Bazaar 55 - The Volunteer Movement 55 - Intellectual Life 57 - Society 60 - - -CHAPTER IV.--BUSINESS LIFE 64 - - My Father's Office 64 - Financial Panics, 1857-1866 65 -1861--Wrecked in the "Great Eastern" 67 -1861--Arrested in New York 69 - Leech, Harrison and Forwood 71 - My brother Arthur 72 - - -CHAPTER V.--PUBLIC LIFE, 1867 78 - -1868--President Philomathic Society 78 - Professor Huxley 78 -1868--Elected to the TOWN COUNCIL: Early Experiences 79 - CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: - 1870--Elected Vice-President 80 - 1871-1874--President of the Chamber 80 - 1878-1881--Elected President of the - re-constituted Chamber by the votes of the - subscribers to the Exchange News Room 80 - 1870--Fellow Royal Statistical Society 80 -1872--President of the American Chamber of Commerce 81 -1873--Chairman of the Joint Committee of the Northern - Towns on Railway Rates 81 -1877--President United Cotton Association, the precursor - of the Cotton Association 82 -1877--President of the International Cotton Convention 83 -1880--Mayor of Liverpool 83 - Visit of General Sir Frederick Roberts 83 - Visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales 84 - The Opening of the North Docks 84 - Fenian Scare 85 -1903--Lord Mayor 87 - - -CHAPTER VI.--THE FENIAN TROUBLES 88 - -1882--Attempt to blow up the Town Hall 88 - Infernal Machines 90 - The Pensioner's cork leg 91 - Thanks of the Home Secretary 92 - - -CHAPTER VII.--THE TOWN COUNCIL 93 - - The Town Hall--Its Hospitality 97 - Work in the City Council 100 -1868-1882--WATCH COMMITTEE 100 - Burning of the Landing Stage 101 -1870-1884--WATER COMMITTEE: The Vyrnwy Scheme 102 - Hawes Water 102 -1874-1886--PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE 106 - Chairman 106 - Extension of the Boundaries 106 - The Manchester Ship Canal 107 - The Dock Board and the Bridgwater Canal 108 -1887--CORPORATION LEASEHOLDS: Chairman of Special - Committee to enquire into 109 - Report 110 -1908--ESTATE COMMITTEE: Chairman 110 - - -CHAPTER VIII.--LIBRARY, MUSEUM AND ARTS COMMITTEE 112 - -1889--Chairman 114 -1908--Extension of Free Libraries 114 - Mr. Carnegie 115 - The Museum Extended 116 - The Art Galleries 117 - Among the Studios 118 - Lord Leighton 118 - Mr. Greiffenhagen 119 - Sir John Millais 120 - Sir Hubert Herkomer 121 - Sir John Gilbert 122 - Mr. Whistler 123 -1908--Retired from the Committee 123 - Mr. R. D. Holt 128 - - -CHAPTER IX.--KNIGHTHOOD AND FREEDOM OF LIVERPOOL 130 - -1883--KNIGHTHOOD: At Windsor Castle 130 - HONORARY FREEDOM OF CITY OF LIVERPOOL 131 - - -CHAPTER X.--POLITICAL WORK 141 - - Party politics in Liverpool 141 - Conservative Whip 142 -1865--S. R. Graves, M.P. 143 -1873--John Torr, M.P. 143 -1868--Viscount Sandon, M.P. 144 -1880--Edward Whitley, M.P. 144 - Mr. Rathbone, M.P. 145 -1868--Election, South-West Lancashire: Mr. Gladstone - and Mr. R. A. Cross 145 -1869--Chairman Waterloo Polling District 146 -1880--Chairman of the Southport Division 146 -1886 {The Hon. George A. Curzon 146 -to { -1899 {Mr. Curzon Member for Southport 147 - Lord Curzon's work as the Viceroy of India 149 - Duties of a Chairman of a Division 151 - Free Trade and Protection 152 - - -CHAPTER XI.--JUDICIAL WORK 154 - -1873--Placed on Liverpool Bench 154 -1882--Placed on Lancashire County Bench 154 -1900--Placed on Cheshire County Bench 154 -1890--Deputy-Chairman of Quarter Sessions, West Derby - Hundred 154 -1894--Chairman of Quarter Sessions 154 -1894--Chairman of the County Bench 155 -1894--Chairman of the Licensing Justices 155 - Chairman of the Visiting Justices, Walton Jail 157 -1902--Appointed a Deputy-Lieutenant for Lancashire 154 -1909--HIGH SHERIFF FOR LANCASHIRE 159 - Interesting Ceremony at Lancaster Castle 161 - The King and Queen at Knowsley 162 - - -CHAPTER XII.--BLUNDELLSANDS, BROMBOROUGH & CROSBY - - Blundellsands 164 - Crosby Grammar School 166 - Bromborough 168 - - -CHAPTER XIII.--DIRECTORSHIPS 171 - -1889--Chairman Overhead Railway 172 -1893--Opening by the Marquis of Salisbury, - Prime Minister 173 -1898--Chairman of the Bank of Liverpool 176 -1888--Director of the Cunard Company 177 - Some incidents 179 - Castle Wemyss 181 - Making of the Cunard Company 181 - Liverpool and Mediterranean Trade 182 - White Star Line 184 - Mr. T. H. Ismay 185 - Sir Alfred Jones, K.C.M.G. 186 -1888--Director Employers' Liability Assurance Company. - - -CHAPTER XIV.--THE CHURCHES 188 - - The Church, 1860-1870 188 - Dr. McNeile 189 - Dr. Ryle, first Bishop of Liverpool 190 - Nonconformists 192 - THE BUILDING OF A CATHEDRAL 194 - Early History 194 - Chairman of Executive Committee 198 - Foundation-stone laid by the King 199 - Consecration of the Lady Chapel 201 - Convocation 203 - Church Congress 204 - New York Cathedral 204 - - -CHAPTER XV.--PHILANTHROPY, CHARITABLE AND SOCIAL WORK 206 - - Crusade against intemperance 207 - Workmen's dwellings 208 - Local workers 209 - - -CHAPTER XVI.--THE SEAMEN'S ORPHANAGE, ETC. 211 - -1905--ROYAL COMMISSION ON MOTORS 212 - - -CHAPTER XVII.--THE EARL OF DERBY 215 - - Appointments to the County Bench 215 - Prince Fushimi of Japan 220 - - -CHAPTER XVIII.--TRAVELS 223 - - Improvements in Modern Travel 223 -1871--Franco-Prussian Battlefields 225 -1891--Costa Rica 225 - Jamaica 228 -1892--Mexico 228 - Conversion of Mexican Southern Railway Bonds 229 - President Diaz 230 -1905--America: Tour with Lord Claud Hamilton 235 - President Roosevelt 236 -1906--The Desert of Sahara 238 - The Count's Garden, Biskra 240 - Egypt 243 -1907--India: Impressions of 244 -1906--Lord Clive: The result of a Motor Tour 250 - - -CHAPTER XIX.--RECREATIONS 253 - - Yachting 253 -1874--Obtained Certificate from the Board of Trade as a - Master Mariner 255 - Windermere: Happy Days 256 - History of the Royal Windermere Yacht Club 257 - Yacht Racing Association 258 - One of the Founders 258 - Member of the Council 258 - Chairman of the Committee of Measurement 258 - Royal Canoe Club 258 -1879--Rear-Commodore Royal Mersey Yacht Club 257 - Gardening 259 - Orchids 260 - - -CHAPTER XX.--OBITER DICTA 261 - - Success in Life 263 - Observation 266 - Imagination 267 - Integrity 267 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - -Liverpool, 1836 _Frontispiece_. - -Shaw's Brow _Facing page_ 34 - -Dock Offices 37 - -The Old Liverpool Exchange 42 - -The Town Hall 93 - -Laying Foundation Stone, Vyrnwy 102 - -Free Libraries 112 - -"Ramleh," East Front 162 - -Bromborough Hall, Garden Front 168 - -The Old Dutch Garden 170 - -The Lady Chapel, Liverpool Cathedral 201 - -Fatehpur Sikri 244 - -Benares 245 - -The Himalayas 248 - -The Taj Mahal 249 - -Yachting on Windermere 256 - -Portrait 261 - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -EARLY YEARS. - - -A Great City--its people and its institutions, as seen by a contemporary -presents incidents that do not specially appeal to the historian, who is -more concerned with the larger features and events which mark its -growth; but those incidents may serve as sidelights upon the movements -and the spirit of the times, and woven round the outlines of a life -which has been threaded in the weft of its activities, may afford a -background to bring into more prominent relief and give juster -proportion to the characters and the actions of the men who have built -up its prosperity. - -My story will therefore be of the men and the incidents of my time, -which I think may perhaps possess more than a passing interest, and I -hope serve to awaken pleasant memories. - -As I do not intend to write a record of my family life, which with its -abounding happiness--some great sorrows--successes and -disappointments--must be a sacred thing, I shall only make such -references to my family, or to those friends still happily with us, as -may be necessary to my narrative. - -My great-grandfather, who was born at Plymouth, was a Lieutenant in the -Royal Navy and served on board the "Foudroyant." He was killed in -action, and his widow, in recognition of his courage, was awarded a Post -Captain's pension. She had one son, my grandfather, George Forwood, who -came to Liverpool, where in 1812 he joined Mr. John Moss as partner in -the Otterspool Oil Works (Mr. Moss was the father of the late Sir Thomas -Moss, Bart.). My grandfather appears to have been a man of considerable -ability. Mr. Hughes, in his _History of Liverpool Bankers_, describes -him as "an exceedingly able man, possessing some public spirit." His -published letters and pamphlets on economic subjects show that he took -much interest in the pressing questions of the day, and was very active -in promoting the repeal of the Corn Laws and in the amendment of the -Poor Laws. - -My father, the late Thomas Brittain Forwood, was born in Russell Street -in 1810, and was educated at Dr. Prior's school in Pembroke Place; he -received what was known as a good classical education, and up to the -close of his life his knowledge of Latin was fresh and accurate, and he -could quote freely and aptly from Latin authors. - -He was gifted with a love for mechanics, and he claimed to have made a -locomotive when a boy, using as cylinders two surgical syringes. - -He entered the office of Leech, Harrison and Co. in 1824, when he was 14 -years of age, became a partner at the age of 27, and retired in 1862, -when he purchased the estate of Thornton Manor, in Cheshire; here he -resided for the remainder of his life. My father was endowed with a -quick and bright intelligence, and was a most excellent correspondent in -days when letter writing was a fine art. He had a love and capacity for -hard work. - -He was too much absorbed in his own business to take an active part in -public life, but he was for a time a vice-president of the Chamber of -Commerce, and took a leading part in the effort to obtain a reduction in -the railway charges levied upon Liverpool traffic. He was for twenty-two -years a member of the Mersey Dock Board, and chairman of the Traffic -Committee. After he retired from business he became a magistrate for the -county of Cheshire, and greatly interested himself in the restoration of -Chester cathedral. - -He died at his London house, in Regent's Park, December 18th, 1884, and -was buried at Thornton Hough, Cheshire. My mother was a daughter of -William Bower, the founder of the firm of William Bower and Sons, cotton -brokers. My grandmother, Mrs. Bower, was left a widow when quite young, -but must have been a woman of much ability, for during the minority of -her eldest son, for several years she carried on the business, going -down to the office every day. In this she was actively assisted by the -late Mr. Geo. Holt, the founder of the firm of Geo. Holt and Co., with -the result that when her son came of age the business was one of the -largest and most prosperous on the Cotton Exchange. I often heard her -speak with gratitude of the noble self-sacrifice of Mr. Holt during all -these years. - -I was born at Edge Hill, Liverpool, in 1840--it gives some perspective -to this date when we remember that the year 1839 witnessed the first -publication of Bradshaw's Railway Guide, and the inauguration of the -penny post. It was the year after the accession and marriage of Queen -Victoria, and one of the last of the dark years of the fiscal policy of -Protection in England; so that I may claim that my seventy years have -witnessed a material progress on every side, which has been simply -marvellous, and has eclipsed in the brilliancy of achievement any former -period in the history of our country. The use of the steam-engine has -been increased and extended until it has become the handmaiden of every -industrial occupation; and following in its train we have seen the -development of the spinning jenny, and the blast furnace. And to-day we -see that steam is being dethroned from its high position by the -electrical dynamo and the hydraulic ram, and the turbine is taking the -place of the reciprocating engine. The internal combustion engine has -been invented, and the motor-car is rapidly superseding the horse-drawn -vehicle; while the biplane and monoplane have given a reality to -aviation which never entered the most visionary dreams of a few years -ago. - -My father's house at Edge Hill overlooked the grounds of Mount Vernon -Hall and the gardens of the vicarage; to the east were open fields, with -a few large villas dotted about. Fashionable Liverpool still dwelt in -the large Georgian houses fringing Everton Hill, which looked down upon -one of the loveliest views imaginable. In the foreground were the trees -and woods which ran along what is now Netherfield Road; beyond these the -river flowed; in the distance the Wirral peninsula stretched out, backed -by the Welsh hills. But the town of Liverpool was pushing its way up to -Everton, and San Domingo Road was ceasing to be fashionable; while -Aigburth, Prince's Park, and Edge Lane were rapidly becoming the most -popular suburbs of the fast-rising seaport. - -Soon after I was born my father removed to Marsh Lane, Bootle, and there -were few more charming spots at that time. I remember the grand trees -which encircled Bootle Hall and overarched Marsh Lane; here dwelt in -sylvan retreats the Mathers, the Birches, and the Tyrers. The trees -extended down to the sea-shore, where Miller's Castle stood sentinel--a -modern building remarkable for its keep and battlemented walls. About -half a mile nearer Liverpool there was a row of large houses, known as -Fort Terrace; here one of my uncles lived. The garden ran down to the -sea-shore, and we as boys passed out of the garden to bathe. The Canada -dock is built on the site of Fort Terrace. - -My father removed again, further out, to Seaforth, to a large house on -the Crosby Road, facing an open space known as "Potter's Field," which -was bounded on the further side by the shore. I was sent to school at -Mrs. Carter's, a celebrated dame's school, where many young Liverpool -boys were educated. Mr. Arthur Earle was one of my classmates. Seaforth -was a very prettily wooded village, fine elm trees margining the highway -right up to the canal at Litherland. The village at that time contained -two other important schools, Miss Davenport's and the Rev. Mr. Rawson's. -Mr. Rawson was Vicar of the Parish. Mr. Gladstone, Lord Cross, and Dean -Stanley were educated at Mr. Rawson's. Mr. Rawson was very fond of -telling the story of Mr. Gladstone, when a boy, spending his holiday -afternoons lying before the fire reading Virgil; even in those days he -had formed great expectations of his pupil's future career. Seaforth -vicarage stood between the church and the railway, and was surrounded by -large gardens. Litherland was also a charming rural village, containing -many grand old elm trees, and several large houses. Waterloo was a -rising seaside place, very fashionable in the summer; here Liverpool -merchants occupied cottages, for in those times a cottage at the seaside -was the usual method of spending the summer: fishings in Norway, moors -in Scotland, and tours all over the world not then being in vogue. - -Our home at Seaforth commanded a very beautiful marine view. I remember -seeing the "Great Britain" sail, and the same night she was stranded on -the coast of Ireland. For years the "Great Britain" was regarded as one -of the wonders of the world. She was considered to be such a leviathan -that people said she would never pay, and I believe she never did; her -tonnage was under 4,000 tons. She remained the largest ship afloat for -many years. The "Great Britain" went ashore in Dundrum Bay on the 22nd -September, 1846, and was refloated and towed to Liverpool, August 25th, -1847. She remained for some time in the North Atlantic trade, was -afterwards engaged in the Australian trade, and subsequently was -converted into a four-masted sailing ship. Her final use was as a coal -hulk at the Falkland Islands. - -I also saw the Glasgow steamer "Orion" sail on her fatal voyage. She was -stranded on the Mull of Galloway, and many lives were lost; this was in -1850. - -Very frequently after the prevalence of easterly winds, the entire -channel between the Rock Light and the Crosby Lightship was crowded with -ships, large and small, working their way out to sea--a lovely sight. I -have frequently counted over 300 sail in sight at one time. - -On the Bootle shore, somewhere about where the Hornby dock is situated, -there stood two high landmarks--very conspicuous objects marking the -fairway through the Rock Channel, then very much used; they linger in my -memory, associated with many pleasant donkey rides around them. Bootle -church in those days had two towers, and the old church was quite as -ugly as the one now existing. The Dock Committee built the sea wall of -the Canada dock some time before the docks were constructed. I remember -about the year 1848 seeing seven ships wrecked against this sea wall; -they had dragged their anchors and were driven ashore by a north-west -gale. Wrecks on the Bootle and Seaforth shores were quite common -occurrences. The farmers in the district fenced their fields with timber -from ships stranded on the shore, and the villagers were not above -pilfering their cargoes. The barque "Dickey Sam" with a cargo of tobacco -from Virginia was stranded on the Seaforth sands in 1848, and an -onslaught was made on her cargo by the villagers; and to protect it, my -father organised a body of young men to stand guard over it--not an easy -matter, as the hogsheads of tobacco were strewn along the beach for -several miles. His efforts were rewarded by the underwriters presenting -to him a silver salver with an appropriate inscription. - -Access to Seaforth and Waterloo from Liverpool was afforded by a -four-horse 'bus, which ran in the morning and evening; express boats -also sailed along the canal in summer, starting from the bridge at -Litherland. It was a pretty walk through the fields to Litherland, and -a charming sail along the canal to the wharf in Great Howard Street. - -Riding on horseback on the sea-shore was a very favourite pastime. Many -business men rode into town, keeping to the shore as far as Sandhills -Station. - -On the road to Liverpool, and midway between Bootle and Liverpool, -surrounded by fields, were the ruined walls of Bank Hall, which for 500 -years had been the residence of the Moores, one of the most celebrated -Liverpool families; they were large owners of property, and for that -long period were closely identified with the public life of the little -town. - -The Hall had been pulled down and the materials used for the erection of -the large stone farm buildings and an important farm-house. In my -boyhood days the barns and farm-house still remained, and also the -ancient garden wall, flanked with high stone gate-posts and surmounted -by large carved stone urns, such as were common in the early Georgian -period. A deep and wide ditch ran along the front of the wall, which was -part of the old moat. The Ashcrofts were the tenants of the farm, and I -can remember making hay in a field which would be about the site of the -present Bankhall railway station. Further along again, in Great Howard -Street, stood the jail, commonly called the French prison, many French -prisoners of war having been confined there during the Peninsular war. - -Near Sandhills Station there stood a large house, surrounded by trees, -the residence of John Shaw Leigh, one of the founders of the present -Liverpool. I remember being taken to see the icehouse in the grounds, -which formed a sort of cave. Walton was a very pretty village, and -remained so until a comparatively recent date; its lanes were shaded by -stately trees, amid which there nestled the charming old thatched -cottages which formed the village. The church, the mother church of -Liverpool, was a landmark for miles, and amid its rustic and rural -surroundings was picturesque and romantic. Near at hand were Skirving's -nursery gardens, quite celebrated in their time. - -The southern end of the town preserved its suburban aspect for a much -longer period. Aigburth Road and its great elm trees remained untouched -by the builder of cottages until quite recent times. Prince's Road was -made in 1843, and was margined on either side by fields, which for long -years remained in a more or less ragged condition, some of the land -being occupied by squatters, living in wooden tenements such as we are -familiar with when property lies derelict, past cultivation, but not yet -ripe for the builder. - -Aigburth Road and St. Michael's Hamlet retained their charming and -picturesque features until such a recent period that I need not dwell -upon them. Few towns had more attractive and beautiful suburbs; now the -tramways have encouraged the building of small property in every -direction, and suburban Liverpool is almost destroyed. The area -available for residences has always been limited to the east and south, -owing to the proximity of St. Helens, Wigan, Widnes, and Garston. It -would have been a wise policy if our City Fathers had set apart a -sanctuary for better-class houses, from which tramways were excluded, -and thus avoid driving so many large ratepayers to the Cheshire side to -find a home. - -My sketch of Seaforth and its neighbourhood would not be complete unless -I say a word about several rather celebrated houses which existed in the -district. One was Seaforth Hall, long known as "Muspratt's folly." Mr. -Muspratt, who built the house, and who lived and at the age of 96 died -in it, had the prescience to see that the sandhills, which he bought for -a nominal price, would some day become a part of Liverpool, and he had -also the enterprise to erect one of the finest houses about Liverpool. -Another important house was Seafield, near Waterloo, the residence of -Dr. Hicks; it was surrounded by a large park. This has since been laid -out and built over, and is now known as Waterloo Park. The third -interesting house was Seaforth House, the residence of Sir John -Gladstone, and where his famous son spent his young days. In the -'seventies Mr. Robertson Gladstone, the brother of the Premier, had a -scheme to modernise the old family house, which his brother, Mr. W. E. -Gladstone, who owned the property, allowed him to carry out. Mr. -Robertson Gladstone was my colleague on the Watch Committee, and he -invited me to go out with him to see the alterations he was making, -which I found comprised the construction of a large circular saloon in -the centre of the house. This was a very fine apartment, but it ruined -the rest of the house, making all the other rooms small and ill-shaped. -The house never found a tenant, and some years after, when Mr. W. E. -Gladstone sold his Seaforth estate, it was pulled down. - -When Mr. Robert Holt was Lord Mayor, in 1893, Mr. W. E. Gladstone -visited Liverpool to receive the Freedom of the City. He sent for me to -the Town Hall, and said he understood I was the chairman of the Overhead -Railway, and he wanted to know where we had placed our station at -Seaforth. I told him it was on the south side of the old Rimrose Brook, -and gave him some further particulars. He at once replied, "I remember -as a boy catching what we called 'snigs' in the Rimrose Brook, and from -what you tell me your station is on the north side, and as a boy I -played cricket in the adjoining field, from whence in the far, far -distance we could see the smoke of Liverpool." From enquiries I have -made I find Mr. Gladstone's memory as to the position of the brook was -more accurate than my own. It was a considerable stream and the -cobble-paved highway of Crosby Road was carried over it by a high white -stone bridge. Before leaving the Town Hall Mr. Gladstone asked me if I -knew Seaforth House. On my saying yes, he replied, "What a mess my -brother Robertson made of it!"--alluding to the incident already -mentioned. - -Perhaps I may here interpose another recollection of Liverpool's great -son. When the late Lord Derby was Lord Mayor I was deputed to assist him -when my services were required. One day he sent for me and showed me a -letter he had received from Mr. Gladstone expressing his wish to address -a Liverpool Town's meeting on the Bulgarian Atrocities. Mr. Gladstone, -in a magazine article, had recently used strong language in reference to -the Sultan of Turkey, calling him an assassin. Lord Derby considered it -would not be proper for such language to be used at a Town's meeting, -but he added, "Mr. Gladstone was above everything a gentleman, and if he -received his promise that he would avoid strong language he would be -quite satisfied and would take the chair." Mr. Gladstone at once -assented. The meeting was held in Hengler's Circus. It was crowded from -floor to ceiling. Mr. Gladstone arrived with Mrs. Gladstone, and after a -few introductory remarks by the Lord Mayor, Mr. Gladstone rose to speak. -Walking with the aid of a stick to the front of the platform, placing -his stick upon the table, he clutched hold of the rails and "let himself -go," and for an hour and a quarter he poured out a perfect torrent of -eloquence which held the audience spellbound. It was a great oration, -remarkable not so much for what he said, as for the marvellous restraint -he was evidently exercising to avoid expressing himself in the forcible -language which he considered the circumstances demanded. He was much -exhausted after this great effort; Mrs. Gladstone had, however, some -egg-flip ready, which seemed to revive him. This was Mr. Gladstone's -last great speech; it was fitting it should be delivered in his native -city. - -There was another house at Seaforth which I must also mention, Barkeley -House, the residence of Mr. Smith, commonly known as "Square-the-Circle -Smith," from the fact of his claiming to have solved this problem. Mr. -Smith was the father of Mr. James Barkeley Smith, who for many years did -good work in the City Council. A sketch of the Seaforth of those days -would not be complete without a reference to Rector Rothwell of Sefton, -reputed to be one of the most beautiful readers in the Church; he drove -down to the shore in his yellow gig, winter and summer, and bathed in -the sea. Another grand old man was Archdeacon Jones, who succeeded his -son as the Incumbent of Christ Church, Waterloo, and who died at the age -of 96. I look back upon his memory with reverence, for he was a charming -man; his presence was dignified, his features refined, almost -classical, and he was endowed with a soft, silvery voice, and, both as a -reader and preacher, he was greatly appreciated. I must mention a -touching little incident. About two years before he died he broke his -leg. I called with my wife to see him; before leaving he begged us to -kneel down and he gave us his blessing, expressed in simple but -beautiful language, and spoken with deep feelings of love and kindness. - -I must now revert to my story. The railway from Waterloo to Southport -was opened in July, 1848; it was called the "Shrimpers' Line," and it -was thought it would never pay, as there was apparently no traffic. I -remember, as a small boy, seeing the first train start from Waterloo; -the occasion was a visit made by the directors to inspect the bridge -over the river Alt, and my father was one of the party. The train -consisted of two first-class coaches, and it was drawn by three grey -horses, driven by a man seated on the top of the first coach. Some time -after I saw the first locomotives brought from Liverpool. The Crosby -Road was good enough, but the roads leading from the main Crosby Road to -Waterloo were simply sandy lanes, and along these the heavy lorries, -which carried the locomotives, had to be hauled. It was a work of great -difficulty, as the wheels of the lorries sank up to their axles in the -deep sand. - -The railway was opened from Waterloo to Southport for some years before -it was extended to Liverpool. To-day this line is probably the most -profitable part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire system. - -In 1849 my father bought a house in Edge Lane, then a very charming and -attractive suburb. After passing Marmaduke Street, Edge Hill, there were -no houses in Edge Lane on the south side until Rake Lane was reached. -Here were the residences of Sir John Bent, Mr. George Holt, and others. -The north side of Edge Lane, from the Botanic Gardens up to Laurel Road, -was fringed with villas, surrounded by large gardens containing many -fine trees, and the houses in this part were large and handsome; many of -them still remain. Among those who then resided in Edge Lane were James -Ryley, William Holt, F. A. Clint, Simon Crosfield, Mr. Lowndes, and -Dashper Glynn. Mr. Heywood lived in Edge Lane Hall, then considered a -house of much importance, surrounded as it was by a pretty park. - -The principal events which dwell in my memory as having taken place at -this time are the Fancy Fair held in the Prince's Park, in aid of our -local charities, a very brilliant affair; and the opening of the great -exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park. It was a matter of grave consideration -with my parents if I was of sufficient age to appreciate the exhibition, -but in the end I was allowed to go to London; and I can only say, for -the benefit of all youngsters of 10 and 11 years, that I greatly -enjoyed that magnificent display, and it produced a lasting impression -upon my mind. I recall at this day every detail. The wonderful show of -machinery impressed me most, but the weaving of cloth and the various -industrial processes were all of absorbing interest to my youthful mind, -so much so that on one day I lost my party, and had to find my way back -to our lodgings. Fortunately, half-a-crown had been placed in my pocket -for this contingency, and with the help of a friendly policeman I had no -difficulty. - -The building of the church of St. John the Divine, at Fairfield, greatly -interested me, and during my holidays I was taken up to the top of the -tower to lay the first stone of the steeple. When the church was -consecrated in 1854, Bishop Graham, of Chester, lunched at the -"Hollies," my father being the chairman of the Building Committee. - -After spending two years at a dame's school at Kensington, I was sent to -the upper school of the Liverpool Collegiate. I was placed in the -preparatory school, under the Rev. Mr. Hiley. From the preparatory -school I proceeded to the sixth class. My career was by no means -distinguished; four times a day I walked up and down from Edge Lane to -school. My companions were Tom and Hugh Glynn; they, like myself, made -but little headway. Dr. T. Glynn is now one of the leaders of our -medical profession, and a short time ago I asked him how it was that we -as boys were so stupid. He replied that our walk of eight miles a day -exhausted all our physical and mental energies, and we were left good -for nothing; and I might add we had in those days little or no -relaxation in the shape of games. There was a little cricket in the -summer, but this was the only game ever played, so that our school-days -were days of unrelieved mental and physical work, which entirely -overtaxed our strength. The Rev. J. S. Howson, the principal of the -Collegiate, was very much beloved by the boys. I was a very small boy, -but not too small for the principal to notice and address to him a few -kindly words; in after life, when he became Dean of Chester, he did not -forget me. His sympathy and love for boys and his power of entering into -their feelings made him a very popular head-master. - -At the age of 14 I was sent to Dr. Heldenmier's school at Worksop, in -Nottinghamshire, where the Pestalozzian system of education was carried -on. It was a celebrated school; many Liverpool boys were there with me, -the Muspratts, Hornbys, Langtons, etc., and though we worked hard we had -plenty of relaxation in the workshop and the playing fields, besides -long walks in the lovely parks that surround Worksop, and which are -known as the Dukeries. During these walks we were encouraged to -botanise, collect birds' eggs, etc., and the love of nature which was in -this way inculcated has been one of the delights of my life. The noble -owners of these parks were most kind to the boys. We were frequently -invited to Clumber, the residence of the Duke of Newcastle, who was -Minister of War. The Crimean war was then being waged, and we considered -the duke a very great person; and a few words of kindly approbation he -spoke to me are among the sunny memories of my school days. The Duke of -Portland, who was suffering from some painful malady, which caused him -to hide himself from the world, was also always glad to see the boys, -and to show us the great subterranean galleries he was constructing at -Welbeck; but our greatest delights were skating on the lake at Clumber -in winter, and our excursions to Roch Abbey and to Sherwood Forest in -the summer. The delight of those days will never fade from my memory. We -used to return loaded with treasures, birds' eggs, butterflies, fossils, -and specimens of wild flowers. In the autumn Sir Thomas White always -gave us a day's outing, beating up game for him; this we also greatly -enjoyed; and how we devoured the bread and cheese and small beer which -the keepers provided us for lunch! - -We were taken by the directors of the Manchester, Sheffield and -Lincolnshire Railway to the opening of the new docks at Grimsby. The -directors had a special train which stopped to pick up the boys at -Worksop. Charles Dickens was of the party. On the return journey, I was -in his carriage; he gave me a large cigar to smoke--the first, and the -last cigar I ever smoked, for the effect was disastrous. - -My school days at Worksop were happy days. We spent much time in -studying the natural sciences; we became proficient in joinery and -mechanics; and there was a nice gentlemanly tone in the school. My great -friend was George Pim, of Brenanstown House, Kingstown, Ireland. We -never lost sight of each other. He entered the office of Leech, Harrison -and Forwood, and became a partner with us in Bombay, and afterwards in -New York; he died there in 1877, at the age of 34. A fine, handsome, -bright fellow; to me he was more than a brother, and his like I shall -never see again. The friend of my boyhood, of my young manhood, my -constant companion; he was a good fellow. - -Richard Cobden's only son was at Worksop, a bright, handsome boy. His -father doted upon him, and often came down to visit him, when he took -some of the boys out to dine with him at the "Red Lion"; he was a very -pleasant, genial man, fond of suggesting practical jokes, which we -played off on our schoolmates on our return to school. Poor Dick Cobden -was too full of animal spirits ever to settle down to serious school -work. He had great talent, but no power of application. He died soon -after leaving Worksop. - -When at Worksop I distinguished myself in mathematics, and my master was -very anxious I should proceed to Cambridge, but my father had other -views, and thought a university training would spoil me for a business -career. I have ever regretted it. Every young man who shows any -aptitude should have the opportunity of proceeding to a university, but -in those days the number of university graduates was small, and the -advantage of an advanced education was not generally recognised. Life -was more circumscribed and limited, and a level of education which -suited our forefathers, and had made them prosperous men, was considered -sufficient: more might be unsettling. The only thing to be aimed at and -secured was the power and capacity to make a living; if other -educational accomplishments followed, all well and good, but they were -considered of very secondary importance. - -Our home life was quiet and uninteresting, very happy in its way because -we knew no other. Our greatest dissipations were evening parties, with a -round game of cards; dinner parties were rare, and balls events which -came only very occasionally. Sundays were sadly dull days; all -newspapers were carefully put away, and as children we had to learn the -collect and gospel. Our only dissipation was a short walk in the -afternoon. Oh! those deadly dull Sundays; how they come up before me in -all their depressing surroundings; but religion was then a gloomy -business. Our parsons taught us Sunday after Sunday that God was a God -of vengeance, wielding the most terrible punishment of everlasting fire, -and only the few could be saved from his wrath. How all this is now -happily changed! The God of my youth was endowed with all the -attributes of awe-inspiring terror, which we to-day associate with the -evil one. It is a wonder that people were as virtuous as they were: -there was nothing to hope for, and men might reasonably have concluded -to make the best of the present world, as heaven was impossible of -attainment. In my own case, partaking of the Holy Communion was fraught, -I was taught, with so much risk, that for years after I was confirmed I -dare not partake of the Sacrament. What a revolution in feeling and -sentiment! How much brighter and more reasonable views now obtain! God -is to us the God of Love. We look around us and see that all nature -proclaims His love, and the more fully we recognise that love is the -governing principle of His universe, the nearer we realise and act up to -the ideal of a Christian life. Love and sympathy have been brought back -to the world, and we see their influence wrought out in the drawing -together of the classes, in the wider and more generous distribution of -the good things of life, and in the recognition that heaven is not so -far from any of us. We see that as the tree falls so will it lie; that -in this life we are moulding the life of our future, and that our heaven -will be but the complement of our earthly life, made richer and fuller, -freed from care and sin, and overarched by the eternal presence of God, -whose love will permeate the whole eternal firmament. - -Charles Kingsley was one of the apostles of this new revelation, which -brought hope back to the world, and filled all men with vigour to work -under the encouragement which the God of Love held out to us. It has -broadened and deepened the channels of human sympathy and uplifted us to -a higher level of life and duty. - -During my school days I spent several of my summer holidays in Scotland -with my mother, who was a patient of Professor Simpson in Edinburgh, and -usually resided two or three months in that city. One summer holiday I -stayed with old John Woods, at Greenock. He was the father of -shipbuilding on the Clyde. He was then building a wooden steamer for my -father to trade between Lisbon and Oporto. Another summer holiday I -spent with Mr. Cox, shipbuilder, of Bideford, in Devon, who was building -the sailing ship "Bucton Castle," of 1,100 tons, for my father's firm. -The knowledge of shipbuilding I obtained during these visits has been of -incalculable value to me in after life. Another of my summer vacations -was occupied in obtaining signatures to a monster petition to the -Liverpool corporation praying them to buy the land surrounding the -Botanic Gardens, and lay it out as a public park. I stood at the Edge -Lane gate of the Botanic Gardens with my petition for several weeks, and -I obtained so many signatures that the petition was heavier than two men -could carry. - -I am glad to think it was successful, and the Wavertree Park has -contributed greatly to the pleasure and enjoyment of the people of -Liverpool, and has been the means of preserving to us the Botanic -Gardens. I think it was one of the most useful things I ever -accomplished. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. - - -Leaving school I entered the office of Salisbury, Turner and Earle, one -of the oldest and leading brokerage houses in the town. The partners -were Mr. Alderman John H. Turner (remarkable for the smallness of his -stature), Mr. Horace Turner, and Mr. Henry Grey. My senior apprentice -was the late Colonel Morrison. I had not been very long in this office -when I contracted a very severe cold, the result of being out all night -on Ben Lomond. I had gone up with my father and a party of friends to -see the sunset; on the way down I lost my way, and finding myself with -darkness coming on, in very boggy land, I sat down on a rock to await -daylight. Heavy rain fell and I was soaked through, which resulted in a -cold that took such a strong hold of me that the doctor ordered me a sea -voyage, and on the 20th November, 1857, I set sail on board the clipper -ship "Red Jacket," for Melbourne. The gold fever was at its height, and -the passenger trade with Australia was very active. Our ship was crowded -with passengers; she was the crack clipper of the day, and carried a -double crew, that she might be enabled to carry sail until the last -moment. We had a very pleasant passage and beat the record, making Port -Phillip Heads in sixty-three days. - -I visited the gold fields at Ballarat, making the journey from Geelong -by stage-coach, drawn by six horses, the roads being mere tracks cut -through the bush. I descended several of the mines; at this time the -alluvial deposits had been worked out, and most of the mines were being -worked at a considerable depth. At Melbourne I stayed with Mr. -Strickland, at a charming villa on the banks of the Yarra-Yarra. Leaving -Melbourne, I took a steamer for Sydney, where my father had many -business friends, and had a very good time yachting in the bay and -riding up country. I managed to lose myself in the bush, and for a whole -day was a solitary wanderer, not knowing where I was. It was a period of -strange sensations and of much anxiety. Eventually, late in the evening -I came across a shepherd, who gave me the best of his simple fare and -guided me to the nearest village. - -From Australia I sailed in a small barque, the "Queen of the Avon," for -Valparaiso; she was only 360 tons register, and I was the only -passenger. - -The voyage across to Valparaiso was eventful. We had bad weather -throughout, and a heavy cyclone which did us great damage about the -decks. We were hove to for two days with a tarpaulin in the mizzen -rigging. We sailed right through the storm centre, where we had no wind, -but a terrific and very confused sea, and here we saw hundreds of -sea-birds of all kinds. At Valparaiso we obtained a charter to load -cocoa at Guayaquil. We had a lovely cruise up the coast, and the sail up -the river to Guayaquil was heavenly; we had the panorama of the Andes on -our right, with the richly verdured island of Puna on the other hand; -flocks of flamingoes were wading in the shallow sea channels, and -pelicans were busy fishing along the margins of the sandbanks. At -Guayaquil we had some good crocodile shooting, not the easiest game to -bag. These reptiles had to be stalked in the most approved fashion; -although they lay seemingly basking and asleep in the sun, with their -great mouths wide open, their ears were very much on the alert, and it -was most difficult to come within shot. We succeeded better from a boat -than from the land, for by allowing the boat to drift with the tide we -were able to get within easy shot without being heard. - -I visited Bodegas and some of the Indian villages at the foot of the -Andes. The whole country was very interesting, and very rich in tropical -birds and flowers. There were too many snakes to make travelling quite -comfortable, but in time we found they all did their best to get away -from us, and we gained more confidence. - -I had a little adventure in Guayaquil which might have been very -unpleasant. There was a revolution, and the government troops had only -just regained possession of the city; I had the misfortune to walk -unwittingly through a barricade, which consisted of some half-dozen -ragged black soldiers, who quite failed to suggest to me a military -outpost. I was at once arrested and taken to the jail. Here I remained -for some hours surrounded by the most horrible looking ruffians, and was -in mortal dread of the time when I should be locked up with them in one -of the foul dens which led off the court-yard. I was fortunately set -free through the kind intervention of an American who had been a witness -of my capture and incarceration. - -At Guayaquil we loaded a cargo of cocoa and sailed for Falmouth for -orders. We arrived off this port in November, 1859, after an uneventful -voyage of 110 days. We tacked the ship off the Manacle Rocks, at the -entrance to the harbour; the wind flew round to the east, and we were -driven out again into the chops of the channel; it was twenty-four days -before we again saw Falmouth. We fought our way against a succession of -easterly gales, sometimes driven out as far west as the Fastnet. The -fleet of ships kept out by the long continued easterly winds was very -large, and the Admiralty was obliged to dispatch relief ships with -stores for their succour. - -No one who has not experienced an easterly gale in the Channel can form -any idea of the toil of a constant fight against a succession of heavy -gales, cold and bleak with sleet and snow. Sometimes the wind would -decrease and we were able to make some headway, and perhaps work our -way within sight of the Scilly Islands, raising our hopes of an early -arrival at our port, then another gale would spring up and drive us back -again to the west of Ireland, and the same thing was repeated over and -over again. The Channel was full of ships detained by adverse gales, and -the home markets were disorganised by the lack of supplies of raw -produce. All this is now a thing of the past, steamers are independent -of head winds, and winter easterly gales no longer strike terror into -the hearts of shipowners and merchants. - -Whilst on this voyage, to relieve the monotony of the daily routine of -sea life, I taught myself navigation, took my trick at the wheel, and -had my place aloft when reefing next to the weather earing, where I -worked with an old man-of-war's man named Amos. Amos was a noble -specimen of the old-fashioned British sailor. He was the king of the -fo'castle, and while he was on hand no swearing or bad language was -heard. The knowledge I then obtained of navigation and seamanship has -been most valuable to me through life. It was a great opportunity, which -I was wise enough to avail myself of. During the whole time I was on -board this ship--nearly eight months--I never missed taking my trick at -the wheel, or going aloft to reef. I well remember laying out on the -fore yardarm, off Cape Horn, for two hours, while we got a close reef -tied. We had to take up belaying pins to knock the frozen snow and ice -off the sail before we could do anything, and the ship was labouring so -heavily in the seaway that our task was most difficult. In navigation I -became so proficient that I could work lunars with ease, and after the -passage home of 110 days without seeing land I placed the position of -the ship within three miles of her true position, near the Wolf Rock, -Land's End, the old captain being ten to twelve miles out in his -longitude. I remember feeling very proud of my good landfall. I told the -old skipper that I thought we should see land at noon. He smiled and -replied that we should not make it before three o'clock. I went aloft on -to the fore yard-arm at one o'clock, and had not been there many minutes -when I shouted "Land Ho!" I saw the sea breaking over the Wolf Rock. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -LIVERPOOL. - - -Liverpool occupies the unique position of having filled two important -places in the history of England. There was, firstly, the little town -clustered round about its castle, and holding a charter from King John -dated 1207, its estuary affording a safe haven for the trifling commerce -passing between England and its sister island, Ireland. Thus situated it -had to bear its part in the political movements and the foreign and -civil wars which for long years harassed and distressed the country and -checked its progress. Although the six centuries which intervened -between 1200 and 1800 are filled with many incidents which clothe this -portion of the history of Liverpool with much that is picturesque and -romantic, at the close of the eighteenth century we still find Liverpool -a small if not insignificant place, with a population in 1790 of only -55,000, while the tonnage of her shipping was only 49,541 tons. - -This may be said to close the history of "old" Liverpool. With the dawn -of the nineteenth century a new Liverpool sprang into existence. The -opening of the American trade, the peace of 1814, and the introduction -of steamships, gave an enormous impetus to the growth of the trade of -the port and laid the foundations of that vast and world-wide commerce -which has made the name of Liverpool synonymous with the greatest -achievements in commerce and in science. The building of the Liverpool -and Manchester Railway, the mother of railways, the docks, and the -bridging of the Atlantic by what is practically a steam ferry, will ever -stand out as epoch making. - -Thus in little over a hundred years Liverpool has grown from a small -town into a great city, the city of to-day. - - -LIVERPOOL IN 1860-1870. - -My story must, however, begin with the 'sixties, when I commenced my -business career. The growth of the city and its commerce has since been -fully commensurate with the growth of the country. In the fifty years -which have intervened the Empire has doubled its area and population, -and the United Kingdom has trebled its trade. The population of -Liverpool, including the newly added areas, has during the same period -increased from 433,000 to 750,000, and the tonnage of our shipping from -4,977,272 tons to nearly 17,000,000 tons. She conducts one-third of the -export trade and one-third of the import trade of the United Kingdom, -and she owns one-third of the shipping of the kingdom, and one-seventh -of that of the world. It has been a privilege to have been engaged in -the commerce of the port during this remarkable expansion, and to have -been associated with the conduct of public affairs during this period of -growth and development in the city. Very much of this has been due to -the enterprise and enlightenment of her own people. Liverpool shipowners -have been in the vanguard of steamship enterprise, which has contributed -so greatly to her prosperity; her merchants have built up her great -trade in cotton and grain, and her citizens have not been slow to -promote every sanitary improvement which made for the health and -well-being of her people. - -During the past fifty years the town has been re-sewered, the streets -paved with an impervious pavement, and a new water supply has been -introduced. The city has been encircled by a series of public parks and -recreation grounds, baths and washhouses have been established, free -libraries have been opened in the various suburban centres of -population, cellar dwellings have been abolished, and rookeries in the -shape of courts and tenement houses have been done away with, and in -their place clean and comfortable working-men's cottages and flats have -been substituted. The curse of drink has been effectively checked by the -closing of twenty-five per cent. of the public-houses. To quote from -Professor Ramsay Muir's interesting _History of Liverpool_: "Thus, on -all sides and in many further modes the city government has, during the -last thirty years especially, undertaken a responsibility for the health -and happiness of its citizens unlike anything that its whole previous -history has shown, and if any full account were to be given of what the -city as a whole now endeavours to do for its citizens much ought also to -be said of the extraordinary active works of charity and religion which -have been carried on during these years." - -The Liverpool of to-day is a city very different from the Liverpool of -the 'sixties and 'seventies, indeed it is difficult to recognise them as -being one and the same; the streets remain, but they are widened and -improved, and their inferior and often squalid surroundings have -disappeared; and if our modern architecture is not always of the best, -our new buildings at least impart dignity and importance. Shaw's Brow, -with its rows of inferior, dingy shops, a low public-house at the corner -of each street, has given way to William Brown Street, adorned on one -side by our Museum, Libraries, Art Gallery, and Sessions House, and the -other by St. George's Hall and St. John's Gardens. The rookeries which -clustered round Stanley Street, and were occupied by dealers in old -clothes and secondhand furniture, have been replaced by Victoria Street, -which is margined by banks and public buildings. The terrible slums -which surrounded the Sailors' Home and Custom House, veritable dens of -iniquity, have disappeared. - -[Illustration: _Drawn by William P. Herdman._ - -NORTH SIDE OF SHAW'S BROW, -NOW WILLIAM BROWN STREET.] - -[Illustration: _Drawn by William P. Herdman._ - -SOUTH SIDE OF SHAW'S BROW, -NOW WILLIAM BROWN STREET.] - -The dirty ill-paved town is now the best paved and the best scavenged -town in the United Kingdom. With the growth of the town and the -extension of tramways, residential Liverpool has been pushed further out -until it can get no further, and it is now finding its way into -Cheshire. No private dwelling-house of any importance has been erected -on the Liverpool side for many years. The charming suburb of Aigburth -has long since been destroyed, but the greatest change has taken place -in the docks. The old docks have had to be remodelled to give sufficient -depth of water and quay space for the larger vessels now employed, and -special docks have had to be constructed for the Atlantic steamship -trade. In the 'sixties the Prince's dock was filled with sailing ships -trading to India and the West Coast of South America. They discharged on -the west side and loaded on the east side. It was quite a common thing -for a sailing vessel to occupy four and five weeks loading her outward -cargo. On the walls of the docks and on the rigging of the ships, -posters were displayed notifying that the well-known clipper ship ----, -A1 at Lloyd's, would sail for Calcutta or Bombay, and giving the agent's -name, etc. - -At the south end of the Prince's dock was the George's basin, a tidal -basin through which ships going into the Prince's or George's dock -entered. I remember seeing one of Brocklebank's Calcutta ships, the -"Martaban," enter this basin under sail; it was done very smartly, and -the way in which the canvas was taken in and the sails clewed up and -furled, was a lesson in seamanship. The George's dock was dedicated to -schooners, mostly fruiterers from Lisbon or the Azores, and during the -herring season fishing boats used to discharge in one corner, the fish -girls going down planks to get on board to buy their fish. The Mariners' -church, an old hulk in which Divine Service was held every Sunday, -occupied another corner. - -The Albert dock was filled with East Indiamen discharging their cargoes -of sugar, jute, and linseed, and tea clippers from China; they loaded -their outward cargoes in the Salthouse dock, which adjoined; further -south again, the King's and Queen's docks were occupied by small foreign -vessels, trading to the continental ports. The old New York liners, -sailing ships, loaded in the Bramley Moore dock; and the docks further -north, the Canada being the most northerly, were filled with steamers -trading to the Mediterranean, and the Cunard and Inman lines of -steamers. - -To-day one may hunt from one end of the docks to the other without -finding a dozen sailing ships larger than a schooner. With the exit of -the sailing ship much of the romance has been taken out of the life of -Liverpool. It was a joy to walk round the docks and admire the smart rig -and shipshape appearance of the old sailing vessel. The owner and -captain, and, indeed, all connected with her, became attached to their -ship and took a pride in all her doings. In those days the river Mersey -was a glorious sight with probably half a dozen or more Indiamen lying -to an anchor, being towed in or out, or sailing in under their own -canvas. - -[Illustration: Photo by Randles. - -MERSEY DOCKS AND HARBOUR BOARD OFFICES.] - -The river Mersey, at all times beautiful with its wonderful alternations -of light and its brisk flowing waters, has never been so beautiful since -the old sailing ship days, when at the top of high water the outward -bound fleet proceeded to sea, and the entire river from the Pier Head to -the Rock Light was filled with shipping of all sizes working their way -out to sea, tacking and cross tacking, the clipper with her taut spars -and snow-white canvas, and the small coaster with her tanned sails all -went to make up a picture of wonderful colour and infinite beauty. - - -THE DOCK BOARD. - -There is no branch of the public service of which Liverpool people are -more proud than the administration of the Mersey Docks and Harbour -Board. The members of the Board have always been recruited from our -leading merchants, shipowners, and brokers, and they have been fortunate -in selecting as their chairmen men of exceptional ability. I can -recollect Charles Turner, M.P., Robert Rankin, William Langton, Ralph -Brocklebank, T. D. Hornby, Alfred Holt, John Brancker; and the Board is -to-day presided over by Mr. Robert Gladstone, who worthily maintains the -best traditions of his office. - -Of late years the members have been elected without any contests, but it -was not always so. In the 'seventies there were severe contests, which -arose not upon questions of personal fitness, but were prompted by trade -rivalries. It had become the fashion for the various trades to nominate -members who would look after the particular interests of their trade. -Jealousy was aroused if one trade obtained larger representation than -others. The interests of the steamship owners were opposed to those of -the sailing-ship owner. The one wanted allotted berths to secure -dispatch, the other quay space free and unappropriated. Cotton men -wanted special facilities for cotton, and the timber people yard space -for the storage of timber and deals. Each trade had its associations, -and in addition there was a ratepayers' association, which sought to -break up this system of trade delegation by electing independent men. -The payment of £10 in dock dues gave a vote. So faggot votes were easily -and extensively manufactured. Shipowners and merchants qualified every -clerk in their employ. The nomination of members took place on the 1st -January, and the election on the day following. The elections were hotly -contested, but always in a gentlemanly way, and with much good humour. -It required skill to fill up the voting papers so as to secure a -majority for any particular candidate. - -Among those who busied themselves over these elections I remember -William Johnston, Robert Coltart, Worsley Battersby, Edmund Taylor, -Arthur Forwood, G. B. Thomson, George Cunliffe, and James Barnes. - -The ratepayers' association accomplished much good by the election of -some men of independence. My particular desire at this time was to try -and induce the Board to fund their debt. It was felt that such a large -floating debt was not only cumbrous and inconvenient, but in times of -financial stress, or with a cycle of years of bad trade, might be a -source of danger. I urged the funding of the debt on the nomination -days, and also through the press and Chamber of Commerce. It met with -the strong opposition of the Board, led by Mr. Brocklebank, but in -course of time after the Corporation had taken the lead, the Dock Board -wisely funded a portion of their debt. - -The gradual increase of steamers, the passing of the sailing vessel, and -the large share of the trade of the port being now conducted by -"liners," have to a very large extent done away with trade rivalries; -hence the little interest now taken in the Dock Board elections. - -The present generation scarcely know that the docks were up to 1857 -administered by a Committee of the Corporation. In my young days -Liverpool people were very sore and angry at the action of Parliament -in foisting upon them the Birkenhead docks. These docks had been -constructed by a private company, and were insolvent and a hopeless -failure. Birkenhead had, however, powerful influence in Parliament, and -stoutly opposed any extension of the Liverpool docks, contending that -the Birkenhead docks had not had fair play, and could accommodate the -surplus trade of Liverpool. In the end, in 1857, Liverpool was obliged -to buy them for £1,143,000, and within a very few years had to expend -upon them £3,859,041. This outlay has ever since been a serious burden -upon Liverpool. Nor did the hostile action of Parliament stop here. The -town dues were taken from Liverpool, and commuted for a payment of -£1,500,000. The management of the dock estate was placed in the hands of -the trustees, who are, except three, elected by the dock ratepayers. - -In olden time the Dock Board had an annual excursion to inspect the -lightships, to which they invited the whole of the Council. They were -pleasant days, and it was supposed that the Mayor for the coming year -was selected on these occasions. These excursions contributed to a good -feeling between the Dock Board and the Corporation, which is so -essential if we are to preserve the prosperity of the port. I sometimes -think that our City Fathers apparently forget that our docks and our -commerce are the life-blood of Liverpool. - -Mr. John Bramley Moore's great work on the Dock Board was completed -before my day, but he continued his interest in Liverpool to the last, -and was present at the opening of the North Dock system in 1882, where I -saw him. He used to tell how indefatigably he worked to secure the -extension of the docks in a northerly direction, how he asked Lord Derby -to present the Bootle shore to the Dock Board, urging that it would be -greatly to the gain of the Derby family. Lord Derby replied that it -would be very difficult to convince him of that, and that he had already -refused £90,000 for it. Mr. Bramley Moore then offered if Lord Derby -would transfer his foreshore rights the Dock Committee would raise all -the back land by using it for the deposit of their spoil, which would, -he thought, be an adequate compensation. The deal was closed on this -basis, the Dock Committee secured two miles of river frontage, and the -Derby family the site of the most important part of Bootle, and now -forming one of the most valuable of their estates. - -One of the first docks constructed on this newly-acquired land was the -Bramley Moore, so named after the chairman. - -No one can fail to acknowledge the enterprise and wisdom which have -characterised the administration of the dock estate. Municipal work -follows the demand of the people, and seldom goes ahead of it; but the -provision of docks must anticipate the demand likely to be experienced. -In all this the Dock Board has acted with boldness and with prudence, -under circumstances of much embarassment. The construction of the -Manchester Ship Canal presented a problem of considerable difficulty, -but the Dock Board adopted the courageous but wise policy of looking to -Liverpool and Liverpool trade only, and the facilities they have -provided for the changed conditions of trade have done not a little to -conserve the commerce of the port. - - -THE LIVERPOOL EXCHANGE. - -A great change has taken place in the Liverpool Exchange. In the early -'sixties the old Exchange buildings were still in existence. The -building which surrounded Nelson's monument was classic in design, with -high columns surmounted by Ionic capitals and a heavy cornice. The -newsroom was in the east wing, with windows overlooking on the one side -Exchange Street East, and on the other the "flags." The room had two -rows of lofty pillars supporting the ceiling; and there was ample room -in the various bays not only for newspaper stands, but for chairs and -tables, and it had very much more the appearance of a reading-room in a -club than its elaborate, but less comfortable successor. On the western -and northern side of the Exchange were offices with warehouses overhead. -The Borough Bridewell stood in High Street, its site being now covered -by Brown's Buildings, and the Sessions House occupied part of the site -upon which the newsroom now stands. In the 'sixties high 'change was in -the afternoon between four and five o'clock, but much business was also -transacted during the morning. No merchant or broker considered that he -could commence the work of the day until he had read the news on the -"pillars" in the newsroom. Instead of the work on the Exchange being -done by clerks, it was transacted by the principals, who considered it -only respectful to appear in a tall hat and frock coat. Although in -those days there may have been a little too much formality in dress, in -these there is sadly too little, and with the disappearance of the tall -hat and frock coat one has also to regret the abandonment of those -courtly manners and that respectful consideration which gave a charm to -commercial intercourse, and was not confined to the Exchange and the -office, but was reflected in the home and in private life. - -[Illustration: _Drawn by W. G. Herdman._ - -LIVERPOOL EXCHANGE, 1860.] - -Merchant shipbrokers and general produce brokers transacted their -business in the newsroom, while the cotton brokers, braving all -weathers, were to be found on the "flags." - -The present newsroom was opened in 1867, and shortly afterwards the -Mayor, Mr. Edward Whitley, gave a ball in honour of Prince Arthur and -the Prince and Princess Christian, the ballroom in the Town Hall being -connected with the newsroom by a long corridor constructed of wood. -Dancing took place in both rooms. - -Upon several occasions after a heavy fall of snow, fights with snowballs -were waged on the "flags," until, becoming serious, the police were -obliged to interfere and put a stop to them. A playful seasonable -exchange of snowballs degenerated into a combat with the rougher element -which frequented the "flags." - -I still recall many of the habitués of the Exchange from 1860 to 1870, -men who well represented the varied interests of the great port. While -frock coats and tall hats were the rule, many still wore evening dress -coats, and not a few white cravats. There was old Miles Barton, a -picturesque figure, with his genial smile, and his hat drawn over his -eyes; Isaac Cook, the Quaker, in strictest of raiment; Harold -Littledale, the friend of Birkenhead, and the critic of the Dock Board; -Michael Belcher, the opulent and prosperous cotton broker; the two -Macraes, the principal buyers of cotton for the trade; Tom Bold, the -active Tory political tactician, who in olden days knew the value of -every freeman's vote; H. T. Wilson, the founder of the White Star Line -and the Napoleon of the Tory party; Edmund Thomson, the pioneer of -steamers to the Brazils, who, like most pioneers, was unsuccessful; John -Newall, the "king" of the cotton market, who had an enormous clientele -of very wealthy men; C. K. Prioleau, the representative of the -Confederate Government, who was also the great blockade runner. Mrs. -Prioleau was considered to be the most beautiful woman in Liverpool. Mr. -Prioleau built the house in Abercromby Square which the Bishop now -occupies as his palace. R. L. Bolton, a very successful and bold -operator in cotton, though in appearance the most shy and timid of men -was another well-known figure; he rarely made his appearance until late -in the day, being credited with a love of turning night into day. James -Cox, the opulent bachelor, doyen of the nitrate trade, held his court -always well attended in one corner of the room. I well remember J. -Aspinall Tobin, tall of stature, distinguished in appearance, fluent of -speech, a welcome speaker on every Tory platform; John Donnison, famous -for his little dinners and excellent port; Sam Gath, the tallest man on -the Exchange; Joseph Leather, the forceful partner in Marriotts, a -leading nonconformist, who built and lived at Cleveley, Allerton; -Maurice Williams, the writer of a cotton circular, and a reputed oracle -on cotton--he lived at Allerton Priory, afterwards bought and rebuilt by -Mr. John Grant Morris; Thomas Haigh, the courtly and stately chief of -Haigh and Co., cotton brokers; Edwin Haigh, his son, and the most -vivacious and talkative of men, popular with all; Lloyd Rayner and his -brother Edward, the largest brokers in general produce; S. Bigland, -plain and honest of speech; the two Reynolds, skilled in Sea Island and -Egyptian cotton; John Joynson and his brother Moses; John Bigham, portly -and prosperous; and not far away, his son, John C. Bigham, who was -destined soon to leave the "room" and become the able Queen's Counsel, -the learned President of the Admiralty and Divorce Court, and afterwards -a peer of the realm (Lord Mersey), and whose brilliant career was -doubtless largely due to his early business training; Studley Martin, -the active secretary to the Cotton Brokers' Association, buzzing about -like a busy bee, collecting opinions as to the amount of business doing -in cotton; Thos. Bouch, the dignified representative of the old firm of -Waterhouse and Sons; Edgar Musgrove, an ideal broker, ever present and -ever active. Nor must I forget the noble band of shipbrokers who -collected the cargoes for ships loading outwards: Robert Ashley, Louis -Mors, W. J. Tomlinson, J. B. Walmsley, John McDiarmid, Robert Vining, -Dashper Glynn, Tom Moss, G. Warren, S. B. Guion, all of whom, with many -others, represented vigorous interests which in those days made the -trade of Liverpool. - -Outside the Exchange, but yet very necessary to the success of its -business, were the lawyers and insurance brokers and average adjusters. -Amongst lawyers Mr. Bateson and Mr. Squarey enjoyed the largest -commercial practice; R. N. Dale was the leading underwriter; and Mr. L. -R. Baily was not only very prominent as an average adjuster, but as an -arbitrator he afterwards became one of the members for Liverpool. In -those days, before the establishment of the system of trade -arbitrations, there was abundant employment for lawyers and professional -arbitrators. - -A sketch of the Liverpool Cotton Exchange would not be complete without -a reference being made to the dealings of Maurice Ranger, and others, -who in the 'seventies on several occasions tried to corner the market by -buying "futures" for delivery in a given month, and then obtaining such -a control of the spot market as would prevent the sellers fulfilling -their contracts. Mr. Ranger's operations were on a gigantic scale, but -there was always a "nigger on the fence." The unexpected happened, and I -do not think he ever fully succeeded in these enterprises. He had many -imitators, who were equally unsuccessful. Mr. Joseph B. Morgan did a -useful work for the cotton trade, by establishing the cotton bank to -facilitate clearances in future contracts. - -The removal of the Cotton Exchange to the new premises has taken place -since my active business days, and the whole course and methods of the -trade have changed. - - -COMMERCE. - -In the 'sixties, sailing-ships filled the Liverpool docks, and fully -one-half of them flew the American flag. The great trades of Liverpool -were those carried on with America, Australia, Calcutta, and the West -Coast. The clipper ships belonging to James Baines and Co., and H. T. -Wilson and Co., were renowned for their fast passages to Melbourne, -while the East India and West Coast ships of James Beazley and Co., -Imrie and Tomlinson, McDiarmid and Greenshields, and the Brocklebanks -were justly celebrated for their smartness and sea-going qualities. -Charles MacIver ruled over the destinies of the Cunard Company, and this -line then paid one-third of the Liverpool dock dues. Mr. MacIver was a -man of resolute purpose, and a power in Liverpool; in the early -volunteer days he raised a regiment of field artillery, 1,000 strong, -which he commanded. Many stories are told of his stern love of -discipline. A captain of one of the Mediterranean steamers asked his -permission as a special favour to be allowed to take his wife a voyage -with him. Mr. MacIver whilst granting the request, remarked that it was -contrary to the regulations of the Cunard Company. The captain, upon -proceeding to join his ship with his wife, to his surprise found another -captain in command, and a letter from Mr. MacIver enclosing a return -passenger ticket for himself and his wife. William Inman was building up -the fortunes of the Inman Line, and was the first to study and profit by -the Irish emigration trade. The Bibbys and James Moss and Co. -practically controlled the Mediterranean trade. The "tramp" steamer was -then unknown, and outside the main lines of steamers there were few -vessels; but the Allans were forcing their way to the front, and Mr. -Ismay was establishing the White Star Line, which revolutionised -Atlantic travel. Mr. Alfred Holt was doing pioneer work in the West -India trade, with some small steamers with single engines. These he sold -and went into the China trade, in which he has built up a great concern. - -The Harrisons were sailing ship owners, but they had also a line of -small steamers trading to Charente. They afterwards started steamers to -the Brazils and to Calcutta. Looking back, they appear to have been most -unsuitable vessels, but freights were high, and to Messrs. T. and J. -Harrison belongs the credit of quickly finding out the most suitable -steamer for long voyages, and always keeping their fleets well up to -date. - -We must not forget to mention the merchants of Liverpool, for in those -days the business of a merchant was very different from that of to-day. -He had to take long and far-sighted views, as there was no such thing as -hedging or covering by a sale of futures; his business required -enterprise and the exercise of care and good judgment. Among our most -active merchants we had T. and J. Brocklebank; Finlay, Campbell and Co.; -Baring Brothers; Brown, Shipley and Co.; Malcolmson and Co.; Charles -Saunders; Sandbach, Tinne and Co.; Wm. Moon and Co.; Ogilvy, Gillanders -and Co.; T. and W. Earle and Co.; J. K. Gilliat; J. H. Schroeder and -Co.; Rankin, Gilmour and Co., and others. - -In the 'sixties Liverpool had two great trades. The entrepôt trade, the -produce of the world, centred in Liverpool, and was from thence -distributed to the various ports on the continent. The opening of the -Suez Canal, and the establishment of foreign lines of steamers, have -largely destroyed this trade, and produce now finds its way direct to -Genoa, Antwerp, and Hamburg. The other great trade was in American -produce. For this Liverpool offered the largest and best market. This -trade is unfortunately seriously threatened. The increase in the -population of America is now making large demands upon her productions, -and reducing the quantities available for export. - -Liverpool was also a considerable manufacturing centre. It was the -principal place for rice-milling and sugar-refining, while shipbuilding -and the making of locomotives and marine engines contributed largely to -her prosperity. - -One cannot review the past trade of Liverpool and its present economic -surroundings, without feeling some anxiety for the future. Not only have -the trades which so long made Liverpool their headquarters been to some -extent diverted, but the efforts of rival ports (in many cases railway -ports or ports which have little or no concern as to the payment of -interest on the money employed in their construction) are directed to -the capture of our trade; in this they are still being actively assisted -by the railway companies, who grant to them preferential rates of -carriage. There can be little doubt that our merchants and shipowners -will find new avenues for their enterprise, and new trades will take the -place of those partially lost; but Liverpool has in front of her a fight -to obtain the just advantage of her geographical position, and it is a -fight in which the city must bear its part. - -The city will also have to adopt a more enlightened policy, and -encourage manufacturing industries. This can only be done by reductions -in the city rates, and also in the charges for water. The loss would -only be nominal; we should be recouped by an increased volume of trade, -and by our people obtaining steady occupation instead of the present -casual employment. - - -THE AMERICAN WAR. - -The great war between the Northern and Southern States of America, which -was waged from 1861 to 1865, had a far-reaching influence upon -Liverpool. - -Prior to this date American shipping filled our docks, and 82 per cent. -of our cotton imports were derived from the Southern States. - -The election of Lincoln as President of the United States, and the -rejection of the democratic candidate precipitated a crisis which had -been long pending. - -Slavery was a southern institution, and although it was conducted in the -most humane manner, and many of the worst features of the system were -absent, the principle of slavery was abhorrent to a large section of the -northern people, and the south feared that with the election of Lincoln -this section would become all-powerful. South Carolina was the first -state to assert her sovereign right to secede from the union. Other -states followed slowly and with hesitating steps, and by the end of 1861 -the north and south were engaged in mortal combat. The southern states -were ill equipped for the struggle, they had no war material and were -dependent for clothing and many of the necessities of life upon the -northern manufacturers. - -The policy of the north was, therefore, to establish a blockade of the -south, both by land and by sea, which caused prices of many commodities -to rapidly advance in the south, and cotton, their main export, to -quickly decline in value. - -The English people sympathised with the south, as the weaker power, and -also having been actively associated with them in trade. The arrest of -the southern envoys Mason and Slidell upon the British mail steamer -"Trent," by the federal commander, did not improve the relationship -between Great Britain and the Government at Washington, and created ill -feeling against the north. - -Under these circumstances Liverpool merchants fitted out many costly -expeditions to run the blockade and to carry arms and munitions of war -into the southern ports. The _modus operandi_ was to send out a depot -ship to Nassau or Bermuda and employ in connection with this swift -steamers to run the blockade and bring back cargoes of cotton. The -profits of the trade were great, but the risk was also very -considerable. - -The trade at best was a very questionable one; it was justified on the -ground that a blockade cannot be recognised unless effectual. The United -States started with a blockading fleet of 150 vessels, but at the end of -the war they had 750 vessels employed in this service. The blockade -runner had to rely entirely upon her speed, as to fire a gun in her own -defence would at once have constituted her a piratical vessel. The -fastest steamers were bought and built for the purpose. They usually -made the American coast many miles from the port and then under the -cover of darkness they stole along the shore until they came to the -blockading fleet, when they made a dash for the harbour. It was exciting -work, and appealed to many adventurous spirits, and the prize if -successful was great. I think all this had a demoralising influence upon -Liverpool's commercial life, and the intense spirit of speculation -created by the cotton famine was also very injurious. Fortunes were made -and lost in a single day. Prices of cotton, while peace and war hung in -the balance, fluctuated violently, and when war was seen to be -inevitable, they advanced with fearful rapidity. A shilling per lb. was -soon reached. The mills went upon short time. By the summer of 1862 -cotton was quoted at 2s 6d per lb. The speculative fever became -universal; men made fortunes by a single deal. When the recoil came -after the war most of these fortunes were lost again. Legitimate trade -had been sacrificed to speculation. Mansions luxuriously furnished, -picture galleries, horses, and carriages had to be sold, and in not a -few instances, their owners, having lost both their legitimate business -and their habits of industry, were reduced to penury and want, and were -never able to recover themselves. The results of the war were -far-reaching. The spirit of speculation was rampant for many years, with -disastrous results; it was only when a system of weekly and bi-weekly -settlements was introduced that speculation was brought within -legitimate limits. - -A Nemesis seemed to follow this violent outburst of speculation, and but -few houses actively engaged in it survived very long. - -Liverpool was also active in assisting the south to build and fit out -vessels of war to prey upon American commerce. The "Alabama" was built -at Birkenhead; she sailed away to a remote island and there took on -board her armament. She and her sister ship, the "Shenandoah," did -immense damage to American shipping, for which England had in the end -to pay, as by the Geneva arbitration she was held responsible for -allowing the "Alabama" to be built and escape. - -American shipping has never recovered from this blow, but it is only -fair to say that the cost of shipbuilding in America, by reason of her -prohibitive tariffs, has mainly prevented her resuming her former -position on the ocean. - - -THE SOUTHERN BAZAAR. - -Near the close of the war a huge bazaar was held in St. George's Hall, -in aid of the southern prisoners of war. It was designated the Southern -Bazaar, and the stalls were called after the various states, and were -presided over by the leading ladies of the town, assisted by many of the -nobility and society people. It was a brilliant success, money was -plentiful, and men and women vied with each other in scattering it -about. Upwards of £30,000 was realised in the three days. - - -THE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT. - -No account of the doings in Liverpool in the 'sixties would be complete -that did not describe the beginnings of the great volunteer movement, -which was destined to occupy so much public attention, and to form such -an important portion of our national defence. Liverpool can certainly -claim to have initiated the movement. Mr. Bousfield endeavoured to -revive this branch of the service in 1853. A few years later he formed a -drill club, a very modest beginning, consisting of only 100 men, wearing -as their uniform a cap and shell jacket. Captain Bousfield endeavoured -several times to obtain recognition by the Government, but failed; and -he had to encounter a considerable amount of chaff and ridicule. The -public had but little sympathy with the young men who "played at being -soldiers." Captain Bousfield was not discouraged, he loved soldiering -and was an enthusiast, and his opportunity was soon to arrive. In 1859 -the Emperor Napoleon III. became very threatening in his words and ways, -and it was apprehended that he might attempt to invade our shores. -Captain Bousfield quickly obtained the support of the Government for his -volunteers, and the 1st Lancashire Volunteer Regiment was formed. The -movement made rapid headway, until we had enrolled in the country -upwards of 300,000 men. Colonel Bousfield soon obtained the command of a -battalion, and in 1860 was presented with a sword of honour and a purse -of £1,800. Liverpool furnished her full quota of volunteers. Colonel -Brown commanded a regiment of artillery: Colonel Tilney the 5th -Lancashire, a crack regiment; Colonel MacCorquodale the Press Guards; -Colonel Bourne, with Major Melly and Captain Hornby (afterwards Colonel -H. H. Hornby), the 1st Lancashire Artillery; Colonel MacIver commanded -1,000 of his own men; and among other active volunteers at this time we -remember Colonel Steble, Colonel Macfie, Colonel Morrison, Colonel Clay, -and many others. - -We had also a squadron of cavalry, called the Liverpool Light Horse, -Captain Stone in command. I joined the squadron in 1859, and greatly -fancied myself mounted on one of my father's carriage horses. We -exercised in some fields behind Prospect Vale, Fairfield. - -I remember the 1st Lancashire being encamped on the sandhills between -Waterloo and Blundellsands. It was the first time any volunteers had -been under canvas, and the camp was visited by crowds of people. - - -INTELLECTUAL LIFE. - -Liverpool has been always too much absorbed in her commerce to take any -prominent position in the world of literature and education, until -recent years, when we have atoned in some degree for our remissness in -the past, by the founding of our University. Professor Ramsay Muir, in a -recent speech, however, claims that we had a Renaissance in Liverpool in -the early years of the 19th century, when a group of thinkers, scholars, -and writers, finding its centre in William Roscoe, gave to Liverpool a -position and a name in the literary world, and she became a real seat of -literary activity. To that remarkable man, William Roscoe, we owe the -Athenæum, the Literary and Philosophical Society, and the Roscoe -collection of pictures now in the Walker Art Gallery. This intellectual -effort quickly lost its vitality, and for long years the Literary and -Philosophical Society, and the Philomathic Society, struggled alone to -keep burning the light of higher culture and literary activity. - -Elementary education was almost entirely in the hands of the Church; -middle class education depended upon the Liverpool Collegiate, the -Mechanic's Institute, afterwards the Liverpool Institute, and the Royal -Institution. - -The fashion of sending boys to our great public schools did not set in -until the 'seventies. - -Such was the condition of intellectual life when, in 1880, the Liverpool -University College was established, mainly through the efforts of the -late Earl of Derby, William Rathbone, Christopher Bushell, E. K. -Muspratt, David Jardine, Sir Edward Lawrence, Robert Gladstone, Mr. -Muspratt, Sir John Brunner, John Rankin, and William Johnston. The first -Principal, Dr. Rendall, rendered excellent service in these early -struggling years, which were happily followed by still greater and even -more successful efforts under Vice-Chancellor Dale, resulting in the -granting of a Royal Charter in 1903, and the founding of a University. -The Earl of Derby became Chancellor, and Dr. Dale Vice-Chancellor. The -University has been nobly and generously supported by Liverpool men; -indeed a reference to the calendar fills me with surprise that so much -could have been accomplished within such a brief period. Its work is -making itself felt in the general uplifting of the level of education, -while the presence in Liverpool of such a distinguished body of -professors has had considerable influence in giving a higher and more -intellectual tone to society, and in opening up new avenues for thought -and activity. - -We must not omit to record the excellent work done by the School Board. -When first established in 1873, the election of members provoked much -sectarian animosity, but in the course of time, through the exertions of -Mr. Christopher Bushell and Mr. Sam Rathbone, this hindrance to its -success was overcome, and the excellence of its organisation was -generally recognised. Its functions have, during the past few years, -been transferred to the City Council. - -One of the results of the School Board was the founding of the Council -of Education, which provided, in the shape of scholarships, the means by -which boys could advance from the elementary school to the higher grade -schools and the universities. Mr. Sam Rathbone, Mr. Gilmour, and Mr. -Bushell were very active in promoting this association. - - -SOCIETY IN LIVERPOOL. - -Society was much more exclusive forty or fifty years ago than it is -to-day. The old Liverpool families were looked up to with much respect. - -The American war considerably disturbed Liverpool society, and brought -to the front many new people. Liverpool became more cosmopolitan and -democratic, but there was no serious departure from the old-world -courtesy of manner and decorum in dress until the 'eighties, when it -gradually became fashionable to be less exacting in dress, and the -customs of society grew less conventional. - -In the 'sixties people of wealth and position surrounded themselves with -certain attributes of power and wealth, which gave to the populace some -indication of their rank and their social status, and in manners they -were reserved and dignified. - -Their homes were in the country or in the fashionable suburbs of the -city, and their importance was measured by the extent of their broad -acres. A house in London, in which they dwelt for three or four months -of the year, was the luxury only of the older families, or of those of -great wealth; the fashion of having a flat in London, with a week-end -cottage in the country, was not known--this has followed the more -democratic tendencies of our times. The bringing of people together in -our railway trains, in steamers, in hotel lounges, and foreign travel, -have had a distinctly levelling influence. In the 'sixties some old -county families still made their annual pilgrimage to visit their -friends in the family coach, and the circle of their acquaintances was -limited and exclusive. The family carriage with the rumble at the back -was a dignified and well-turned-out equipage. The dress carriage, with -powdered footmen, was commonly seen in Hyde Park, and was _de rigeur_ at -Court drawing rooms, then held in the afternoon; the array of carriages -at these functions made a splendid show. - -Motors may have the charm of convenience and speed, but can never -replace the smart appearance of the well-turned-out carriage-and-pair. - -The 'sixties were the days of crinoline and poke bonnets, and although -the wearing of crinoline was much ridiculed, ladies' dress in those days -was much more becoming and graceful than many of our more recent -fashions, and girls have never looked more fascinating than when they -wore their pretty little bonnets; but perhaps I may be called -old-fashioned; as we grow older our view points change. We had many old -maids in those days--we have none now--and the old ladies with their -hair worn in dainty curls surmounted by a lace cap were picturesque, and -looked their part. - -The Wellington rooms, which were opened in 1814, were regarded as the -centre of fashionable society. - -These rooms, which are only used five times in each year, are unique in -their exquisite proportions and their charming Adams' decorations -unspoiled by the modern painter and decorator. The floor of the large -ballroom is celebrated for its spring, being, it is stated, suspended by -chains. - -Admission to the rooms was carefully safeguarded, its members belonging -almost exclusively to the families of position and standing. The balls -were conducted on the strictest lines of propriety, carefully enforced -by vigilant stewards, who would not admit of any rough dancing; and such -a thing as kitchen lancers would not have been tolerated. Six or seven -balls were given each year. The first before Christmas was often called -the dirty-frock ball, as new frocks were reserved for the débutantes' -ball, the first ball of the season. No supper was given, only very light -and indifferent refreshments. The attendance gradually fell away, and it -was felt that the time had arrived when something should be done to -revive their interest. Accordingly, about 1890, during my presidency, -the supper room was enlarged, electric light was introduced, and a -supper with champagne provided, and in order to meet the extra expense -the balls were cut down to five. These changes were very successful in -increasing the attendance. There were great misgivings as to the -introduction of the electric light, and its effect upon the complexions -of the ladies. The old form of illumination by wax candles suffused a -very soft light, but the candles were unreliable and often did damage to -ladies' dresses. - -In the 'sixties the only out-door games played were cricket and -croquet. One of the most striking developments of modern days is the -time now devoted to games, especially to golf and lawn tennis. In the -'sixties the facilities for getting about were very limited. The public -conveyances consisted of a few four-horse 'buses, which started from -Castle Street. To-day the bicycle and the motor-car bridge over -distances with rapidity and little fatigue, and make us familiar with -the beauties of our country, which was in old days impossible, while the -electric tram carries the working man to his game at football or to his -cottage in the suburbs. All this is a great gain, adding new interests -to life, and is also very conducive to health and happiness. - -The conditions of life during the past fifty years in every grade of -society have greatly improved; they are brighter, healthier and happier. - -There has been a decrease in the consumption of alcohol, less -intemperance, and a striking diminution in crime and pauperism. With an -increase of over fifty per cent. in the population there is less crime. - -While the necessaries of life have not increased in cost, wages are from -twenty-five to fifty per cent. higher, and the working classes no longer -live in damp cellars or in dark courts and alleys, but have at their -disposal cheerful, sanitary, and convenient homes. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -BUSINESS LIFE. - - -On my return home from Australia and South America I entered my father's -office. It was noted for hard work and late hours. The principals seldom -left for home before seven and eight in the evening, and on Friday -nights, when we wrote our cotton circular, and despatched our American -mail, it was usually eleven o'clock before we were able to get away, and -many of the juniors had to work all night. In those days everything was -done by correspondence, and mail letters often ran to a great length, -frequently ten and twelve pages; and unfortunately the principals wasted -much of their time in the middle of the day. The morning's work always -commenced with reading the letters aloud by the head clerk, and -afterwards the principals gave instructions as to replies to be sent, -and laid out the work for the day. - -In those times the business of a merchant's office was much more -laborious, and the risks they ran were greater and longer than they are -to-day, when we have the assistance of telegraphic communication with -all the world. We often refer to the good old days, but they were days -of much anxiety and hard work, and I doubt if the profits were as large; -the risks were certainly much greater, and added to this there was a -constant recurrence of panics. We had a money panic almost every ten -years, 1847, 1857, 1866, of the severity of which we to-day can form -very little idea. It was not merely that the bank rate advanced to -eight, nine, and even ten per cent., but it was impossible to get money -at any price. Bank bills were not discountable, and all kinds of produce -became unsaleable. In addition to these great panics we had frequent -small panics of a very alarming character. I well remember the panics of -1857 and 1866; the intense anxiety and the impossibility of converting -either bills or produce into cash. - -The main cause of all these troubles was that the banks kept too small -reserves, and the provisions of the Bank Charter Act of Sir Robert Peel -were too rigid. The object of the Act was to secure the convertibility -of the bank note into gold, and it would no doubt have worked well had -sufficient reserves been kept, but practically the only reserve of gold -was in the Bank of England, and this was frequently allowed to fall as -low as five or six million in notes. All other institutions, both banks -and discount houses, depended upon this reserve, and employed their -entire resources, relying upon discounting with the Bank of England in -an emergency. This emergency arose about every ten years. The Bank of -England was unable to meet the demand--a panic took place, and the bank -had to apply to the Government to suspend the Bank Act, and allow it to -issue bank notes in excess of the amount allowed by the Act. All this -took time, the suspense was terrible, and many banks and honest traders -were cruelly ruined. Immediately the Act was suspended the panic -disappeared as if by magic, and traders began to breathe freely again. - -Happily far larger reserves are now held by all banks, and banking -business is also conducted on more prudent lines, and trade generally is -worked on a sounder basis; payment by bills is now the exception; -margins and frequent settlements on our produce exchanges prevent undue -speculation, and the system of arbitration now universal has put a stop -to the constant litigation which was a frequent cause of contention and -trouble and loss of valuable time. - -I was admitted a partner in my father's firm on the 1st January, 1862. -The previous year had been a very successful one. My brother Arthur had -visited America, and believing that war between the North and South was -inevitable, had bought cotton very heavily, upon which the firm realised -handsome profits. But it was at the expense of my father's health; the -anxiety was too much for him, and this, coupled with my mother's death -on the 1st August, 1861, so prostrated him, that he was ordered to take -a sea voyage, and it was arranged that I should accompany him. - - -VOYAGE IN THE "GREAT EASTERN." - -On the 7th September, 1861, we embarked on board the steamer "Great -Eastern," for New York, the Liverpool dock walls being lined with people -to see the great ship start. She was far and away the largest vessel -built up to that time, being 679 feet long, 83 feet beam, 48 feet deep, -with a tonnage of 18,915; she was propelled by two sets of engines, -paddle and screw. It was a memorable voyage. Three days out we -encountered a heavy gale, which carried away our boats, then our paddle -wheels. Finally our rudder broke, and the huge ship fell helplessly into -the trough of the sea. Here we remained for three days, rolling so -heavily that everything moveable broke adrift, the saloon was wrecked, -and all the deck fittings broke loose. Two swans and a cow were -precipitated into the saloon through the broken skylights. The cables -broke adrift, and swaying to and fro burst through the plating on one -side of the ship. The captain lost all control of his crew, and the -condition of things was rendered still more alarming by the men breaking -into the storerooms and becoming intoxicated. Some of the passengers -were enrolled as guards; we wore a white handkerchief tied round our -arms, and patrolled the ship in watches for so many hours each day. - -My father was badly cut in the face and head by being thrown into a -mirror in the saloon, during a heavy lurch. I never knew a ship to roll -so heavily, and her rolls to windward were not only remarkable but very -dangerous, as the seas broke over her, shaking her from stem to stern, -the noise reverberating through the vessel like thunder. We remained in -this alarming condition three days, when chains were fixed to our rudder -head and we were able with our screw-engines to get back to Queenstown. -My father returned home, not caring to venture to sea again, but I -embarked on board the "City of Washington," of the Inman Line, and after -a sixteen-day passage arrived in New York. - -An amusing incident occurred during the height of the storm we -experienced in the "Great Eastern." We were rolling heavily, the -condition of the great ship was serious and much alarm was naturally -felt. At this juncture a small brig appeared in sight under close-reefed -sails. As she rode over the big seas like a bird without taking any -water on board, we could not help contrasting her seaworthiness with the -condition of our giant ship, which lay like a log at the mercy of the -waves. The brig seeing our position bore down upon us and came within -hailing distance. My father instructed Captain Walker, of the "Great -Eastern," to enquire if she would stand by us, and to offer her master -£100 per day if he would do so, but no answer came. The little vessel -sailed round us again and again, and the next time she came within -hailing distance my father authorised Captain Walker to say he would -charter the ship, or if necessary buy her, so anxious was he that she -should not leave us. She continued to remain near us all day, and then -the weather moderating she sailed away on her voyage. Two years -afterwards the captain of the brig called at the office, saying he had -been told by a passenger that Mr. Forwood had offered him £100 per day -for standing by the "Great Eastern," and claiming £200, two days' -charter money. I need not say he was not paid, but I think my father -made him a present. - - -ARRESTED IN NEW YORK IN 1861. - -On my arrival in New York I was arrested, searched, and confined in the -Metropolitan Police Station while communications passed with Washington. -On my demanding to be informed of the reason of my detention, the Chief -of Police told me that an Englishman had been hanged by President -Jackson for less than I had done; this was not very cheerful, and he -added he expected orders to send me to Fort Lafayette--the place where -political prisoners were detained--but he declined to give any reason. I -was however released the following day, but kept under the surveillance -of the police, which became so intolerable that I went to Canada, and -returned home through New Brunswick to Halifax. The journey from Quebec -over the frozen lake Temiscuata, through Fredericton to St. John's, was -made on sleighs. I slept one night in the hut of a trapper, another at a -log hut on a portage where I was detained for a day by a snowstorm. An -amusing incident happened on this journey. At Grand Falls I was called -upon by the Mayor, who wished, he said, to show me some attention and -prove his loyalty to the old country, as he understood I was an envoy -going from the Southern States to England. I told him he was mistaken, -but he would not accept my denial, and insisted on driving me part of -the way in his own magnificently appointed sleigh, and giving me a -supper at a place called Tobique. At Halifax another incident befel me. -The hotel in which I stayed was burnt down in the night. I escaped with -my luggage, but none too soon, for the hotel was only a wooden erection -and the fire very quickly destroyed it. - -On our arrival home at Queenstown, we heard with great sorrow of the -death of the Prince Albert, and of the probability of war between -England and America, arising out of the "Trent" affair. I received a -communication from the War Office, requesting me to send full notes of -my journey across New Brunswick, giving approximately the size of the -villages and farm buildings I observed, as it was proposed to march -10,000 British troops up by this route to protect Canada. - -The reason of my arrest in New York was, I learned, that the authorities -believed that I was conveying despatches and money and intended to cross -the military lines and enter the Southern States. My father's firm being -largely engaged in business with the South, there was some foundation -for this impression. I should add that I received through Secretary -Seward an expression of President Lincoln's regret that I should have -been subjected to arrest, and an intimation that if I visited Washington -he would be glad to see me, but I was then in Canada and did not care to -return to the United States. - -Political feeling ran very high in New York. I was passing one afternoon -the St. Nicholas Hotel, Broadway, when I heard someone call out "Sesesh" -(which meant a Southerner), and a man fell, shot down almost at my feet. - - -LEECH, HARRISON AND FORWOOD. - -The business of the firm of Leech, Harrison and Forwood was mainly that -of commission merchants, and receiving cotton and other produce for sale -on consignment. It was an old firm with the best of credit, and a good -reputation. The business was large but very safe, and we never -speculated. I was very proud of the old concern. The business was -founded in 1785 by Mr. Leech, who took into partnership Mr. James -Harrison, whom I remember as a cadaverous looking old gentleman with a -wooden leg, and as he always wore a white cravat his nickname of -"Death's Head and a Mop Stick" was not inappropriate. He retired about -1850. - -Shortly after I was admitted a partner my father's health became -indifferent, and at his wish we bought him out of the firm and took over -the business. We decided to also become steamship owners, and by -arrangement with a firm in Hartlepool we became the managing owners of -several steamers, which we put into the West Indian trade in opposition -to Mr. Alfred Holt. We had not been very long in the trade before the -principal shippers, Imrie and Tomlinson and Alex. Duranty and Co., also -formed a line of steamers, and it seemed at the moment as if we must be -crushed out of the trade, the opposition was so formidable; but with the -dogged determination so characteristic of my brother Arthur we -persevered, and in the end forced both our competitors to join us. We -then formed a large company, the West Indian and Pacific Co., which was -an amalgamation of the three concerns, my firm retaining the management. -The business rapidly grew and separate offices had to be taken. For nine -years my brother devoted his time to the management of the steamship -company, leaving me to work our own business. It was a heavy -responsibility for one so young. Our capital was small, and our business -in cotton and in making advances upon shipping property very active, but -we were well supported by our bankers, Leyland and Bullins. I was a -neighbour of Mr. Geo. Arkle, the managing partner, and shall be ever -grateful for the confidence he reposed in us. I remember his sending -for me in 1866, telling me that we were face to face with a panic, and -as he wanted us to feel comfortable we must cheque upon the bank and -take up all our acceptances against shipping property. The system of -banking was then very much a matter of confidence. During the whole of -my business career we never gave our bankers any security. Mr. Arkle -perhaps carried this principle too far. I remember his refusing to open -an account for a man who was introduced to my firm by highly respectable -people in America, and who had brought with him a draft on Barings for -£80,000 as his capital, Mr. Arkle requiring that my brother and I should -ask him to open the account as a guarantee to him that we were satisfied -as to the man's character, to which he attached more value than to his -capital. About the year 1870 we admitted my brother Brittain into -partnership. Prior to this we opened a house in Bombay, which was -managed by my old school friend, G. F. Pim, who was afterwards joined by -my brother George. - -We retained the management of the West Indian and Pacific Co. for nine -years. The company had prospered under our care, the shares were at a -premium, and the directors were willing to renew our agreement; but they -wanted my brother Arthur to promise to devote less of his time to -politics; this he was unwilling to do, and so our connection ceased. It -was an unfortunate thing for the firm, but luckily we sold out our -shares at a substantial premium, and formed a new company, the Atlas -Company, to run steamers between New York and the West Indies, my -brother still devoting his time to the Atlas Company's interests, and I -attending to the general business. At this I worked very hard, from -early morning to late in the evening, taking only a fortnight's holiday -each year. The business of the firm prospered greatly. At first our -principal business was receiving consignments of cotton, but these led -to such large reclamations, which were seldom paid by the consignors, -that we were on the alert to find some other way of working our cotton -trade, and a visit I made to Mobile to collect reclamations revealed to -me a secret which for years gave us large profits. I stayed in Mobile -with a Mr. Maury, and found that he was the holder of a very large stock -of cotton, against which he sold cotton for future delivery, which -always commanded a substantial premium in New York. When the time for -delivery came round, he tendered the cotton he had bought; in this way -he made a certain and a handsome profit over and above the holding -expenses. What was possible in New Orleans was, I thought, possible in -Liverpool, and on my return home we commenced this cotton banking -business. It was very profitable, and for some time we had it all to -ourselves. - -When we started the Atlas Line in New York, we opened a house under the -title of Pim, Forwood and Co., Mr. Pim leaving Bombay for New York, my -brother George at the same time opening a house for us in New Orleans. -George Pim died in 1878, and my brother George moved from New Orleans to -New York. Here he remained until 1885, when he entered the Liverpool -firm, and my brother Brittain took his place in New York; Brittain -retired in 1885. - -Looking back over my business career, it was a period of strenuous hard -work, but of much happiness and great prosperity. It was always a matter -of regret to us that we had not more of the active co-operation of my -brother Arthur, who was a man of singular ability and remarkable power -of organisation. Unfortunately for the firm, from a very early period in -our partnership he devoted most of his time to politics, which led to -his eventually becoming a member of the House of Commons, and in a very -short period Secretary to the Admiralty. In this office, which he held -for six years, he did most excellent work. To use the words of the then -First Lord of the Admiralty--Lord George Hamilton--he made it possible -to build a ship of war in twelve months when it had previously taken -four and five years. The fusion of the Conservative and Unionist parties -prevented my brother's advance to Cabinet rank. He was one of the ablest -men I ever knew, but he had not the faculty of delegating his work; this -and his overmastering determination to carry out everything to which he -put his hand, entailed upon him an amount of personal work and thought -which few men could have borne, and which in the end proved even more -than he could support without loss of nervous power. I was his partner -for twenty-five years and we never had a serious difference of any kind. -He was a candidate for the representation of Liverpool in Parliament in -1882, but was defeated by Mr. Samuel Smith. He afterwards was elected -member for the Ormskirk division, which he represented at the time of -his death in 1898. He was made a Privy Councillor and afterwards created -a baronet. - -Liverpool owes much to him, for in every position which he filled, as -Chairman of the Finance Committee and of the Health Committee, and as a -Member of Parliament, he did a great work for the city. In politics he -was _facile princeps_, a born leader of men; he built up the -Conservative party in Lancashire, and kept it together in face of many -difficulties. - -It was impossible that a man with such a strong individuality and -determination could avoid making some enemies. He always tried to reach -his goal by the nearest road, even if in doing so he had to tread upon -susceptibilities which might have been conciliated, but withal he was -one of the ablest men Liverpool has produced in recent years; he had at -heart the good of his native city, and no sacrifice of time or thought -was too much if he could only benefit Liverpool or promote the welfare -of the Conservative party. His statue, erected by public subscription, -stands in St. John's Gardens, and each year on the anniversary of his -death a wreath of laurels is placed at its foot by the Constitutional -Association--"Though dead, his spirit still lives." - -In 1890 I retired from business at the age of 50. I was tired with the -fag and toil of twenty-five years' strenuous work, but it was a mistake -to retire. The regular calls of one's own affairs are less trying than -the irregular demands of public work. _Punch's_ advice to those about to -marry, "Don't," is equally applicable to those about to retire from -business. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -PUBLIC LIFE. - - -My public life began in 1867, when I was 27 years of age. I then joined -the Council of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce. In the following year -(1868) I was elected the President of the Liverpool Philomathic Society, -a position I was very proud of. The Society at that time possessed many -excellent speakers; we had among others Charles Clark, John Patterson, -and James Spence. - -During the year I was President, Professor Huxley came down and -delivered his famous address on "Protoplasm: or the beginnings of life," -and this started a discussion upon the evolution of life, which has -continued to this day. Professor Huxley was my guest at Seaforth and was -a very delightful man. We had also a visit from Professor Huggins, now -the revered President of the Royal Society. He greatly charmed us with -his spectroscope, which he had just invented. I had an observatory at -the top of my house at Seaforth, with a fair-sized astronomical -telescope. The professor gave us some very interesting little lectures -upon his discoveries of the composition of the various stars and -planets. - -In November of the same year I was invited to offer myself as a -candidate for the Town Council to represent Pitt Street Ward, in -succession to Mr. S. R. Graves, M.P. My opponent was Mr. Steel, whom I -defeated, polling 189 votes against his 135 votes. I represented Pitt -Street for nine years, and every election cost me £150. I do not know -what became of the money, but Pitt Street was a very strange -constituency. - -Looking back it seems to me that the Town Council was composed of -Goliaths in those days, men of large minds, and that our debates were -conducted with a staid decorum and order which have long since -disappeared. William Earle, J. J. Stitt, Charles Turner, M.P., F. A. -Clint, Edward Whitley, J. R. Jeffery, are names which come back to me as -prodigies of eloquence. I remember venturing to make a modest speech -shortly after I was elected, and one of the seniors touching me on the -shoulder and saying, "Young man, leave speaking to your elders"; but -they did queer things in those good old days. Many of the aldermen were -rarely seen; they only put in an appearance on the 9th November to -record their vote on the election of the Mayor. - -I was early placed on a deputation to London. I think there were six or -seven deputations in London at one time, each attended by a deputy town -clerk. We stayed at the Burlington Hotel, and had seats provided for us -in the theatre and opera, and carriages to drive in the parks. It was -said that the bill at the Burlington Hotel, at the end of that -Parliamentary session, was "as thick as a family Bible." - - -CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. - -In 1870 I was elected Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce, -becoming the President in 1871, and was also made a Fellow of the Royal -Statistical Society of London. My work at the chamber was very pleasant -and congenial, and together with the late Mr. Lamport, Mr. Philip -Rathbone, and Mr. John Patterson, we did a good deal in moulding the -commercial legislation of that time, the Merchant Shipping Bill and the -Bankruptcy Bill being drafted by our Commercial Law Committee. - -In 1878 the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce was reconstituted, the old -chamber having got into bad repute through becoming too political. The -election of the president of the re-organised chamber was left to the -vote of the three thousand subscribers to the Exchange News Room. Eight -names were submitted, and I was elected president for the second time. -During the following three years excellent work was done by the chamber, -it became very influential with the Government and took rank as the -first chamber in the country. We declined all invitations to be -associated with other chambers, deeming that Liverpool was sufficiently -strong and powerful to stand alone, and in this I think we acted wisely. - - -AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. - -The American Chamber of Commerce existed for the purpose of safeguarding -the interests of the American trade, and was supported by dues levied on -every bale of cotton imported into Liverpool. In its day it did great -and useful work, and accumulated quite a large capital, which it spent -in giving very gorgeous banquets to the American Ministers and -distinguished strangers. I became president of this chamber in 1872, and -during my term of office we entertained General Skenk, the new American -Minister, and others. - - -JOINT COMMITTEE ON RAILWAY RATES. - -In 1873 an attempt was made by the London and North-Western Railway to -amalgamate with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. This aroused great -indignation. Liverpool was already suffering severely from the high -railway charges levied upon her commerce, and it was feared that the -proposed amalgamation would increase these charges. Meetings were held, -and in the end all the towns in Lancashire and Yorkshire were invited to -join with Liverpool in opposing the scheme in Parliament. I was elected -the chairman of this Joint Committee, and we inaugurated an active -Parliamentary campaign. We induced Parliament to remit the bill to a -joint Committee of Lords and Commons. The bill was thrown out, and our -suggestion that a railway tribunal to try cases of unfair charges should -be formed was accepted, and is now known as the Railway Commission; but -by a strange irony of fate, it has become too expensive to be used by -the users of the railways, and is now mainly occupied in settling -differences between railway companies themselves. - - -THE UNITED COTTON ASSOCIATION. - -In 1877 there was some friction between the various cotton interests, -brokers, and merchants, and an association--entitled "The United Cotton -Association"--was formed to endeavour to bring all the branches of the -trade together and to remodel the rules, and I was elected chairman. Up -to this time the Brokers' Association ruled the market, and as many -brokers had become also merchants it was felt that some re-arrangement -of the relative positions of brokers and merchants was necessary. The -position of chairman was one of considerable delicacy, as a very -unpleasant feeling had grown up between merchants and brokers, and there -existed considerable friction; however, in the end we managed to compose -these difficulties and to lay the foundation of the Cotton Association -which now rules the trade. - - -INTERNATIONAL COTTON CONVENTION. - -An International Cotton Convention was held in Liverpool, also in 1877; -it was composed of delegates from all the cotton exchanges of America -and those on the Continent. I was appointed the president; our meetings -extended over ten days and were interspersed with excursions and -entertainments. The convention was productive of much advantage to the -trade, in ensuring a better supervision of the packing, weighing and -shipment of cotton from America, and I think the measures taken -practically put an end to the system of false packing which had become -so injurious to the cotton business. - - -MAYOR OF LIVERPOOL. - -In 1880 I was elected Mayor of Liverpool, an honour which I very greatly -esteemed. It was an eventful year, for many distinguished strangers -visited Liverpool. General Sir Frederick Roberts came as the hero of the -hour after his wonderful march from Cabul to Candahar. He was -entertained at a banquet, and an At Home at the Town Hall, and he with -Lady Roberts stayed with us for three days at Blundellsands. - -Among other visitors we entertained were Lord Lytton, then -Governor-General of India; and King Kallikahua, the King of the Sandwich -Islands. His Majesty was very dignified, and accepted quite as a matter -of course the royal salutes fired by the guard ship in the river as we -passed by in the Dock Board tender. At the banquet in the evening I was -warned by his equerry that I must try and prevent His Majesty imbibing -too freely. It was not an easy thing to do, but to the surprise of my -guests I stopped the wine and ordered cigars; this had the desired -effect. I believe this was the first time smoking was allowed at a Town -Hall banquet. - -The King had with him a big box full of Palais Royal decorations which -he showed me, but with which, fortunately, he did not offer to decorate -me. - - -VISIT OF THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. - -Our heaviest function at the Town Hall was the reception and -entertainment of the Prince and Princess of Wales on the occasion of the -opening of the new north docks. - -The Prince and Princess stayed with Lord Sefton at Croxteth, and their -children, the three Princesses, stayed at Knowsley, Lord Sefton's -children having the measles. - -The day of the Royal Visit was lovely. We met the Prince and Princess at -the city boundary, Newsham Park, proceeding thither in the mayor's -carriage, drawn by four horses with postillions and out-riders. After -presenting the Princess with a bouquet we followed to the landing -stage, where the royal party embarked on the river for the new docks. -The course of the royal yacht was kept by our large Atlantic liners, and -by several battleships. The Princess christened the new Alexandra dock -and then we adjourned to a lunch in one of the large sheds, and after -lunch the Prince and Princess entered the mayor's carriage and drove to -the Town Hall, where an address was presented to them. - -The Fenians had been very active in Liverpool, and during the evening at -Croxteth I was told by the aide-de-camp that the Prince had received -several threatening letters, to which his Royal Highness paid no -attention, but he would be glad to know if every precaution had been -taken for the Prince's safety. Although I was able to assure him that -every precaution would be taken, this intimation made me feel anxious -and I drove from Croxteth to the police station in Liverpool to consult -with the superintendents as to what more could be done. We were -compelled to drive the Prince and Princess for two miles through that -portion of the town inhabited by the Irish; we therefore decided to -quicken the pace of the carriage procession, and to instruct the -out-riders to ride close in to the wheels of the royal carriage. These -precautions were however fortunately not necessary, for right along -Scotland Road the Prince and Princess had the heartiest reception, and -when we turned out of Byrom Street into Dale Street it was with a sense -of relief that I turned to the Prince and said, "Sir, you have passed -through the portion of Liverpool in which 200,000 Irish people reside." -He replied, "I have not heard a 'boo' or a groan; it has been simply -splendid." - -We had taken some trouble to obtain a very pretty jewelled -bouquet-holder for the Princess, and it was sent to the florist who was -making the bouquet. In the morning he brought it to the Adelphi Hotel, -broken in two. I showed it to Admiral Sir Astley Cooper, who was one of -the suite. He said, "Whatever you do, have it repaired." Every shop was -shut, the day being a general holiday. The boots at the hotel at last -thought of a working plumber, and to his hands the repairs were -entrusted. All he could do was to solder the handle to the -bouquet-holder, and he did this in such a clumsy fashion that great -"blobs" of solder protruded themselves all round; but it held together -and the bouquet was duly presented by the Mayoress. During the drive -from the dock the Princess, showing me the holder, exclaimed how lovely -it was; alas! my eyes could only see the "blobs" of solder! At Croxteth -that evening, while the presents were being exhibited to the guests, the -holder broke in two, and the story had to be told. - -The three young princesses were entertained all day at the Town Hall by -my daughters. Princess Maud managed to evade the vigilant eyes of Miss -Knollys, and unattended made her way into Castle Street amid the crowd. - - -LORD MAYOR. - -For six weeks in 1903 I again occupied the civic chair. In January of -that year the Lord Mayor, Mr. Watson Rutherford, was anxious to become a -candidate for Parliament, a vacancy having arisen in the West Derby -Ward. As Lord Mayor he could not act as his own returning officer, and -it became necessary that he should resign his office for a time. Both -political parties in the Council were good enough to invite me to accept -the position, and thus I became Lord Mayor for the brief period I have -mentioned. Mr. Rutherford, on retiring, informed me that he had already -spent all the allowance, and all he could offer me were a few cigars. -The duration of my reign was too short to admit of much entertaining, -but I welcomed the opportunity of showing hospitality to many of my old -colleagues and friends. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -THE FENIAN TROUBLES. - - -My year of office as Mayor was made very anxious by the aggressive -tactics of the Fenian agitators. A bomb was placed at the side door of -the Town Hall, and exploded, breaking in the door, destroying the -ceiling and window of the mayor's dressing-room and doing considerable -damage to the furniture. The bomb consisted of a piece of iron gas -piping about 3 inches in diameter and 18 inches long, filled with -explosives and iron nails. The miscreants, after lighting the fuse, ran -away; but the Town Hall was watched by a double cordon of police; the -first took up the chase, the second joined in, and the two men -eventually jumped into a canal boat filled with manure, and were then -secured. They were tried, and sentenced to fourteen years' penal -servitude. They were two Irish stokers, mere tools in the hands of an -Irish-American, who had planned the blowing up of all our public -buildings, but managed to get away. An attempt was also made on the -Custom House, but failed. - -The Home Secretary, Sir William Harcourt, was much exercised by the -position of things in Liverpool, and telegraphed to me enquiring how -many troops were available in Liverpool. I replied fifty, of whom -twenty-five were raw recruits. Next morning the General in command at -York called at the Town Hall, and stated that he had been instructed to -send 2,000 infantry, and two squadrons of cavalry, and wished me to -arrange for their accommodation. He startled me by adding, "I should -like to send you a Gatling gun; they are grand things for clearing the -streets." I felt this was getting serious. I assured him that we did not -apprehend any grave trouble, or disturbances, and if it was known that I -had consented to a Gatling gun being sent for the purpose he mentioned, -I should make myself most unpopular, and that I hoped that the troops -would be sent down gradually so as not to cause alarm. We arranged to -place some of the troops at Rupert Lane, and some in volunteer -drillsheds, but several hundred had to be quartered in the guard ship on -the Mersey. All this was carried out so quietly that no notice of it -appeared in the newspapers. We were congratulating ourselves upon the -success of our scheme, when I received a note from Lord Chief Justice -Coleridge, then presiding at the assizes, requiring my presence at St. -George's Hall. I immediately obeyed the summons, and was ushered into -the judge's private room. The Chief Justice at once stated that he was -informed that a large number of troops had been brought into the town, -without his sanction as the Judge of Assize. In vain I pleaded my -ignorance that his Lordship's permission was necessary, that the troops -had not been requisitioned by me, but had been sent by orders of the -Home Secretary. His Lordship was much annoyed and said I ought to have -known that a Judge of Assize was the Queen's representative, and no -troops could be moved during an assize without the judge's sanction. His -anger was however short-lived; he came to dine with me at the Town Hall -the same evening, and made a capital speech, as he always did, and the -morning's episode was not again mentioned. - -Things in Liverpool continued very unsettled and anxious, and to add to -the difficulty a strike began. We were obliged to show the troops; the -cavalry paraded the line of docks for two or three days, producing an -excellent effect. - -The Home Secretary was very anxious, and wrote to me long letters. The -chief constable, Major Greig, was away ill, and this threw much -responsibility upon the mayor. We were able to collect much information, -which led to the arrest of many notable Fenians, and we stopped the -importation of several consignments of infernal machines. An amusing -incident occurred in connection with one of these. We were informed that -a consignment of thirty-one barrels of cement was coming from New York -by a Cunard steamer, each barrel containing an infernal machine. We -placed a plain clothes officer in the Cunard office to arrest whoever -might claim the cement, which, however, no one did, and we took charge -of the casks as they were landed. Several casks were sent up to the -police office and were there opened and the machines taken out. I was -asked to go down to see the machines, and found them lying on a table in -the detective office, several police officers being gathered round. I -lifted the cover of one; a rolled spill of paper was inserted in the -clock work; this I withdrew, and immediately the works started in -motion, and with equal rapidity the police vanished from the room. I -simply placed my hand on the works and stopped them, and invited the -police to return. On unrolling the spill of paper I found it to be one -of O'Donovan Rossa's billheads; he was at that time the leader of the -Fenian brotherhood in America. - -The machines were neatly made; on the top were the clock works, which -could be regulated to explode at a given time the six dynamite -cartridges enclosed in the chamber below. - -Having taken all the machines out of the casks of cement, the difficulty -arose what to do with them, and eventually we chartered a tug and threw -them overboard in one of the sea channels. - -An amusing incident occurred showing how excited public feeling was at -the time. I was sitting one morning at the table in the Mayor's parlour -in the Town Hall, when I heard a crash of broken glass, and a large, -black, ugly-looking object fell on the floor opposite to me. I rang the -bell and the hall porter came in; I said, "What is that?" "A bomb!" he -exclaimed, and immediately darted out of the room, but he had no sooner -done so than he returned with a policeman, who exclaimed, "Don't be -alarmed, sir, it's only an old pensioner's cork leg." A crowd had -collected in the street outside, in the centre of which was the old -pensioner, who was violently expostulating. On ordering the police to -bring him inside, he said he was very sorry if he had done wrong, but he -was so angry at the many holes in the street pavements, in which he -caught his wooden leg, that he had adopted this rather alarming method -of bringing his complaint under the notice of the Mayor and the -authorities. The cork leg, both in form and colour, much resembled a -bomb made out of a gas pipe, of which we had seen several at the Town -Hall. - -At the end of my year of office I received the thanks of the Home -Secretary, Sir William Harcourt, for my assistance and, at his request, -I pursued enquiries in America which had an important bearing in -checking the Fenian movement at that time. - -[Illustration: LIVERPOOL TOWN HALL.] - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE TOWN COUNCIL. - - -The council chamber in the Town Hall has of late years undergone many -alterations. In my early experience it occupied only part of the present -site, and at the eastern end we had a luncheon room. It was a shabby -chamber, badly heated and ventilated; the Mayor's chair was placed on a -raised dais at the western end, and the members of the Council sat at -long mahogany tables running lengthwise. It was a comfortless room, and -very cold in winter. - -The Council met at eleven in the morning, adjourned for lunch at one -o'clock, and usually completed its labours by four or five o'clock in -the afternoon. But we had periods when party feeling ran high, and -obstructive tactics were adopted. At such times we not infrequently sat -until ten o'clock at night. Most of these battles took place upon -licensing questions in which the late Mr. Alex. Balfour, Mr. Simpson, of -landing stage fame, and Mr. McDougal took a leading part. - -It was the practice to deliver long and well considered speeches. Some -of these were excellent, many very dreary. The present conversational -debates would not have been tolerated. We had some very able speakers, -of whom I think the most powerful was Mr. Robertson Gladstone, the elder -brother of the late Premier. He seldom spoke, but when he did he gave -utterance to a perfect torrent of eloquence which seemed to bear -everything before it. He was a remarkable man in many ways, very tall of -stature, and broad in proportion, he wore a low-crowned hat and used to -drive down in a small four-wheeled dogcart. He delighted to give any old -woman a lift, and every Saturday morning he visited the St. John's -market, and took infinite pleasure in bargaining with the market folk. -Mr. J. J. Stitt was also a very fluent and effective speaker, perhaps -too much after the debating society style. Mr. J. R. Jeffery was a good -speaker, so was Mr. William Earle. One of the most useful men in the -Council was Mr. Weightman, who had been the Surveyor to the Corporation, -and became a most efficient Chairman of the Finance Committee. One of -the most laborious members was Mr. Charles Bowring, the father of Sir -William Bowring, Bart. Mr. Bowring was for years Chairman of the Health -Committee. He had a big and difficult work to do, but he did it well, -and was always courteous and considerate. Mr. Beloe was at that time -Chairman of the Water Committee, and was largely responsible for the -Rivington water scheme. I think Mr. Sam Rathbone was one of the most -cultured and able men we ever had in the Council. He spoke with -knowledge and much elegance, and everything he said was refined and -elevating. Mr. John Yates--"honest John Yates"--was a frequent speaker, -and always with effect. Mr. Barkeley Smith was our best and most ready -debater, Mr. Clarke Aspinall our most humorous speaker. - -The first important debate which took place in the Council after I -entered it was on the proposal to purchase land from Lord Sefton for the -purpose of making Sefton Park. It was a prolonged discussion and the -decision arrived at shows that the Council in those days was long -sighted and able to take large views and do big things. Not only was -power taken to purchase land for Sefton Park but also to make Newsham -and Stanley Parks, costing in all £670,000; and this movement to provide -open spaces has continued to this day, and has been supplemented by -private munificence, until Liverpool is surrounded by a belt of parks -and open spaces containing upwards of 1,000 acres, and in addition many -churchyards have been turned into gardens, and small greens have been -provided in various parts. - -I have often been asked if the work of the city was as well done with a -Council of 64 as it is now with a Council of 134. I think the smaller -Council took a more personal interest in the work. The Committees were -smaller and better attended, and the Council more thoroughly discussed -the subjects brought before them. With the larger Council and larger -Committees more work and more responsibility falls upon the chairman and -the permanent officials. I fear the larger and more democratic Council -scarcely appreciates this fact, also they fail to see that if you want -good permanent officials you must pay them adequately. We have -fortunately to-day an excellent staff who do their work well with a full -sense of their responsibility. - -One peculiarity of the larger Council is the time given to the -discussion of small matters, and the little consideration given to large -questions of policy and finance. This I attribute to the fact that the -Council contains many representatives who have not been accustomed to -deal with large affairs, and who refrain from discussing what they do -not fully understand. In this respect I think the present Council shows -to some disadvantage. - -An immense work has been done municipally during this period in -re-modelling and re-making Liverpool. In the 'sixties the streets of -Liverpool were narrow and irregular, the paving and scavenging work was -imperfectly done, the system of sewerage was antiquated, and the homes -in which her working people had to live were squalid and insanitary; -cellar dwellings were very general. To change all this demanded a great -effort and a large expenditure of money, but in the 'seventies and -'eighties we had men in the Council capable of taking large views. - -Although the improvement of Liverpool has been so remarkable, it is -difficult to say to whom it is mainly due; there have been so many -active public-spirited men who have given the best of their time and -thought to the promotion of municipal undertakings. Liverpool has been -fortunate in possessing so many sons who have taken an active interest -in her welfare, and have done their work quietly and unobtrusively. The -re-making of Liverpool has been accomplished in the quiet deliberation -of the committee room, and not in the council chamber. - - -THE TOWN HALL--ITS HOSPITALITY. - -The hospitalities of the Town Hall were in my early years limited to -dinners, and most of these took place in the small dining room, which -will only accommodate about forty guests. When the fleet visited -Liverpool the Mayor gave a ball, but these occasions were rare. To -Dowager Lady Forwood, who was Mayoress in 1877, the credit belongs of -introducing the afternoon receptions, which have proved so great an -attraction. The Town Hall and its suite of reception rooms are unique, -and although built over 100 years ago, are sufficiently commodious for -the social requirements of to-day. The late King, when Prince of Wales, -on his visit to Liverpool in 1881, remarked to me that next to those in -the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg he considered them the best -proportioned rooms in Europe. - -The Lord Mayor receives an allowance of £2,000, and is in addition -provided with carriages and horses. In olden time this allowance was -ample, but it is no longer so, and it is impossible to maintain the old -traditional hospitality of the Town Hall unless the Lord Mayor expends a -further £2,000 out of his own pocket, and many Lord Mayors have -considerably exceeded this sum. It has often been urged that the -allowance should be increased. I doubt if this is desirable. The -invitations to Town Hall functions might be more strictly limited to -representative people, or the entertainments might, as in Manchester, be -placed in the hands of a Committee, but it must not be forgotten that -more is expected of the Lord Mayor in Liverpool than in other places. He -is not only the head of the municipality, but of all charitable and -philanthropic work. The initiation of every undertaking, national as -well as local, emanates from the Town Hall. All this throws upon the -Lord Mayor duties which directly and indirectly involve the dispensing -of hospitality, and I do not think the citizens would wish it should be -otherwise. - -Although Mr. Alderman Livingston was always supposed to have a candidate -ready for the office of Mayor, and loved to be known as the "Mayor -maker," the finding of a candidate for the office has not been always -easy. I remember in 1868 we had some difficulty. The caucus decided to -invite Mr. Alderman Dover to accept the office. I was deputed to obtain -Mr. Dover's consent. I found him at the Angel Hotel smoking a long -churchwarden clay pipe; when I told him my mission he smiled and replied -that his acceptance was impossible, and one of the reasons he gave was -that if his wife once got into the gilded coach she would never get out -of it again. However, after much persuasion he accepted the office, and -made a very good and a very original Mayor. In those days we had a -series of recognised toasts at all the Town Hall banquets: - - - "_The Queen_," - "_The Prince and Princess of Wales, and the - other Members of the Royal Family_," - "_The Bishop and Clergy, - and Ministers of other denominations_," - "_The Army and Navy and Auxiliary Forces_," - - -and very frequently - - - "_The good old town and the trade thereof_." - - -This was a very serious list, as it involved two or three speakers being -called upon to reply for the church and the army. Mr. Dover prepared -three speeches for each toast, which he carefully wrote out and gave to -the butler, with instructions to take a careful note of those present, -and to hand him the speech which he considered had not been heard before -by his guests. So the butler, after casting his eye over the tables, -would hand a manuscript to the Mayor, saying "I think, your Worship, No. -2, 'Royal Family,' will do this evening." At the close of his mayoralty -he offered to sell his speeches to his successor, and he handed to the -charities a cheque for £500, which he had saved out of his allowance as -Mayor. - - -WORK IN THE CITY COUNCIL. - -On entering the Council in 1868 I was placed upon the Watch Committee, -and remained on that committee for fifteen years. The work was of a very -routine character; we had, however, an excellent chairman in Mr. F. A. -Clint, and I have never forgotten the lessons I received from him in the -management of a committee, and how to get the proceedings of a committee -passed by the Council. "Never start a hare" was his motto, "you never -know how it will run, and the amount of discussion it may provoke." -Another lesson which he taught me was always to take the Council into -your confidence. "Tell them everything, and if you make a mistake own up -to it;" and there can be no doubt that there is great wisdom in adopting -this course. Deliberative assemblies are naturally critical and -suspicious: but treat them with confidence and they will return it; once -deceive them, or keep back what they are entitled to know, and your task -thereafter becomes very difficult. - -Mr. Alderman Livingston was the deputy-chairman, and was quite a -character in his way. In personal appearance he resembled Mr. Pickwick, -and his ways were essentially Pickwickian. In the selection of Mayors he -was always very much in evidence, and he was before everything a Tory of -Tories. Politics were his delight, and even when quite an old man he did -not shirk attending the November ward meetings, where his oracular and -often amusing speeches were greatly enjoyed by the electors. - -At one period during the agitation against licensees of public-houses, -the Watch Committee was composed of all the members of the Council with -Mr. S. B. Guion as chairman; and the committee met in the Council -Chamber, but a committee of this size was too unwieldy for -administrative business, and the arrangement did not last long. - - -THE BURNING OF THE LANDING STAGE. - -The original George's Landing Stage was replaced by a new one in 1874, -and this was connected with the floating bridge and the Prince's stage, -the whole forming one floating stage, 2,200 feet in length. On the 28th -July, a few days after the completion of this work, I was attending the -Watch Committee when word reached us that the landing stage was on fire. -We could scarcely believe the report, as it was about the last thing we -thought likely to be burnt. We hurried down to find the report only too -true; huge volumes of dense black smoke enveloped all the approaches. -The fire, commencing at the foot of the northern bridge leading to the -George's stage, spread with great rapidity. The fire engines were -brought on the stage and immense volumes of water were poured upon the -burning deck, but the woodwork was so heavily impregnated with tar that -the flames were irresistible. We worked all afternoon and all night, and -in the end only succeeded in saving the centre of the stage at the foot -of the floating bridge, for a length of about 150 feet. And this was -only done by cutting a wide gap at either end, over which the fire could -not leap. It was very arduous, trying work, as the fumes from the tar -and creosoted timber were very nauseating. The portion salved was very -valuable in preserving a place for the Birkenhead boats. The other -ferries had to land and embark their passengers from temporary platforms -and the adjacent dock walls. - - -THE WATER COMMITTEE. - -In the 'seventies I joined the Water Committee, at a time when further -supplies of water for Liverpool had become a pressing necessity. We had -opened the Beloe "dry dock" at Rivington (so called because many people -believed when this reservoir was being made it would never be filled), -and it was felt that no further supply could be obtained from this -source; nor could we rely upon any further local supply from the red -sandstone, although Mr. Alderman Bennett made long speeches in his -endeavour to prove that the supply from the red sandstone was far from -being exhausted. - -[Illustration: LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE, VYRNWY DAM, BY THE EARL OF -POWIS, 1881.] - -When it was decided to seek for a new watershed our attention was first -directed to the moors round about Bleasdale, some ten miles north of -Preston, but the prospective supply was not sufficiently large. We then -turned our attention to Hawes Water, in Cumberland, the property of Lord -Lonsdale, and appointed a deputation to inspect this lake. We dined and -stayed all night at Lowther Castle, and drove to the lake next morning. -We came away much impressed with the quality of the water and the -cleanness of the watershed, as there were no peat mosses or boggy lands -to discolour the water. - -Mr. Deacon, our young water engineer, had however a more ambitious -scheme in view; he proposed to impound the head waters of the Severn in -the valley of the Vyrnwy. The battle of the watersheds, Hawes Water -_versus_ the Vyrnwy, was waged furiously for several years. The -committee made many visits to the Vyrnwy, taking up its abode at the -Eynant Shooting Lodge, a very picturesque spot (now submerged) standing -at the western end of the lake. Mr. Wilson and Mr. Anthony Bower, the -chairman and deputy-chairman of the committee, were strongly in favour -of the Vyrnwy scheme. - -Alderman Bennett continued to be the persistent advocate of obtaining -additional supplies from the wells, and his opposition to every other -scheme was only set at rest by the Council authorising Mather and Platt -to put a bore-hole down at Bootle at a point which he selected; with the -result that no water was found. During all this period Mr. J. H. Wilson -had a very arduous task, demanding great patience and endurance, and to -him and to Mr. Deacon belong the credit of ultimately securing the -adoption of the Vyrnwy scheme. - -I led the section of the committee in favour of the Hawes Water scheme. -There was no question as to the Vyrnwy yielding an abundant supply, but -the opposition contended that it was brown peaty water, and would remain -brownish after being treated by filtration, and the cost would greatly -exceed that of Hawes Water. I spent days on the moors at Vyrnwy -collecting samples of water. My samples were brown and bad; the samples -collected by Mr. Deacon, on the contrary, were clear and translucent. -The committee were divided as to the relative merits of the two schemes, -and the Council were equally divided. - -When the question came for the ultimate decision of the Council the -debate lasted two days, and I spoke for one hour and a half. We thought -the Hawes Water scheme was winning, when the Mayor, Mr. Thomas Royden, -rose and spoke for half an hour all in favour of the Vyrnwy. His speech -turned many waverers, and the Council voted in favour of the Vyrnwy by -a small majority of three. - -It was a great debate, perhaps the most important we have had in the -Council, certainly in my time. Mr. Royden (now Sir Thomas Royden, Bart.) -was an effective speaker, both in the Council and on the platform; his -voice and his genial smile were a valuable asset of the Conservative -party. - -I was greatly assisted in drawing up a pamphlet in favour of Hawes -Water, and in conducting the opposition, by the town clerk, Mr. Joseph -Rayner. Mr. Rayner was an exceedingly able man, but unfortunately died -comparatively young. - -It fell to my lot, as Mayor in 1881, to take the Council to lay the -foundation stone of the great Vyrnwy dam. It was on a very hot day in -July; the stone was laid by the Earl of Powis, who made a very eloquent -and poetical address, comparing the Vyrnwy with the fountain of Arethusa -which would spring up and fructify the valley, and convey untold -blessings to the great community in the far-off city of Liverpool. - -The building of the dam, and the laying out of the banks of the lake, -called for many charming visits to the Vyrnwy; and although I was not in -favour of the adoption of this scheme I now believe on the whole the -Council did the wisest thing, as there can be no question of the -abundance of the supplies secured by the city. - - -PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE. - -For twelve years I was chairman of this committee, and had much -interesting work to carry through Parliament. The widening of St. -Nicholas' Place and the throwing of part of St. Nicholas' churchyard -into the street was a great improvement, relieving the congestion of -traffic at this point. - -We also endeavoured, during my term of office, to extend the boundaries -of the city. We had a fierce fight in the House of Commons. The local -boards of the districts we intended to absorb assailed us with a perfect -torrent of abuse, and criticised severely our system of local -government. We failed to carry our bill, the chairman of the committee -remarking that Parliament would not grant any extension of city -boundaries when it was objected to by the districts to be absorbed; but -he added, "We are quite satisfied from the evidence you have given that -Liverpool is excellently governed in every department." We made a -mistake in pushing forward this bill on "merits" only, we should have -done some missionary work beforehand, and arranged terms and conditions -with our neighbours. My successor in the chair of this committee, Sir -Thomas Hughes, profited by our experience, and succeeded where we -failed. - -We were greatly assisted in our Parliamentary work by Mr. Harcourt E. -Clare, who was most able and diplomatic, and an excellent negotiator. -His appointment as Clerk of the County Council, though a gain to the -county, was a serious loss to Liverpool. - - -MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL. - -With the attitude of Liverpool in regard to the construction of the -Manchester Ship Canal I was very prominently identified. I had to -conduct the opposition to the Canal Bill through three sessions of -Parliament, six enquiries in all. The Dock Board took the labouring oar, -but it fell to me to work up the commercial case, to prove from a -commercial point of view that the canal was not wanted, and would never -pay. I prepared a great mass of figures, and was under examination -during the six enquiries altogether about thirty hours. Mr. Pember, -Q.C., who led the case for the promoters, paid me the compliment of -saying I was the only witness he had ever had who had compelled him to -get up early in the morning to prepare his cross-examination. - -We defeated the bill in the first two enquiries. At the close of the -second enquiry Mr. Lyster, the engineer to the Mersey Docks and Harbour -Board, completely gave the Dock Board case away. Mr. Pember remarked: -"Mr. Lyster, you have told us that if we make our canal through the -centre of the estuary of the Mersey we shall cause the estuary to silt -up and destroy the bar. What would you do if you had to make a canal to -Manchester?" Mr. Lyster jumped at the bait, and replied, "I should enter -at Eastham and carry the canal along the shore until I reached Runcorn, -and then I would strike inland." Next year the Manchester Corporation -brought in a new bill carrying out Mr. Lyster's suggestion, and as -Liverpool had no answer they succeeded in getting their bill. - -There can be no doubt that the railways had for long years greatly -overcharged their Liverpool traffic. The rate of 12s 6d per ton for -Manchester goods for the thirty-two miles' carriage from Manchester to -Liverpool was a gross overcharge. I had headed deputation after -deputation to the London and North-Western Railway to represent this; -Mr. Moon (afterwards Sir Richard Moon) always received us with much -civility, but nothing was done. The Dock Board had the remedy in their -own hands; they could have bought the Bridgewater Canal, and made a -competitive route; but the prosperity of Liverpool was great, and they -altogether failed to see that Manchester, with its Ship Canal, might one -day be a serious competitor to Liverpool. - -The promoters of the Ship Canal secured an option over the Bridgewater -Canal, and this was really the backbone of their scheme. At the close of -the first parliamentary enquiry, when the Canal Bill was thrown out, Mr. -Wakefield Cropper, the chairman of the Bridgewater Canal, came to me -and said, "The option given to the Ship Canal people has expired; can -you not persuade the Dock Board to buy up the Bridgewater Canal, and -this will put an end to the Ship Canal project?" I walked across the -Green Park with Mr. T. D. Hornby, the chairman of the Dock Board, and -Mr. Squarey, the solicitor, and told them of this conversation, and they -both agreed with me that the Dock Board ought to make the purchase, but, -unfortunately, nothing was done. In the following year the Ship Canal -Bill was again thrown out, and Mr. Cropper again urged that we should -secure the Bridgewater Canal. I called at the Liverpool Dock office in -London and saw Mr. Hornby and Mr. Squarey; they both agreed that the -purchase of the Bridgewater Canal ought to be made, but again no step -was taken, and the Ship Canal made their third application to -Parliament, and succeeded. I have always felt that the Dock Board thus -missed a great opportunity, which in years to come may prove to have -been the golden chance of securing the prosperity of the port. - - -CORPORATION LEASEHOLDS. - -One of the most important enquiries in which I engaged was into our -system of fines on renewals of the leases of the property belonging to -the Corporation. - -The Corporation owns a very large estate within the city. The first -important purchase was made by the Corporation in 1674, when a lease -for 1,000 years was obtained from Sir Caryl Molyneux, of the Liverpool -Heath, which bounded the then town of Liverpool on its eastern side. -This land had been sold on seventy-five years' leases, and as the leases -ran out the lessees had the option of renewal on the payment of a fine; -and in order to encourage the frequent renewal of these leases the fines -during the first twenty years of a lease were made very light. It has -been the practice of the Corporation to use the fines received as income -in the year in which they are received. The fines received in the fifty -years, 1835 to 1885, amounted to £1,762,000. This system of finance is -radically wrong. The fines ought to be invested in annuities, and if -this had been done these fines would now have returned an income of -£66,000 per annum, and would have gone on increasing. - -The committee, of which I was the chairman, held a prolonged enquiry, -and examined many experts and actuaries, and our report is to-day the -standard authority on the leasehold question. Our conclusions and -recommendations are as sound to-day as they were then, but unfortunately -the Council declined to accept or adopt them, and we still pursue the -economically bad system of spending in the first year the fine which -should be spread over the term of the lease. - -When I retired from the Library, Museum, and Arts Committee in 1908, I -was invited to take the chair of the Estate Committee, and found myself -again face to face with the leasehold question. The revenue of the -Corporation from fines on renewal of leases had fallen off to so -alarming an extent that something had to be done to stop the shrinkage -in revenue and restore the capital value of the estate. We had for so -long used the fines as income that the position was a difficult one, and -one only to be surmounted by a self-denying policy of accumulating a -large portion of the assured income from fines for at least twenty-five -years and encouraging leaseholders to extend their leases from -seventy-five to ninety-nine years. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -LIBRARY, MUSEUM, AND ARTS COMMITTEE. - - -Liverpool can justly lay claim to be the pioneer of free public -libraries. William Ewart, one of the members for the borough, succeeded -in 1850 in passing through Parliament the Public Libraries Act. But -before this act had become law, a subscription had been raised in -Liverpool for the purpose of starting a library, and a temporary library -was opened in Duke Street. This was afterwards transferred to the -Corporation, and was the beginning of the great library movement in -Liverpool. The Council encouraged by this obtained a special act -empowering them to establish not only a library, but a public library, -museum, and art gallery--thus from the earliest days these three -institutions have been linked together. Sir William Brown provided the -funds for erection of the Library and Museum in William Brown Street. In -1851 the thirteenth Earl of Derby presented to the town his fine -collection of natural history specimens; in 1857 Mr. Joseph Mayer gave -his collection of historical and archæological objects, and in 1873 Mr. -A. B. Walker completed this remarkable group of institutions by building -the Walker Art Gallery. Liverpool has thus been most fortunate in -possessing a public library, a museum, and an art gallery, which have -cost the ratepayers nothing. It would be difficult to find a more unique -cluster of institutions, each so perfectly adapted to its work, and all -furnished with collections which have not only a local but a European -reputation. - -[Illustration: LIVERPOOL FREE LIBRARY AND MUSEUM.] - -I was placed upon the Library and Museum Committee on entering the -Council, Mr. Picton, afterwards Sir James Picton, being the chairman. -The committee met at nine o'clock in the morning, and seldom rose before -twelve. I could not afford so much time, and therefore resigned, but -when master of my own time I joined the committee again, and found the -work very interesting. Sir James Picton had an extensive knowledge of -books, and he is entitled to the credit of building up our splendid -reference library, and of making the excellent collection of books on -architecture which it contains, but he had little sympathy with lending -libraries, and when he died the three branch lending libraries were very -indifferent and poor, which was the more extraordinary bearing in mind -that the act of parliament instituting free libraries was promoted by -Liverpool, and although Liverpool was not the first town to take -advantage of it, she was only six weeks behind Manchester in adopting -it. - -Sir James Picton, the historian of Liverpool, was endowed with an -excellent memory, and his mind was a storehouse of knowledge. He took an -active part in the various literary societies, and was for many years -one of our leading and most enlightened citizens. - -After his death the chair of the Library Committee was occupied for -three years by Mr. Samuelson, and in 1889 I was elected his successor, -and held this chair for nineteen years. There is no public position in -Liverpool more full of interest and with such wide possibilities for -good as the chairmanship of the Library Committee. I very early decided -that the right, and, indeed, only policy to pursue was to make the -institutions placed under my care as democratic and as widely useful as -possible, and this could best be done by breaking down all the barriers -erected by red tape and by trusting the people; and, further, extending -the system of branch libraries and reading rooms. In carrying out this -work I always enjoyed the sympathy and active co-operation of my -committee, and had the valuable assistance of Mr. Cowell, the chief -librarian, and his staff. The acceptance of the guarantee of one -ratepayer instead of two for the respectability of a reader has been a -very popular reform, and the introduction of open bookshelves, -containing the most recent and popular books of the day, has been -greatly appreciated, and I am glad to say the books we have lost have -been very few. Branch lending libraries were opened at the Central -Library, Everton, Windsor Street, Sefton Park, West Derby, Wavertree, -and Garston. At several of these libraries we have reading-rooms and -special books for boys, which are much appreciated by them. - -We were fortunate in inducing Mr. Andrew Carnegie to open the new -library in Windsor Street, and he was so much pleased with it that he -offered to build for us a duplicate in West Derby. He remarked it was -the first time he had ever offered to give a library, making it a rule -that he must be invited to present one, and then if the site was -provided, and a suitable income assured to maintain it, he gave the -necessary funds for the building as a matter of course. Mr. Carnegie -subsequently presented us with another library for Garston, and more -recently he gave me £19,000 for two more libraries, making his gift to -Liverpool £50,000 in all. - -Mr. Carnegie's munificence has been remarkable, not only in its extent, -but in its method. He has given £30,000,000 for the erection of -libraries and other institutions, but all of his gifts have been made -after careful investigation, and in conformity with certain rules which -he has laid down. When he opened the Windsor Street Library he stayed at -Bromborough Hall, and we took him also to the opening of St. Deiniol's -Library, at Hawarden. If Mr. Carnegie had not been a millionaire he -would still have been a remarkable man. Endowed with a keen power of -observation, rapidity of judgment, and great courage, he has all the -elements which make for success in any walk in life. He told me that as -a superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railway he saw that iron bridges -should take the place of their wooden bridges. He formed an iron company -to supply these bridges. Another opportunity offered, of which he was -not slow to avail, when the iron bridges had in course of time to be -replaced with steel. The example of this great railway was quickly -followed by others, and the Carnegie Steel Works grew larger and larger. -The carriage of the iron ore 400 miles by rail, from Lake Superior, was -a costly item, so he constructed his own railway, which enabled him to -greatly reduce the carriage. All these things indicate his enterprise -and courage, which have made him not only a millionaire, but also a -great public benefactor. - -The Council entrusted the Library Committee with the administration of -the moneys granted for technical education, and as it took some years to -lay the foundations of a technical system of education the funds -accumulated, and we were able to pay off the debt on the libraries, -about £8,000, and to build the extension to the museum, costing £80,000. -The foundation stone was laid by me on the 1st July, 1898. Liverpool has -always been rich in museum exhibits, and particularly in natural history -and ethnography, and we have added recently to our collection by -purchasing Canon Tristram's collection of birds. Out of this great -storehouse our director, Doctor Forbes, has arranged the galleries so -admirably, both on the scientific and popular sides, that they are the -admiration of all naturalists, and Liverpool has every reason to be -proud of her museums, which are admittedly the finest out of London. The -galleries were opened by the late Earl of Derby on the 19th October, -1906. - -I was anxious to bring the libraries, and especially the museums, into -closer touch with the University, and have always maintained that -co-operation between these institutions is absolutely necessary, if we -are to get the best out of each. - - -THE WALKER ART GALLERY. - -The work in connection with the Walker Art Gallery has always been to me -one of absorbing interest, and the annual visit in the spring to the -London studios a very great treat. It is not merely that one has the -opportunity of seeing the pictures of the year, but also to hear the -views of the artists; men who lead lives of their own, in their art, and -for their art, and whose views upon art matters open up new avenues for -thought, and continually suggest new methods of action. Mr. Philip -Rathbone was our first chairman of the Art Sub-Committee, and he did a -great work in popularising our Autumn Exhibition in London. He was -almost a bohemian by nature, and was quite at home in the artist world -of London. He was a genius in many ways; he knew much about art; was a -poet whose verses had a charm of their own; he was a delightful -companion and inherited many of those remarkable traits of character -which have distinguished the Rathbone family and have made them such -benefactors of their native city. - - -AMONG THE STUDIOS. - -We had some interesting experiences during our visits to the studios, -and were often asked to criticise and suggest a name for a picture. - -On one occasion when visiting Lord Leighton's studio, he was painting a -charming picture entitled "Persephone," the coming of spring. He had -painted some brown figs in the foreground. Mr. Rathbone remarked that in -spring the figs should be green. Lord Leighton replied, "You are right," -and dabbing his thumb into some green paint on his palette he smeared -the figs with green, and when the picture was finished they remained -green; but inasmuch as you see green and brown figs on a fig-tree at the -same time, in spring and in autumn, Lord Leighton was not incorrect, and -brown figs would, I think, have better suited his colour scheme. Mr. -Byam Shaw painted a picture of "the Princes in the Tower" at Ludlow -Castle, and looking out of the tower upon the landscape beyond, the eye -rested upon a copse of larches, but as larches were not grown in -England for a hundred years after the incident portrayed in the picture, -they had to be painted out and other trees substituted. - -Visiting the studio of Mr. Greiffenhagen we found him engaged upon a -pastoral idyll, a shepherd boy embracing a red-headed girl in a field of -poppies. He had as his models an Italian and his boy. Upon my remarking -upon this, he explained his only inducement to paint the subject was a -promise made by two of his friends, who were engaged to be married, to -sit as his models. They came, and appeared to greatly enjoy the -situation; but alas! they got married and did not return, and he was -obliged to finish his picture with this Italian and his boy. It was a -lovely picture, and now adorns our permanent collection. One is much -impressed when visiting the studios by the comparative poverty of the -profession. I don't suppose the average income of the London artist -exceeds £200 to £300 per annum. They paint pictures but do not sell -them. Formerly they were able to supplement their incomes by working in -black and white, but machine processes have now superseded black and -white, and the architect and house decorator have dealt pictorial art a -severe blow by introducing styles of decoration which leave no room for -the picture. - -Lord Leighton was a great friend to Liverpool, but we did not treat him -kindly. Whenever we had any difficulty in obtaining a picture for our -exhibition he was always ready to take trouble and use his influence to -secure it for us. We bought from him one of the best pictures he ever -painted, the "Andromeda"; the price was £3,000, and he agreed to accept -the amount payable over two years. The purchase was noised abroad, but -unfortunately the Council declined to confirm it. Sir James Picton was -not happy in the way he submitted the proposal to the Council. -Manchester immediately secured the picture. Meeting Lord Leighton a year -or so afterwards I apologised to him for the action of the Council, when -he most magnanimously said, "I was not troubled for myself, but for you, -and it pained me when I heard that Mr. Samuelson, your deputy chairman, -twice came to my house to explain matters, but his courage failed him, -and he went away without even ringing the bell." - -Sir John Millais was appointed President of the Royal Academy in -succession to Lord Leighton. It fell to me to call at his studio only a -few months before he died, when he remarked: "You have in Liverpool my -picture with a kick in it" (alluding to the picture of "Lorenzo and -Isabella," in which the figure in the foreground is in the act of -kicking a dog), and he continued, "I well remember that picture." This -was spoken evidently with a sad recollection. I knew what was passing in -his mind, for the late Sir Henry Tate told me that Mr. Millais painted -the picture when quite a young man, for a dealer, and was to receive in -payment £50. The dealer failed, and Mr. Millais found himself in great -financial difficulty, when a stranger called and said, "I understand -you have painted a picture for Mr. ----" (naming the dealer), and asked -to look at it. He immediately bought it, giving £50, and the painter's -difficulties were removed. - -Mrs. Fraser, the wife of Dr. Fraser, the Bishop of Manchester, told me a -good story of Millais. He was painting the Bishop's portrait, and the -picture had reached the stage of the last sitting. Mr. Millais' dog -jumped upon the chair upon which the artist had placed his palette. The -palette fell on to the floor, paint side downwards. Millais was annoyed -and kicked at the dog. The situation had an amusing side which caused -the Bishop to laugh heartily, whereupon Millais looked still more angry, -and exclaimed, "I have painted the wrong man, I had no idea you had such -a sense of humour." The picture, although an excellent likeness, -represents the Bishop as a demure ecclesiastic. Those who remember him -will recollect how genial and full of humour he was. - -When Mayor in 1881, I acted as honorary secretary to a committee -entrusted with the painting of a likeness of the late Charles MacIver. -We gave the commission to Professor Herkomer, who called at the Town -Hall to enquire what sort of a man Mr. MacIver was. I told him that he -was a man of exceptionally strong character, a perfect autocrat in his -management of the Cunard Company, of which he was one of the founders. -Professor Herkomer called at the Town Hall a few days after, and said, -"I am returning home as I have been unable to find the Mr. MacIver as -you described him: he has lost a near relative and appears broken in -health." The Professor called upon me again a few months after and said -"I have found Mr. MacIver, the strong man you told me he was, and have -painted the portrait." The picture hangs in the permanent collection at -the Walker Art Gallery. - -In 1893, when Mr. Robert Holt was Lord Mayor, he received a telegram -from Sir John Gilbert, R.A., saying he wished to present some of his -pictures to Liverpool, and desiring that some one should go up to select -them. The Council was sitting. The Lord Mayor passed the telegram on to -me, and asked me to go up to London. I did so the same day, and called -upon Sir John Gilbert, at Blackheath, the next morning. On my entering -his room the veteran artist said "I see one of your names is 'Bower,' -are you any relation to Mr. Alfred Bower, who married the daughter of my -old friend Lance, the fruit painter." On my stating that I was his -nephew, he replied, "Well, I intended giving Temple, of the Guildhall, -the first pick, but you shall have it for my old friend's sake." - -I found the house stacked with pictures from the cellar to the attic. -Sir John had been painting and keeping his pictures to present to the -nation, together with an art gallery; but he had suddenly changed his -mind, and resolved to divide them between the great cities. I selected -some twelve or fourteen large canvases, which now adorn our art -gallery. Sir John was our greatest painter of historical pictures, and -one of our most brilliant colourists. - -Mr. Whistler came down to hang our Autumn Exhibition one year. He was -most _difficile_, finding fault with every picture brought before him. -We could not get on, and should have had no exhibition at all had we not -hit upon the expedient of offering him a room all to himself, in which -he should hang the pictures of his own choice and in his own way. He -accepted the offer. This room has ever since been filled with pictures -of the impressionist school. - -Upon Mr. Rathbone's death Mr. John Lea became his successor, and he has -done yeoman service for our Autumn Exhibition. For many years he gave an -annual dinner to the artists in London, and he was honoured by the -presence of the leading members of the Royal Academy and their wives. -The dinners took place at the Grand Hotel, and were exceedingly well -done. They greatly assisted us in our work of collecting the best -pictures of the year. - -It has been a great pleasure to us to entertain at Bromborough Hall many -of the artists entrusted with the hanging of the exhibitions. - -On retiring from the Library Committee in 1908, after nineteen years' -service as chairman, I gave an account of my stewardship, which was -reported as follows in the local press:-- - -"In returning thanks Sir William Forwood said it was with very deep -regret that he had to take leave of them as their chairman. He felt the -time had come when the trust should be placed in younger hands. On the -9th of next month it would be forty years since he entered the City -Council, and his first committee was the Library Committee, of which he -was elected chairman in 1890. Much had happened during that time. In -1890 they had only two small branch libraries, and there were no -reading-rooms in the great centres of population. Early in that year the -Kensington Branch Library and Reading-room was opened. The total issue -of books and periodicals at all the libraries was 1,514,545; last year -the issue was 4,417,043, an increase of nearly 300 per cent. These -figures became more striking when it was remembered that the population -during this period had increased only 17 per cent. Not only had the -appetite for reading grown, but the growth had been in a very -satisfactory direction. Whereas in 1890 76 per cent. of the total issues -were of prose fiction, last year this percentage had fallen to 55 per -cent. He did not wish to disparage the reading of good fiction; on the -contrary, he had always contended that the reading of fiction frequently -formed the habit of reading, which would otherwise never be obtained. -They had worked upon this view, and gave to the borrower of a work of -fiction the right to take out another book of a more serious character. -In 1890 the number of our home readers was 7,300; to-day they had -41,000, and during this period they had added 145,672 books to the -shelves. The total issue of books, etc., during the past eighteen years -reached the enormous total of 47,343,035. In place of forty-nine free -lectures, all given at one centre, they now gave 186 lectures -distributed over nineteen centres. - -"In 1890, out of a rate of one penny in the £, they maintained the -Central Reference Library and three branch libraries, the Art Gallery, -and the Museum. To-day, with the rate of a penny three-farthings, they -maintained three greatly enlarged central institutions, ten lending -libraries and reading-rooms, and gave 186 free lectures. They were now -completing the erection of a library at Garston, and had secured the -land for a library at Walton. The encouraging result of the system of -free access to open bookshelves in the Picton and the branch -reading-rooms induced him to hope that the new library at Walton might -be entirely run upon this principle. They had also done a great deal to -encourage juvenile readers and with most gratifying and encouraging -results. Juvenile libraries and reading-rooms were provided, and free -lectures to the young formed an important branch of their work. They had -been very much helped by the handsome gifts made by Mr. Andrew Carnegie, -the collection of fine art books and prints made by the late Mr. Hugh -Frederick Hornby, to whose generosity they were indebted for the room in -which they were now displayed--and the 978 books in the Braille type -contributed by Miss Hornby, of Walton. - -"The growth of the Natural History Museum had been remarkable. -Liverpool received as a bequest from the 13th Earl of Derby a very large -collection of natural history specimens, which was enriched from time to -time by other gifts. The limited space in the Museum was choked by -specimens which could not be properly displayed or scientifically -arranged, and the greater part of the specimens remained stowed away in -cases in the cellars. In 1899 it was decided to greatly extend the -museum by building further galleries over the new Technical Schools. -This extension cost £80,000. This additional space had been entirely -filled by the zoological collections, which had been most carefully and -scientifically arranged by the director, Dr. Forbes, and they now only -awaited the completion of the descriptive catalogue to make this -department complete and worthy of its high reputation. - -"The Permanent Collection of Art had been greatly enriched by the -pictures purchased and also by pictures presented to the city. The wall -space in the galleries was so limited that the work of the committee was -carried on under great difficulty. An enlargement of the Art Gallery was -urgently needed. Under the active chairmanship of Mr. Lea, assisted by -Mr. Dibdin, the curator, the Autumn Exhibition of pictures continued to -grow in excellence; but, notwithstanding this, it was remarkable that -the interest of the public in pictorial art appeared to be on the -decline. Whereas in 1891 the total receipts of their exhibition reached -£4,138, and in 1892 £3,609, last year they were only £3,068; and while -in 1891 pictures were sold of the value of £7,603, last year the sales -only reached £4,446. This falling off was, however, not peculiar to -Liverpool. The art exhibitions in London had the same experiences. It -was no doubt attributable largely to the beautiful art processes by -which pictures were reproduced, which appeared to satisfy the public -taste and destroyed the desire to see the originals. Another cause might -be attributed to the changes which had taken place in the art decoration -of houses, which did not admit of the display of pictures. No doubt in -time a reaction will take place. Art might sleep but it could never die. -It was not thinkable that a love for pictures could for long be dormant; -but in the meantime they must appeal to the Liverpool public for a -generous support to the efforts made by the Art Committee to bring to -their doors every year the very best pictures produced in this country. - -"In looking back over the past eighteen years," remarked Sir William in -conclusion, "I feel very proud of the excellent work done by these -institutions. We have ministered largely to the education and -entertainment of the people. We have carried brightness and sweetness -into many a home, and have done not a little, I hope, to refine and -elevate the masses of our fellow-citizens, and I think we can also claim -to have been faithful stewards of the funds placed at our disposal. In -taking leave of you I thank you all for your kindness and consideration. -To Mr. Holt, our senior member, who has occupied the vice-chair all -these years, I tender my grateful thanks for his help always so -cheerfully given. I am also greatly indebted to our staff for the -assistance they have invariably extended to me, and I wish to especially -record my obligations to our veteran chief librarian (Mr. Cowell), who -has rendered to me the greatest service in many ways, and especially in -keeping a careful oversight upon our finances. If I might take the -liberty of leaving behind me a word of counsel and advice, I would -say--strive always to popularise these institutions; they belong to the -people, and the more they are brought into close contact with the people -the more generous will be their appreciation and support, and greater -will be the amount of real good accomplished. - -"A cordial vote of thanks was tendered to the vice-chairman, Mr. R. D. -Holt, on the proposition of Alderman Stolterfoht, seconded by Mr. -Crosthwaite." - -Of Mr. Robert Holt I could say much. We were for so long, and so -pleasantly associated on this committee, where for over twenty years he -acted as my deputy-chairman. He was most loyal, most kind and helpful. -He had a temperament which shrank from responsibility, and was naturally -critical and hesitating. Yet he was kindness itself, and inspired a -feeling of love and respect. He had considerable artistic taste and -knowledge of pictures. He passed away at the age of 76, deeply mourned -by all his colleagues. Up to the last he was the most punctual and -regular member in his attendance at the Library Committee. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -KNIGHTHOOD AND FREEDOM OF LIVERPOOL. - - -Some two years after the conclusion of my Mayoralty, in 1883, Mr. -Gladstone, the Prime Minister, wrote to me stating that it would give -him pleasure to submit my name to the Queen for the honour of a -knighthood. - -I attended a special Council at Windsor to receive the "accolade." We -were entertained at luncheon, and after waiting about in the corridors -for some time we were ushered one by one into the oak dining-room. The -gentleman who preceded me, being lame, could not kneel, and the Queen -knighted him standing. When I entered the room there was no cushion to -kneel upon. Her Majesty noticed it at once, and exclaimed, "Where is the -cushion?" and A.D.C.'s flew in all directions in search of one. Meantime -I was kept standing, feeling not a little nervous; the Queen apparently -thought it was a good joke, and laughed, for it appeared from the time -occupied in finding a cushion that cushions did not abound at Windsor. - -I received through Lord Claud Hamilton a very kind message of -congratulation from the Prince of Wales, who had evidently been greatly -impressed by his visit to Liverpool. - -Although the honour of knighthood was ostensibly bestowed in connection -with the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the opening of -the new docks, I was semi-officially informed that it was really a -recognition of my work in connection with the Fenian movement. - - -HONORARY FREEDOM OF LIVERPOOL. - -Much as I valued the honour of knighthood, I still more greatly esteemed -the distinction conferred upon me by my fellow-citizens when they -bestowed upon me the freedom of the city--the greatest honour any man -can receive. Other honours are conferred for political and other -services, all more or less meritorious; but to be singled out by those -among whom you have lived all your life in order to receive the greatest -distinction it is in their power to offer is an honour worth living for, -and particularly when its bestowal is so jealously safe-guarded and kept -so entirely free from political bias as it is in Liverpool. It then -becomes doubly precious. It is easy in a great community to make -enemies. Even the very success which may crown one's efforts to do good -may produce them. A unanimous vote of a large City Council is, -therefore, not an easy thing to obtain, and is in itself a great -compliment. I may perhaps be pardoned if I venture to insert a short -account of the proceedings of the Special Council when the Freedom was -conferred, taken from the _Liverpool Post and Mercury_:-- - -"In the presence of a large and distinguished assembly of ladies and -gentlemen, the freedom of the city of Liverpool was yesterday afternoon -presented, in the Council chamber at the Town Hall, to Sir William -Forwood, the father of the City Council. Sir William was first elected -to the Council as a representative of Pitt Street Ward in November, -1868, and nine years later, in 1877, he was promoted to the aldermanic -bench, of which he is still a member. He was Mayor of the city in -1880-81. He is also a member of the city bench, of the county bench for -Lancashire and Cheshire, chairman of the Liverpool County Quarter -Sessions, and a deputy-lieutenant for Lancashire. The Lord Mayor -(Alderman Charles Petrie) presided, and, preceded by the city regalia, -he was accompanied into the Council chamber by Sir Thomas Hughes, Mr. -John Brancker, and Mr. B. Levy (freemen of the city), Mr. R. A. Hampson, -Mr. R. D. Holt, and Mr. T. Burke (the mover, seconder, and supporter of -the resolution of the City Council in favour of conferring the freedom -on Sir William Forwood), Sir William Tate, Sir John A. Willox, M.P., Mr. -A. Crosthwaite (ex-Lord Mayor), Mr. John Williamson, and many other -prominent citizens. There was also a very large attendance of members -of the City Council. Alderman W. B. Bowring sent a telegram regretting -his inability to be present through indisposition. - -"The Lord Mayor, in opening the interesting proceedings said: I have -much pleasure in asking the Recorder, Mr. Hopwood, kindly to read the -resolution of the Council conferring the honorary freedom of the city -upon Sir William Bower Forwood. - -"The Recorder: My Lord Mayor, I read the minute of the Corporation. 'At -a meeting of the Council of the City of Liverpool, holden on Wednesday, -the 4th day of June, 1902, under the Honorary Freedom of Boroughs Act, -1885, present the Right Hon. Charles Petrie (Lord Mayor), and a full -Council, it was moved by Councillor Hampson, seconded by Councillor R. -D. Holt, supported by Councillor Burke, and resolved unanimously that, -in pursuance of statute 48 and 49 of Victoria, chap. 29, entitled an act -to enable municipal corporations to confer the honorary freedom of -boroughs upon persons of distinction, the honorary freedom of the city -be conferred upon Alderman Sir William Bower Forwood, in recognition of -the eminent services he has rendered to the municipality throughout his -membership of the Council, extending over a period of thirty-three -years, during the course of which he has filled the office of chief -magistrate and other public positions with credit to himself and benefit -to the community, and especially for the deep interest he has taken in -the establishment of libraries and reading-rooms in the city.' - -"The Lord Mayor: Sir William Forwood, ladies and gentlemen, it is not -often we meet in this chamber as a Council under such happy auspices as -we are met to-day. We are gathered here with one accord to do honour to -one of our number whom we are pleased to term the Father of the Council, -Sir William Forwood. Not that he is by any means the oldest man amongst -us, but he happens to have been in the Council longer than any other -member. It is now nearly thirty-four years since Sir William was first -returned as member for Pitt Street Ward, on the 2nd November, 1868, and -ever since then he has held a seat in the City Council, and, as you all -know, he has served upon nearly all the important committees of the -Council--for instance, the Finance, Estate, Watch, Water, Library, -Museum and Arts, and Parliamentary Committees. As chairman of the -Parliamentary Committee he rendered very valuable services in the -opposition to the Manchester Ship Canal, and also with regard to railway -rates. But for many years past Sir William has unstintingly devoted his -time and his great ability to the Library, Museum, and Arts Committee. -And I am sure the city is very greatly indebted to him for the valuable -work that that committee has done." - -The Lord Mayor proceeded to enlarge upon Sir William's services to the -city, and in conclusion said:--"I have now great pleasure, Sir William, -as chief magistrate of the city, in asking you on behalf of the -citizens to accept this illuminated resolution of the Council and also -this casket, and I am sure I am only echoing the sentiment of everyone -here to-day, and not only those here, but those outside, when I say that -we wish you long life, health, and happiness to continue in the honour -which you hold. I will now ask you to sign the roll of honorary freemen. - -"The scroll on which is inscribed the freedom of the city is designed -and illuminated by James Orr Marples (Mr. Rutherfoord), Liverpool and -London Chambers, Exchange. The vellum is bound and backed with royal -blue silk and attached to an ivory roller. At the top of the composition -is the Liver crest and tridents between the arms and supporters of the -city, and a view of the Town Hall. Below, on the left side, beautifully -emblazoned, are the armorial bearings of Sir William B. Forwood, with -the crest and knight's helmet, the steel visor raised. On a scroll -beneath the shield is the motto 'Fide virtute et labore.' The civic -regalia and the port of Liverpool occupy the bottom of the design. -Pendant by a broad blue ribbon from the scroll is the official seal of -the city of Liverpool. - -"The scroll was enclosed in a handsome silver-gilt box, decorated with -panel pictures of the Town Hall, Free Libraries, and Museum, in enamels. - -"Sir William Forwood, having signed the roll, said:--My Lord Mayor, -aldermen, councillors, and ladies and gentlemen,--Believe me it is most -difficult, indeed it is well nigh impossible to find words adequately to -convey to you all the gratitude which fills my heart, to tell you how -deeply I appreciate and value the very great honour and distinction you -have so very generously and graciously conferred upon me, or to thank -you, my Lord Mayor, for the very eloquent, kind, but sadly too -flattering terms in which you have made this presentation. The honorary -freedom of the city of Liverpool, guarded by this Council with so much -jealousy, and bestowed with such a frugal hand, is the greatest honour -which this city can confer--it is a unique order of merit, it is not -conferred by the favour of a monarch or minister, but by the spontaneous -and unanimous voice of a great representative assembly, and as such is -not surpassed by any similar order in this country. It is justly -esteemed and valued by distinguished statesmen and philanthropists, and -not less by successful soldiers who in the hour of their country's great -anxiety have turned defeat into victory. How much more, then, must I -prize it, the freedom of my native city, as one born in Liverpool, and -who has spent his life in your midst, and whose only claim to this great -honour is that he has endeavoured to be of some use to his -fellow-citizens. How imperfect this service has been, how much more I -might have done, no one is more conscious of than I am; but you in your -great kindness and generosity have been good enough to overlook my -shortcomings, and are content to recognise only my long services and my -desire at all times to the best of my ability to promote the welfare of -this important community. I thank you most sincerely and with all my -heart; my children and my children's children will, I am sure, look upon -this beautiful casket and the record which it contains with feelings of -pride and gratification. It is an added charm to the presentation which -you have made to me that I am permitted to associate with it the memory -of my late brother, who gave to this city the best of his life, the best -of his thought and work, and died in their service. His memory will be -long cherished by all those who witnessed his public spirit, his long -and his unselfish devotion to the interests of the people of Liverpool. -I remember well the first time I entered this Town Hall. As a boy I had -spent my summer holidays at the Edge Lane entrance to the Botanic -Gardens, obtaining signatures to a petition to the Town Council asking -them to purchase the land adjoining the Botanic gardens for a park. I -obtained 62,000 signatures. I brought the petition down in a cab. I -remember it was too bulky to carry, and it had to be rolled through the -vestibule to the Town Clerk's office, which was then in this building. -That petition was successful, and the Wavertree Park was the first of -those beautiful parks which now girdle the city. My next appearance -within these walls was as the proud representative for Pitt Street Ward. -It serves to mark the flight of time when I call to mind that of the -members of the Council when I entered it in 1868 only three now -survive--Mr. Samuel Greg Rathbone, Mr. Philip Holt, and myself. Mr. -Rathbone is already a freeman, and our roll of freemen would be greatly -enriched if we could add the name of Liverpool's anonymous and great -benefactor. Of the members who have since entered this Council, many -have fallen by the wayside, many have retired into private life, some -have gone forward to the Commons House of Parliament to bear their part -in the government of the country; but a goodly number have, I am glad to -say, remained faithful to the municipal government of the city, -recognising that they can undertake no more noble or useful work. -Municipal work is many sided: it is full of interests; it is very -attractive, and even fascinating; and it brings with it its own reward -in the satisfaction of feeling that you are doing good. It may lack the -glamour and prestige of the Imperial Parliament, but it has this great -advantage: the City Council affords greater opportunities of initiating -and carrying into effect measures for the benefit of the people among -whom we live, and we have the added advantage of seeing the growth and -fruition of our work. Who can compare the Liverpool of to-day with the -Liverpool of thirty years ago without feeling thankful for what has been -done, and proud that he has been privileged to take part in the doing of -it? It seems only the other day we were wrestling with such an -insanitary condition of things that the unhealthiness of Liverpool was a -byword, and the prevalence of drunkenness and crime caused this city to -be alluded to as the 'black spot on the Mersey.' Great social and -sanitary problems had to be solved, which for years defied all attempts -at their solution--it was only when broader and more enlightened views -of municipal responsibility and duty came to the front, supported by a -healthy and more vigorous public opinion outside, that these problems -were grappled with, with such intelligence and determination that the -Liverpool of to-day can challenge comparison with any city in the -world--not only in the excellence and efficiency of its municipal -government and administration but in its enlightened policy in dealing -with insanitary property, housing the poor, the treatment of infectious -disease, and last but not least, in the suppression and prevention of -drunkenness and crime. You have, my Lord Mayor, alluded to the work done -by the Library, Museum, and Arts Committee over which it is my privilege -to preside. This may not bulk very largely in the public eye, but -nevertheless it is very real, and is doing much for the intellectual and -moral welfare of the people, and helping to make their lives brighter -and happier. When we get those additional funds which I hope the -generosity of the Council will give to us at no distant date, our work -must progress by leaps and bounds. While the freedom of Liverpool which -you have so very generously presented to me is the symbol of the highest -honour conferred by a great city, whose ships cover the seas and whose -commerce fills every corner of the globe, it is more than all this--it -is the kind expression of goodwill and approval of friends with whom it -has been my high privilege to work for so many years--an expression -which I greatly value and appreciate, and for which I return you once -again my most sincere and heartfelt thanks." - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -POLITICAL WORK. - - -Party politics have always been very prominent in Liverpool, partly no -doubt due to the old Conservative associations, and partly to the -presence in the city of so many Orangemen. Liverpool in my time has been -mainly Conservative, and indeed, except for a brief period, this party -has held the Town Hall and ruled over the municipal destinies of the -town. It is, however, pleasant to recognise the good work done by the -Liberals, who have always taken their share of committee work and most -loyally helped forward the government of the city. The annual fight for -the possession of the Town Hall has not been so much to secure party -domination in the city as to control its representation in Parliament. -This was an important consideration when the city voted as one unit for -its three members. But it is of less importance now that the city is -divided up into nine wards, each having its own representative in -Parliament. The day may come when politics will happily cease to -influence the municipal elections. - -My earliest recollection of a general election is of being present on -the hustings erected in front of the Town Hall. The nominations took -place on the hustings, and the occasion was taken advantage of to ply -the candidates with questions, and the proceedings seldom ended without -some horse-play, the throwing of rotten eggs and bags of flour, etc. Of -those prominent in these early elections I remember Tom Bold, the Tory -tactician; Alderman Livingston, always to the front in a political -fight; Mr. Alderman Rigby, the Blucher of the party. Money flowed -freely, and also beer on the day of the election, and the town was kept -more or less in a turmoil. All must rejoice in the quiet and orderly -character of an election day under the new conditions which now prevail. - -Very shortly after entering the Town Council I was asked to undertake -the duties of "Whip," though we did not then dignify the position by -that high-sounding name; in other words I acted as honorary secretary to -the Conservative party in the Council. The appointment was probably made -at the instance of my brother Arthur, who was already very active in the -political world, but for business reasons could not at that time make -himself very prominent. "Party" politics were never very congenial to -me, although all my leanings were Conservative. I have felt that "Party" -makes one acquainted with strange bedfellows, and induces men to do and -say things from which they would shrink in everyday life; and I think -"party" considerations are carried too far, and the best interests of -the country are too often sacrificed at its call. - -In my early years the parliamentary representation of the borough was -divided, Mr. T. B. Horsfall and Mr. Ewart being our members. I knew them -only slightly. Mr. S. R. Graves defeated Mr. Ewart in 1865. Mr. Graves -had a fine commanding presence and all the address and _bonhomie_ of an -Irishman. He quickly became very popular at Westminster and did -excellent work for Liverpool. His knowledge of shipping was much -appreciated in the House, and it was generally expected that he would be -the Secretary or the First Lord of the Admiralty, but his career was -prematurely cut off, to the great grief of Liverpool; he died in 1873. -His statue stands in St. George's Hall. I was secretary to the memorial -committee. After defraying the cost of the statue we devoted the balance -of the money collected to the endowment of "Graves" scholars at the -Seamen's Orphanage, an institution with which Mr. Graves had been very -closely identified. - -The parliamentary candidates for the vacancy were Mr. John Torr, a -prominent merchant, who stood in the Conservative interest, and Mr. -William S. Caine, another Liverpool man, supported by the Radicals and -teetotalers. I acted as the honorary Secretary for Mr. Torr. The -election was hotly contested, but Mr. Torr was returned by a majority -of nearly 2,000. In those days we paid much court and deference to our -members. They were held in high personal esteem, always received the -hospitality of our leading men, and were never allowed to stay at an -hotel. - -Lord Sandon became our member in 1868, defeating Mr. William Rathbone. -Naturally a very delicate man with a highly strung nervous system, the -representation of such an important constituency as Liverpool was a -source of much anxiety to him. Any subject brought under his notice -became to him a matter of the first and most urgent importance. Lord -Sandon was a true aristocrat, refined in manner and most courteous and -considerate to all. He continued to represent Liverpool until 1880, when -he succeeded his father in the Peerage and became the Earl of Harrowby. - -Upon the death of Mr. Torr in 1880, Mr. Edward Whitley became our -member. Mr. Whitley had for many years been the most popular man in -Liverpool. An ardent Conservative, a good Evangelical Churchman, and -excelling in good works, the name of Edward Whitley was a household word -in Liverpool. He was the leader of the Tory party in the Council, and -was a frequent speaker, but his speeches, though fluent, were not -convincing. Mr. Whitley, although a very diligent member, was not a -conspicuous success in Parliament; he failed to catch the ear of the -House. Few men have done more for their native town or were more highly -respected in their day and generation. He died in 1892. - -In 1885 the party representation of Liverpool underwent an important -change, a partition of the city into nine divisions being effected, each -returning one member. It has seemed to me that this has involved some -loss of individuality on the part of the nine members, and that -Liverpool has taken comparatively little interest in their doings, and I -am inclined to doubt if the city exercises as much influence in the -affairs of the nation, or if our local parliamentary business is as well -looked after. - -The effacement of the private member is due very much to his inability -to initiate legislation. If he introduces a bill it has to run the -chances of the ballot, and if it is a good measure and gets a good place -in the ballot, it is too frequently adopted by the Government, and in -this way the private member loses his individuality and there is little -inducement for him to originate legislation. - -Mr. Rathbone, when he was our member, had an office and a staff of -clerks in his house at Prince's Gate, London, for the purpose of looking -after the parliamentary business of Liverpool, and it has never since -been so systematically and so well attended to. - -The contest for the County in 1868, when Mr. Gladstone and Mr. R. A. -Cross (now Lord Cross) were the candidates, is very fresh in my memory. -The question of the day was the Irish church. Mr. Gladstone delivered a -series of very brilliant addresses, but to the surprise of everyone Mr. -Cross's replies were equally brilliant, and we thought very crushing. We -took the candidates, Cross and Blackburn, in a coach and four, to -canvass Colonel Blundell at Crosby Hall, and Mr. Weld Blundell at Ince. - -I was shortly afterwards made chairman of the Waterloo Polling District, -and in 1880 became chairman of the Southport Division. The first contest -in this division was between our candidate, Mr. John Edwards Moss (now -Sir John Edwards Moss, Bart.), and Dr. Pilkington (now Sir George -Pilkington). It was an uphill fight; Southport had always been a Radical -place, and remained true to her Radical principles. The electors were -very fastidious; they took exception to our candidate wearing rings on -his fingers, and helping himself while speaking to a little sherry and -water out of his flask. We unfortunately lost the election. - -When the next election came round, we had to look about for another -candidate, and tried for several, but they were not attracted to -Southport; in the end we invited the Honourable George Curzon, the -eldest son of Lord Scarsdale, of Kedleston. He had lately been defeated -at Derby, but he was a young man, only 27, with a record of a very -brilliant university career, and had been president of the Union at -Oxford. Mr. Curzon accepted our invitation, and came down to Southport -to deliver his first speech, which was very brilliant, and quite took -everyone by surprise. He was very boyish in looks, which occasioned one -rough Lancashire man to get up in the meeting and exclaim, "Thou art -o'er young for us." Mr. Curzon quickly replied, "If you will return me -as your member I promise I will improve upon that every day I live." - -In moving a vote of confidence in Mr. Curzon I predicted that he would -one day be Prime Minister, he so greatly impressed me with his -intellectual power and great eloquence. - -Mr. Curzon made a splendid and most active candidate. He addressed -meetings in every village in the division, every speech was carefully -thought out and prepared, and his industry was remarkable. When he -stayed, as he frequently did, at "Ramleh," he retired to his room after -breakfast and we did not see him again until dinner-time; he had been -engaged all day working at his speech. He had the gift of taking pains. -We won the election only by a majority of 460. Mr. Curzon remained our -member for thirteen years, until he was appointed Viceroy of India. We -fought three contests, winning each with an increased majority, until at -the last election, in 1895, Mr. Curzon's majority was 804. His opponent, -then Sir Herbert Naylor-Leyland, was formerly a Conservative, and as -such stood for Colchester. He was made a baronet by the Liberals, and -came and fought Southport as a Radical. When he stood for Colchester as -a Conservative he had made abundant use of Mr. Curzon's speeches at -Southport, delivering them as his own, and we did not fail to make -capital of this amusing episode when he stood as a Radical for -Southport. - -Lady Naylor-Leyland was a beautiful American woman, one of the society -beauties of the day, and she created a sensation as she drove about in -an open carriage all decked with roses. But Mrs. Curzon was equally -attractive; she was a bride, and had most charming and winning manners, -and her presence on our platforms was a great help. It was my duty as -chairman to escort her to our meetings, and I remember almost the last -words she said to me on leaving Southport were, "Sir William, I shall -always think of you getting me through crowds." Mr. Curzon occupied a -furnished house at Southport during the election, and I stayed part of -the time with them; and shall never forget Mrs. Curzon's gracious manner -and her loving devotion to her husband. Alas for him and his great -career, she died too soon. She gave her life, I fear, that she might -support her husband in the splendid discharge of his duties in India. - -Lord Curzon has gone into the House of Lords, where he will, I have no -doubt, render great and distinguished service to the country; but had -Lady Curzon lived I feel he would have entered the more congenial -atmosphere of the Commons, and my prophecy that he would one day be -Prime Minister would have been fulfilled. - -The following incident proves the one great secret of Lord Curzon's -success in life has been his remarkable industry. He made a journey to -Persia, and wrote a book which is to-day the standard work on Persia. He -was anxious to make an index, which he could have had done for him for a -small expenditure, but he preferred to do it himself in his own way, and -for this purpose he remained in rooms at Croydon for a month hard at -work, and I believe I was the only person who knew his address. - -The value of Lord Curzon's work in India cannot very well be overstated. -Travelling through India some two years after his return home, we found -everywhere the impress of his remarkable industry and thoughtfulness. - -One day when visiting the _cutcherry_ of a far distant province, we -found the entire system of correspondence had been personally revised by -the late Viceroy. On another occasion, the engineer of a coal mine to -whom I was talking told me that the Viceroy visited his mine and -personally interested himself in obtaining improved traffic facilities -on the railway. On another day, when visiting a palace at Delhi, we -found a number of Italians restoring the mosaics; they informed us they -were still in the pay of Lord and Lady Curzon. I could go on enumerating -instances of his activity and his abiding interest in India. In the -restoration of the old landmarks and monuments in India, Lord Curzon has -done a work which for generations to come will make his name memorable. - -After Lord Curzon retired from Southport we had another election; this -time Lord Skelmersdale, now the Earl of Lathom, was our candidate, and -Sir Herbert Naylor-Leyland our opponent. The fight was a severe one. We -missed the great personality of Mr. Curzon, and although Lord -Skelmersdale was an industrious candidate, and was very ably assisted by -Lady Skelmersdale, we lost the election. After this I retired from the -chairmanship of the division, and was presented by the Southport -Conservative Association with a handsome silver bowl. - -I congratulated myself as a political leader that I was able to -accomplish the conversion of the two largest landowners in the Southport -Division, Mr. Weld-Blundell, of Ince Hall, and Colonel Blundell, of -Crosby Hall. They had been for generations Liberal, and in the 1868 -election Mr. Gladstone stayed with Mr. Weld-Blundell; but in 1886, on -the Home Rule for Ireland question, they both supported Mr. Curzon, held -meetings for us in their villages, and on the day of the election -Colonel Blundell rode down to the poll at the head of his tenants. -These, however, did not all vote for us. They had always voted Liberal -and did not know why they should change because the squire had done so. - -Crosby Hall and Ince were pleasant country houses to visit in the days -of the old squires. It is strange that although the two estates march -together the families have never inter-married since 1401. - -The duties of a chairman of a division, in which both parties are evenly -balanced, are not light, and can only be successfully accomplished if -made personal. The secret of political success lies largely in -organisation, and this must be vigilantly carried on in times when there -is no political excitement, and when there is apparently no reason to -work. A political organisation to be of any value must be continuous and -must be thorough; it is not possible to organise a party on the eve of -an election; you must have trusty lieutenants who know their work and do -it. One of the weaknesses of any party organisation is the number of -loafers, men ready to shout, but who are not capable of steady work. The -quiet, but not very exciting task of looking after the register, -watching removals, and having a careful canvass and cross-canvass of -every elector, is the organisation and work which wins elections. - -We had in Southport many excellent leaders, Mr. John Formby, Mr. -Beauford, Mr. Clinning, and many others I could name, with whom it was a -great pleasure to work, and my political association with the Southport -Division will ever remain with me as a sunny memory. - -I have declined several invitations to stand for Parliament--on two -occasions from Southport, one from Walton, one from Everton, and more -recently one from Westmorland. When in business it was not possible for -me to enter Parliament, as my brother Arthur was already a member; and I -have since felt that if a member is to make any position in Parliament -he should enter the house on the right side of fifty. - -Of late years my Free Trade principles have been a barrier to my taking -an active part on the Conservative side. I did my best to prevent my -friends delivering themselves up to Tariff Reform, and published a -series of letters in the _Daily Post_ on Free Trade _v._ Protection, -which were afterwards published in pamphlet form, and had a very -extensive circulation. - -Economic subjects have been my favourite studies, and I have seen much -of the working of Protection in America. In 1870 I delivered an address -on Free Trade before the New York Chamber of Commerce, and at their -request I repeated this address before the Chambers of Commerce in -Cleveland, Chicago, etc., but with little success. The question of a -Tariff had already become "political." I was present in America during -some of their industrial crises, upon which I addressed several letters -to the London _Times_ and _Standard_. It is difficult to describe the -intensity and the prolonged suffering caused by the over-production -encouraged by Protection, with no outlet save the home market. The only -relief was the "scrapping" of the surplus manufacturing power, which -brought great suffering to the working people. I have since written many -papers on the subject; the controversy does not therefore come upon me -as something new. This is not the place, however, to discuss these -matters, but one cannot understand Liverpool becoming enamoured with -Tariff Reform. Liverpool lives on her shipping and carrying trade, and -whatever else may happen, this is at least certain, that Tariff Reform -must reduce the quantity of imports and exports, and there must be less -freight for our shipping to carry. Tariff Reform may give temporary -prosperity to the manufacturer, but if ever adopted will be a serious -blow to the trade and prosperity of Liverpool, and indeed of Lancashire, -as the cotton manufacturing industry depends entirely upon our ability -to turn cotton into yarn and cloth at the lowest possible cost. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -JUDICIAL WORK. - - -I was placed on the Liverpool Borough Bench of Magistrates in 1873; on -the Lancashire County Bench in 1882; on the Cheshire County Bench in -1900; and was made a Deputy-Lieutenant for Lancashire in 1902. - -In 1900 Mr. Aspinall Tobin, on behalf of the Lancashire County Bench, -invited me to be nominated as the deputy-chairman of Quarter Sessions. -Lord Derby had retired from the chair, and Mr. Hugh Perkins had taken -his place, therefore a deputy-chairman was wanted. - -In accepting this invitation, I decided if elected to this important -position to devote myself to the study of the criminal law, and to -qualify myself as a magistrate, as far as a layman could do so. My spare -time for several years was spent in reading the law of evidence and -criminal law, and I also learnt a great deal from my chairman, who was a -very painstaking magistrate, and who very kindly gave me much good -advice. Mr. Perkins retired in 1894 and I was appointed chairman, and -became the only lay chairman in Lancashire, the other three chairmen -being all Queen's counsel. I was also elected chairman of the County -Bench and of the Licensing Justices. - -We had eight sessions in our court in each year, and this with the -licensing work kept us very busy on several occasions. The sessions in -those days lasted seven and eight days, and once even ten days. - -The appeals from the decisions of the City Justices on licensing -questions were very numerous; at one sessions we heard thirty-eight -appeals, and as in most cases they involved the loss of the license -these appeals were fought with great vigour, and Queen's counsel were -generally engaged in their conduct. - -Lord Mersey and the Honourable Justices Walton, Pickford, and Horridge, -practised at our Quarter Sessions. I was gratified to receive a letter -from one of these learned judges saying that what he knew of the rules -of evidence had been mainly acquired in our court. Quarter sessions may -be termed the nursery of the Bar. Young men get their first briefs, -called "soups," at quarter sessions, and are naturally anxious to air -their knowledge of the law, but many have to learn that the theory and -the practice of the law are not quite the same, and that the application -of the theory can only be obtained by practical experience in court, and -this more particularly applies to the rules of evidence. - -In addition to the judges named many eminent King's counsel have made -their first start at our Quarter Sessions. I can recall the names of -Messrs. McConnell, K.C., Steel, K.C., Collingwood Hope, K.C., W. F. -Taylor, K.C., Alfred Tobin, K.C., and F. E. Smith, K.C., M.P. - -For fifteen years we had no deputy-chairman of Quarter Sessions, which -made my position somewhat arduous, as I could not absent myself from my -post. In the end my old friend, Mr. W. Scott Barrett, the chairman of -the County Council, was appointed my deputy, and a better selection -could not have been made. - -No part of my judicial work gave me more anxiety than the licensing -appeals. One naturally felt great sympathy with the City Justices in -their desire to reduce the drinking facilities which had been the cause -of so much misery and wretchedness in Liverpool, but at the same time -the scales of justice had to be held evenly. Whatever our decisions -were, we felt they would meet with severe criticism; but this did not -deter us from doing what we considered to be our duty, though we knew -that our decisions might involve in many cases serious pecuniary loss -and hardship. I am happy to think that our conduct of this very -difficult business gave satisfaction, both to the public and to the -licensees. - -My experience on the bench has not been fruitful in incidents, although -one day when sitting at Petty Sessions in the city a lame woman was -charged with breaking a window by throwing her crutch through it. The -police evidently apprehended that she might use her crutch as a weapon -while standing for her trial in the dock, for she had a bad character, -and they carefully surrounded her; but she was too clever for them, and -managed to hurl her crutch with great force at the Bench. Fortunately, -it fell short and dropped harmlessly upon the clerk's chair, which was -happily vacant. - -At Petty Sessions in 1889 Mr. Scott Barrett sat with me to hear the -charge against Mrs. Maybrick for the murder of her husband by -administering arsenic. The enquiry lasted two days and we committed her -for trial on the capital charge, feeling no doubt as to our duty, though -of course we heard only the evidence for the Crown. It afterwards became -a _cause celèbre_. Mrs. Maybrick was condemned to death, but the -sentence was commuted to penal servitude. She had many influential -friends, and the agitation to obtain her release was continued with -great activity for many years. - - -WALTON JAIL. - -In connection with my duties as chairman of the County Bench, I also -acted as chairman of the Visiting Justices of the Jail at Walton. We -visited every month, inspected the prison, heard any complaints which -the prisoners had to make, sanctioned any extraordinary punishments, -and distributed the funds subscribed to assist prisoners upon their -discharge. During the ten years of my chairmanship, great reforms were -introduced by the Prison Commissioners. The "treadmill" was abolished; -the "cat o' nine tails," which originally was composed of nine strings -of hard whipcord, each string having nine knots, was robbed of its -terror, each string now being made of soft string without any knots, -until, as a warder said to me, "I cannot even warm them up with it." -Although these changes are all in the right direction, I cannot but -think they have gone too far, as among the 1,200 prisoners at Walton -there are many very rough characters, very difficult of control. Walton -is now a great industrial reformatory, with prison discipline and prison -diet. The governor told me he never saw the prisoners work with so much -energy as when engaged breaking up the "treadmill"; every prisoner on -entrance had to do a month on the "treadmill," whatever his sentence -might be, and there is no doubt it was a severe punishment. The only -severe punishment now left is solitary confinement, which is a terrible -ordeal, and its abolition is now under the consideration of the prison -authorities. - -I must tell one good story. Mr. Platt, the head of the great engineering -firm at Oldham, was the High Sheriff, and was inspecting the jail, and -saw on the "treadmill" one of his workmen; he exclaimed, "Thomas, I am -sorry to see you here." Thomas replied, wiping the beads of perspiration -off his brow, "Aye, Master Sam, if they had this 'ere machine in Holdham -they would work it by steam, wouldn't they?" - -One day, when visiting the firewood factory, in which we gave temporary -employment to discharged prisoners, we directed that about a dozen men -should be sent away to seek work, as they had been too long in the -factory. The following week there was an outbreak of burglaries in -Bootle, and the whole crowd were back again in jail. - - -HIGH SHERIFF OF LANCASHIRE. - -The shrievalty of the County Palatine has always been esteemed the blue -riband of shrievalties. Unlike his compeers elsewhere, the Lancashire -sheriff is specially nominated by the King, whilst the office has always -been maintained in circumstances of considerable splendour, and entails -upon the sheriff the arduous duty of attending eleven assizes in the -year, occupying on an average 130 days. The hospitalities attached to -the office are also considerable, for the sheriff has to give a dinner -to the grand jury and members of the bar at each assize. - -Much deference has to be paid to the Judges of Assize, and many points -of old-world courtesy and etiquette have to be observed, which add to -the interest attaching to the office; and there can be little doubt -that the sheriff's turn-out--a coach-and-four, with trumpeters and -javelin men in their handsome liveries of dark blue and old gold--serves -to impart dignity to the administration of the law, and to impress the -multitude with its majesty and power. - -The High Sheriff is the representative of the King, and takes precedence -of everyone in the county, except the Judges of Assize and the Lord -Lieutenant. - -I was nominated to the office in 1893, and again in 1896, but, there -being no one to take my place at Quarter Sessions, I asked to be -excused. It was, however, a position which appealed to me--it seemed to -me to be the coping-stone to my long devotion to judicial work--and when -I was again nominated in 1908, I accepted, and was duly "pricked" by the -King. - -I appointed the Rev. Canon Armour, D.D., as my chaplain, and my son -Miles as the under-sheriff. - -The Shire-reve, or high sheriff, was in the old Saxon days a position of -great authority and power. He not only was the criminal judge of his -shire, but also collected the King's exchequer, and the office was one -which brought considerable profit to the holder. All this has been -changed, the judicial functions and the collection of the King's revenue -have long since been transferred to others; but theoretically the -sheriff has considerable powers left in his hands--the power of arrest -and the charge of the jails in the county, while the empanelling of -juries and all legal processes of every kind are made in his name. He is -also the returning officer at all elections; this in Lancashire involves -considerable work, as the sheriff is responsible for parliamentary -elections in twenty-three divisions, but fortunately for him, the detail -work is discharged by the under-sheriff or acting under-sheriff, of whom -in Lancashire there are three. - -At the Lancaster Assizes in June, 1909, we had an interesting and -picturesque ceremony. We drove up in the State carriage to the castle, -and were received there by the Constable of the Castle, Mr. Dawson, -supported by his two retainers, who were dressed in their costume of the -fourteenth century. We proceeded into the Shire Hall, and the Constable -requested me to hang my coat-of-arms on the walls with those of my -predecessors since 1188. Having done so the trumpeters sounded a -fanfare, and afterwards played "A fine old English gentleman." I then -made a short speech, and the Constable, with similar ceremony, proceeded -to place on the walls the shields of six of his predecessors as -Constables. The Constables go back to the time of John of Gaunt. The -shields of the Sheriffs and Constables are grouped under the shields of -the various monarchs under whom they served, and make a very brave and -interesting show. The Shire Hall was filled with spectators, and the -function was quite mediæval and interesting in character. - -In July, 1909, His Majesty King Edward visited Lancashire to present -the colours to the newly-created Territorial Army. This was a special -compliment to Lancashire, which had very nobly responded to the call -made upon her and had raised a force of 36,000 men. The King and Queen -stayed at Knowsley. In the park 15,000 Territorials were reviewed; and -on the day following their Majesties proceeded to Worsley Park, where a -further 12,000 were reviewed. The high sheriff being a civil officer, I -had nothing to do with these functions as they were military, but we -were invited to lunch at Knowsley and were then presented to the King -and Queen, and afterwards at lunch we had the seats of honour, as it -appears that when the King is present the high sheriff takes precedence -even of the lord lieutenant. It was an interesting function, and in -spite of indifferent weather passed off well. - -One of the pleasantest incidents of the shrievalty is the number of -distinguished and interesting people one meets. Upon the grand jury we -altogether summoned 250 of the leading men of the county, and at our -banquets we entertained, in addition to the grand jury, all the official -world of the county and many others. During my year I had not only the -honour of meeting our late King Edward, but King George, who, as Prince -of Wales, was on a visit to Knowsley. I had some years ago the honour of -escorting King George and the Queen over the Overhead Railway, when I -was surprised and gratified with his interest in commerce, and the -knowledge he displayed of the trade of the port; and in the somewhat -lengthy conversation his Majesty honoured me with last year at Knowsley, -I was still further impressed with his knowledge of Liverpool and his -interest in the construction and movements of our great Atlantic liners. -His Majesty struck me as being very "human" in his thoughts and -sympathies, and ardent in his wish to be in touch with the activities -which make for the advance and progress of the country; and I therefore -look forward to a reign that will not only be distinguished and -brilliant, but in which our King will be found to recognise and -encourage by his interest the efforts of his subjects in all that makes -for the advancement of the country and the well-being of his subjects. - -[Illustration: "RAMLEH," EAST FRONT.] - -The judges at our Spring Assizes this year were Lord Coleridge and Mr. -Justice Hamilton. They spent the week-end with us at Bromborough. At the -Winter Assizes in November we had Mr. Justice Ridley and Mr. Justice -Bray. These Assizes will be memorable as having introduced what will be -practically continuous sittings in Liverpool and Manchester of the civil -judge. - -I have been much interested in sitting on the bench during the progress -of trials at Assizes. It is an education, and one cannot but be -impressed with the great care the judges exercise, and with their -patience and solicitude for the prisoner. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -BLUNDELLSANDS, CROSBY AND BROMBOROUGH. - - -Having already described the pretty suburbs of Bootle, Seaforth and -Litherland, lying to the north of Liverpool, and the little seaside -resort, Waterloo, as they were in the 'forties and 'fifties, we will now -proceed further afield. Two miles to the north-west of Waterloo the -quaint old-fashioned village of Crosby stood, with its thatched black -and white cottages and its old church built of red brick with its square -tower. Between Crosby and the seashore there were no houses. Immediately -to the north of Waterloo, Squire Houghton had built a large house -(Sandheys) surrounded by quite a park, but to the north of this there -was only a long stretch of sandhills until Hightown Lighthouse was -reached. About 1860 Mr. Arnold Baruchson built a large house on the sea -front, which for some years was the only house on the shore, and was the -beginning of Blundellsands. Other large houses followed, lining both -sides of Burbo Bank Road. The splendid air and magnificent marine views -quickly made Blundellsands an attractive place, but it had no roads, -only sandy lanes, and the only approach was the circuitous one through -Crosby. Its little iron church nestled in the sand dunes. Altogether it -was a very quiet, secluded place. We took up our residence at "Ramleh" -in 1871. Shortly afterwards an American friend expressed his surprise -that people who could afford to live in the fine houses he saw scattered -about should be content to worship God in a "tin" church, as he termed -it. This made me think. I called upon the clergyman, the Rev. B. S. -Derbyshire, and put the matter before him, and offered, if he would -accompany me, to go round and try to raise money to build a permanent -church. Our first effort was not very successful, we received promises -of only £1,450; but by dint of begging, bazaars, etc., we eventually got -together sufficient money to build St. Nicholas' church, of which Mr. -Derbyshire was appointed the first incumbent. Before the iron church was -erected a service was held every Sunday by the Rev. S. C. Armour (now -Canon Armour) in a schoolroom at Brighton-le-Sands, to which he -attracted large congregations by his excellent preaching. - -In the slight allusion made to Blundellsands--my home from 1871 to -1898--I have scarcely done justice to its attractions. Probably no place -in the United Kingdom possesses a finer marine prospect. Its wide -expanse of sea, with its background of the Welsh mountains, Snowdon -standing in the far distance, and in the near foreground the constant -parade of great merchant ships and steamers, which pass and repass all -the day long, make a picture which for beauty and varying interest it is -difficult to surpass. - -The Earl of Northbrook, when First Lord of the Admiralty, stayed with us -at "Ramleh," and remarked that when he looked out of his bedroom window -in the morning he was amazed at the lovely view expanded before him, and -could not resist getting up, although it was only seven o'clock, and -taking a walk along the terrace in front of the house. At breakfast he -told us he knew of no marine view so charming except the Bay of Naples. -Of course, it is not possible to compare the two places; each has its -points of attractiveness. - -"Ramleh" was a fine, commodious house, on the sea front. We bought it -partly built; its completion and the various additions we made gave us -much pleasure and delight, and we were greatly attached to it. - - -CROSBY GRAMMAR SCHOOL. - -We had in Crosby an old school, endowed some three hundred years ago by -a Crosby boy who made his fortune in London, a part of which he handed -to the Merchant Taylors' Company for educational purposes in the village -in which he was born. - -The school was established, the old schoolhouse erected, and it was -carried on with varying, but no great success, for over two hundred -years. At one time when the Merchant Taylors came down to inspect it, -they found it had been closed for some years, whilst the head-master was -living at Sefton quietly drawing his salary. Within my recollection the -scholars numbered only fifteen to twenty, and the head-master frequently -adjourned the school in the afternoon to go rat-hunting. But when Canon -Armour was appointed head-master, he at once sought to bring about a -change and extend the area of the school's usefulness. The city property -belonging to the school had meantime greatly increased in value, and the -opportunity appeared favourable to make the school a great middle-class -institution. In this I was in hearty accord with Canon Armour. We called -meetings of the inhabitants to promote a petition to the Charity -Commissioners in favour of our project. The Vicar of Crosby offered very -strong opposition on the ground that we were robbing the poor man of his -school. In the end we were successful, the present schools were built at -a cost of £37,000, and were soon filled with 250 pupils, and under Canon -Armour's able guidance quickly took a leading position for scholarship, -and became celebrated for the success attained by the pupils at Oxford -and Cambridge. Canon Armour made this school his life's work, and right -well he did it. - - -BROMBOROUGH. - -Bromborough Hall became our residence in 1898. It is a very old house -built in 1617, but enlarged several times since, with the result that -the exterior, though quaint, is not pleasing--partly Georgian and partly -an old English homestead; it cannot be said to have been built in any -style of architecture. Fortunately, the entire south front is wreathed -with wisteria, jasmine and clematis, and this makes it harmonise with -the charming old Dutch garden which stretches out before it. The -interior is rambling, but possesses some interesting features. The hall -has a stone staircase which winds round the walls as in old Georgian -houses. It also has a capacious lounge, a minstrel gallery, and a quaint -old oak chimney-piece. It opens out into an alcove which forms a very -pleasant resort in summer; and beyond again is the Dutch garden, which -is bright and gay in spring with tulips and in summer with begonias and -roses. We have a ghost, which however we have never seen, and a priest's -room with a cupboard carved in stone for the chalice and patten. The -charms of Bromborough Hall are the gardens, which cover about thirteen -acres and contain probably the most extensive lawns and the largest -trees in Wirral. The outlook from the grounds across the river Mersey is -extensive and very lovely. The park is beautifully planted with copses -and groups of trees, and being 500 acres in extent, it forms a very -attractive feature. We have a walk three miles in length which passes -through the woods down to the river, then along the river bank above the -red sandstone cliffs, which at this point margin the river, and back -through the woods, which form our boundary on the south. - -[Illustration: BROMBOROUGH HALL, GARDEN FRONT.] - -Although the present house dates back only to 1617, a Bromborough Hall -has existed since the year 1100; this former hall probably stood in the -park, as there are clear indications of a moated grange having existed -there. The present house was built by a Bridgeman, who became chancellor -of the diocese, one of his sons becoming Bishop of Chester, when for a -time the hall was the bishop's palace. Another son was made Lord -Bradford. The hall afterwards passed into the hands of the Mainwaring -family, who for 150 years were the squire rectors of the parish. The -family is now represented by Mr. E. Kynaston Mainwaring, of Oteley Park, -Salop. - -Bromborough was an active village in very remote days. There is strong -evidence that the battle of Brunaburg was fought in its -neighbourhood--this battle was the "Waterloo" of Anglo-Saxon times, and -secured the Saxon ascendancy in England. The story goes that the Danes -were encamped at Bromborough, and were joined by the five Irish kings; -and that Athelstan, hearing of this, marched out from Chester, gave them -battle, and utterly defeated them. The Queen of Mercia afterwards -erected a monastery in Bromborough as a thank-offering for this victory. -This monastery stood for 200 years, but was destroyed in the times of -the Normans. The old Saxon church remained, and was pulled down only in -1822. The Runic stone decorations still exist in the gardens of the -rectory, and from these archæologists say the church must have been -built about A.D. 800. The two large fields which adjoin Bromborough Park -and run down to the sea are known as the "Wargraves," and Bishop Stubbs, -the great historian, stated it to be his opinion that this was the site -of the famous battle celebrated in verse by Cædmon. - -Bromborough was for centuries the chief market town in the Wirral; the -village cross around which the market was held still exists, also the -manor house in which Charles I. stayed after his defeat near Chester in -1645. - -[Illustration: THE OLD DUTCH GARDEN.] - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -DIRECTORSHIPS. - - -THE OVERHEAD RAILWAY. - -The Liverpool dock estate margins the Lancashire shore of the Mersey for -six miles, and the offices of the shipowners and merchants, who have -their business with the docks, are about the centre. In old days the -difficulty of getting to and from the various docks was greatly -increased by the crowded state of the adjacent streets. 'Buses ran along -the dock lines of rails, but having frequently to pull up for traffic -they proved a very slow mode of conveyance, but notwithstanding this -they carried 2,500,000 passengers each year. The trade of the port was -consequently greatly hindered by the want of rapid communication, and -the expenses of the port were increased by the difficulty of moving -large bodies of men about. Crews were delayed in getting to their ships, -and stevedores and master-porters lost the greater part of the day in -going from dock to dock. - -Under such circumstances much pressure was brought to bear upon the Dock -Board to construct a railway along the line of docks. In the end they -obtained Parliamentary powers, but for years they hesitated to proceed -with the work. - -Some of us thought the Dock Board was unduly timid, and we felt that the -trade of the port was being seriously hampered. We approached the Dock -Board and offered to find the capital to construct the railway. The Dock -Board agreed to our proposals, subject to terms, and Parliament approved -of the transfer of these powers to me as representing the directors of -the proposed new Overhead Railway. In 1889 we issued a prospectus, the -first directors being myself (chairman), Richard Hobson, Harold -Brocklebank, George Robertson, Edward Lawrence, and James Barrow. Our -capital was subscribed for twice over. - -We were fortunate in making our contracts for the ironwork, which we -purchased at the lowest price ever known. Our first intention was to -work the line with steam locomotives, but during the course of its -construction we very seriously thought out the question of electric -traction. There was much to deter us from adopting the new motive power. -It had not been tried on a large scale; there were unknown risks and -dangers, and the cost of the electric equipment would involve an -additional outlay of £100,000. Nevertheless we eventually decided to -adopt electric traction, laying down as a fundamental principle that -everything should be of the best, and that we would try as few -experiments as possible. We were fortunate in having Sir Douglas Fox and -Mr. Francis Fox as our engineers, and Mr. Cottrell as their local -representative. - -We had many difficulties. The Dock Board, very foolishly I think, -refused to allow us to make our structure strong enough to carry goods -traffic. The Corporation declined to allow us to carry our line along -the foot of St. Nicholas' Churchyard and through the Back Goree, and so -avoid our unsightly structure crossing St. Nicholas' Place and -destroying one of the most beautiful sites and vistas in Liverpool. I -have often been upbraided in the Council for this; but nobody could have -done more than I did to avoid it, and the entire responsibility lies at -the door of the Health Committee, of which Mr. Hawley was at that time -the chairman. - -Neither the Dock Board nor the Corporation was sympathetic to our -undertaking. The former called upon us to re-make the entire line of -dock railway at a cost of £60,000, and the Health Committee, for the -privilege of moving one of our columns a few inches outside our -Parliamentary limits, required us to re-pave Wapping at a cost of -£8,000. - - -OPENING BY THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY. - -Early in 1893 the railway was completed and ready for opening, and the -Marquis of Salisbury, then Prime Minister, kindly undertook to perform -the opening ceremony. The opening was fixed for the 3rd February. Lord -Salisbury arrived from London the night before, and came direct to my -house at Blundellsands. We had a large house party to meet him, -including the first Earl of Lathom, Sir William Cooper, Mr. Walter Long, -Lord Kelvin, and a number of electrical experts. - -The National Telephone Company kindly connected the dinner table with -the various theatres in Manchester and in London, and at ten o'clock -each guest took a little receiver from under the cloth and enjoyed -listening to the various performances at the theatres, where the -pantomimes were still running. The Telephone Company had laid special -direct wires from my house to the trunk wires from Liverpool, so that -the telephonic communications were very clear and distinct. - -On a side table was placed a special instrument for Lord Salisbury, -which was connected directly with the House of Commons. He went to it, -and, taking up the receiver, spoke to Mr. Sydney Herbert, who gave him a -report on the progress of the debate on the address. Lord Salisbury was -both surprised and delighted, and said: "I can hear someone talking -about Uganda." It was the first time the House of Commons was ever -connected by telephone. - -The next morning we drove down to the generating station of the -Overhead, escorted by mounted police. Lord Salisbury started the -engines and then rode in a special train from one end of the line to the -other, and afterwards we adjourned to the Town Hall for luncheon. He was -apparently delighted with the function, and said it was a great pleasure -to him to meet scientific men. He was very well up in the details of -electric traction, and minutely examined every part of our machinery. A -few days after he wrote expressing the pleasure the visit had given him. -He said:--"I thank you heartily for a very interesting evening and day -at the end of last week. I hate political functions, but this was a very -different occasion; it was one of the most interesting twenty-four hours -I have passed." Thus was opened the first full-gauged electric railway -in the world, and I am glad to think that electrically it has been an -unqualified success and has proved a great benefit to the trade of the -port. The railway carried in 1908, 9,500,000 passengers. - -It also promised to be a good property for our shareholders. Our -dividend gradually increased; we had paid 5 per cent. and were well -within sight of 6 per cent., when the whole circumstances of our dock -traffic were changed by the Corporation introducing electricity into the -working of their tramway system and extending their lines so as to -parallel the Overhead Railway. We also suffered from the introduction of -the telephone and from the substitution of steamers for sailing ships, -and of large steamers for small steamers, all tending to reduce the -number of men employed about the docks. - -Still I hope and believe there is a future for our little railway, but -it is heartbreaking work to run a railway which does not earn a -dividend. - -We have had many important people to visit our railway, affording as it -does an excellent view of the docks, and we have always arranged a -special train for their conveyance. Among others whom I have had the -honour of escorting over the line are the present King and Queen when -Prince and Princess of Wales. Our most amusing and difficult visitor was -the Shahzada of Afghanistan. He had no idea of the value of time, and -when we arrived at the end of our journey he called for his doctor and -then for his apothecary, and it was useless my trying to impress upon -his A.D.C. that the whole traffic of the line was being stopped while -his Highness took a pill. - - -THE BANK OF LIVERPOOL. - -I was elected a director of the Bank of Liverpool in 1888, and became -the chairman in 1898. It was during my chairmanship that the old bank in -Water Street was pulled down and the new bank built, which I had the -privilege of opening. I also initiated and conducted the negotiation for -the purchase of Wakefield Crewdsons Bank in Kendal. - - -THE CUNARD COMPANY. - -I was elected a member of the board of directors of the Cunard Company -in 1888, and found the work of looking after a great and progressive -steamship company to be extremely interesting. For two years I was the -deputy-chairman. I resigned this position as it required almost -continual attendance at the Cunard offices, which I could not, with all -my other engagements, possibly give. - -To have been identified with the most forward policy in the shipping -world has always been a source of great pride and pleasure to me. - -A few years after I joined the board we built the "Lucania" and -"Campania," steamers of 13,000 tons and 27,000 horse-power with a speed -of 22 knots. They were in size and in speed a long way ahead of any -steamer afloat, and created very general and great interest. - -At the Jubilee naval review in 1897, held in the Solent, a small steamer -made her appearance. She was little more than a big launch, and was -called the "Turbinia"; she was propelled by a steam turbine and attained -an extraordinary speed. We little thought when we saw this boat rushing -about at a great speed that she would create a revolution in the mode of -using steam for high-speed vessels. - -In 1905 the Germans placed in the Atlantic trade several vessels which -steamed 23 and 23½ knots, which secured for them the blue riband of the -Atlantic. About the same time the White Star fleet and other Atlantic -lines were bought by an American combine, and it appeared as if the -whole Atlantic trade was destined to pass into the hands of the Germans -and Americans. The country was much excited at the prospect, and -pressure was brought upon the Government to assist the Cunard Company, -and thus to preserve to the country the "premier" line of Atlantic -steamers. The Government offered to lend the Cunard Company the money -necessary to build two steamers of 24½ knots speed, and to grant to them -a subsidy of £150,000 per annum. These terms being accepted the Cunard -Company had then to determine the style both of boat and engines which -would best fulfil the conditions of the contract. - -Engines indicating 60,000 and 70,000 horse-power were considered -necessary for a vessel to attain the guaranteed speed, and this power -with reciprocating engines would involve shafting of dangerous size; -hence it was decided to appoint a committee of experts to make enquiry -as to the working of the "Parsons'" turbines in some channel steamers -which were already fitted with this new form of engine. After a -prolonged consideration the committee reported in favour of turbine -engines. Meantime, experimental models of hull forms had been made and -tested in the tanks belonging to the Government, to ascertain the lines -which would give the necessary displacement, and be the most easily -propelled. It was eventually decided to build ships of 780 feet in -length by 86 feet beam, having a gross register of 34,000 tons, with -turbine engines indicating 70,000 horse-power. - -The order for one of these ships, the "Lusitania," was placed on the -Clyde with Messrs. John Brown and Co., for the other, the "Mauretania," -with Messrs. Swan, Hunter and Co., at Newcastle. - -The planning of the cabins and the furnishing and decorating of these -steamers gave us much thought, as we were anxious they should be a -distinct advance on anything yet produced. These ships have fully -realised all our expectations, the "Mauretania" having completed four -round trips across the Atlantic at an average speed of over 25 knots. On -one voyage she averaged over 26 knots on a consumption of 1,000 tons of -coal per day, and on another voyage she made an average speed out and -home of 25.75 knots. - -The "Britannia," the first ship of the Cunard Company, built in 1840, -was only 1,139 tons, with a speed of 8½ knots. - - -VIBRATION. - -An amusing incident occurred in connection with the building of the -"Campania." On her engine trial she vibrated excessively, even -dangerously, breaking some stanchions and deck plating. It was decided -to ask Lord Kelvin, then Sir William Thomson, to investigate the cause -of the vibration, and I was deputed to attend him upon the necessary -trials on the Clyde. After several days' trials Sir William announced -that the vibration would all disappear if the ship was loaded down. -Three thousand tons of coal were put on board, and a large party of -guests were invited for the trial trip. It was arranged that the ship -should upon this trip start at a slow speed, at which there was no -vibration, and when the guests were seated at lunch the directors were -to quietly come on deck and the ship be put at full speed. This was no -sooner done than she began to shake from stem to stern so violently that -the whole of the guests streamed on deck enquiring what was the matter, -and the speed of the ship had to be reduced. The vibration was -afterwards cured by following the suggestion of our old Scotch engineer -and altering the pitch of the screws, so that their revolutions did not -synchronise with the vibratory period of the ship. - -Some few years after this event I was invited to dine one Sunday evening -at Balliol College, Oxford. After dinner I was taken into an adjoining -room to wine by the president, Professor Cairns, well known as a great -philosophical thinker and writer. On passing out of the dining hall a -friend whispered to me, "I am sorry for you; the president never utters -a word to his guest." We sat at a small table _vis-à-vis_. I tried to -draw the president into conversation on several subjects, but failed -lamentably. Eventually I asked him if he knew Lord Kelvin. He at once -said he was an old friend; whereupon I told him the story of my -experience on the "Campania." He became quite excited and interested. On -my leaving the room my friend, who was a don on the classical side, -again came up to me, and asked what we had been talking about. I -answered "Vibration." He replied, "What is that? I never saw the -president so interested and so excited before." - - -CASTLE WEMYSS. - -In connection with the building of the "Campania," I have a pleasing -recollection of a visit to Castle Wemyss, on the Clyde, the residence of -the then chairman of the Cunard Company, Mr. John Burns. Mr. Burns took -me to call upon his father, Sir George Burns, who resided at Wemyss -House. He was then a very old man, over 90 years of age, and as he lay -upon his bed he looked very picturesque, with his handsome aquiline -features and his snow-white locks resting upon the pillow. He told me -with evident pride of the early days of the Cunard Company, of which he -was one of the founders, the others being Mr. Cunard of Halifax, Mr. -Charles MacIver of Liverpool, and his brother Mr. David MacIver; and he -narrated his recollections of the old sailing brigs which used to -convey the mails to Halifax, before the days of steamships. Sir George -died soon after my visit, and was succeeded in his baronetcy by his son, -Mr. John Burns, who at the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen, in 1897, was -created a Peer (Lord Inverclyde). He died in 1901, and was succeeded by -his son George, who died in 1905, after holding the title only a few -years, and was succeeded by his brother James, the present Peer. The -second Lord Inverclyde, who was also chairman of the Cunard Company, was -a man of conspicuous ability, with a big grasp of affairs. It was he who -carried through the agreement with the Government, which resulted in the -building of the "Mauretania" and "Lusitania." During these negotiations -he displayed so much energy, tact, and knowledge of shipping, that had -he lived he was marked out for high position in the Government. It has -been my privilege during the twenty-two years I have been a director of -the Cunard Company, to serve under five chairmen--the first Lord -Inverclyde, Mr. Jardine, the second Lord Inverclyde, Mr. Watson, and Mr. -Booth. - - -THE LIVERPOOL AND MEDITERRANEAN TRADE. - -Sir George Burns' reference to the making of the Cunard Company brings -to my mind the story told by my father-in-law, William Miles Moss, of -the beginnings of the Mediterranean steamship trade, which has made for -Liverpool people so many great fortunes. He said that his firm, James -Moss and Co., Vianna Chapple and Co., and John Bibby and Sons, were -engaged in the Mediterranean trade, which they conducted with sailing -schooners and brigs. In 1848 he thought the time had arrived to replace -these by steamers, and his firm chartered a paddle steamer, which traded -to the Isle of Man, for an experimental voyage to the Mediterranean. She -made a most successful voyage to Genoa, Leghorn, etc., and he was so -encouraged that he made a contract to build a screw steamer for the -Egyptian trade to cost £21,000. Mr. Moss invited the heads of the firms -I have named to dinner at his house, in Lower Breck Road, and told them -what he had done, and asked them to take shares in his new venture, and -then passed a paper round the table that they might write down the -interest they were willing to take. It was returned to him with only -£12,000 subscribed. He said, "I told them they were a shabby lot, and -that I would take the balance." This was the first steamer built to -trade between Liverpool and Alexandria. - -Mr. Moss was a very shrewd, long-sighted man, and for years was the -moving spirit in the Mediterranean steamship trade, being largely -interested in Bibby's as well as being the principal owner of the fleet -of James Moss and Co. He was for many years a member of the Dock Board, -in which he was followed by his son and his grandson. - - -THE WHITE STAR LINE. - -The "making" of the White Star Line must always remain an interesting -incident in the history of our commerce. In the 'sixties the Atlantic -trade was in the hands of the Cunard, the Inman, the National, and the -Guion Companies. At this time the Bibby line of Mediterranean steamers -had been most successful. One of the principal owners in these steamers -was Mr. Schwabe, whose nephew, Mr. Wolff, had just started in business -as a shipbuilder in Belfast, in partnership with Mr. Harland. Mr. T. H. -Ismay had recently formed a partnership with Mr. William Imrie, and had -taken over the business of the White Star Line, then engaged in owning -sailing ships employed in the Australian trade. The story at the time -was that during a game of billiards at Mr. Schwabe's house, in West -Derby, Mr. Schwabe proposed to Mr. Imrie that his firm should start -another line of steamers to New York, adopting as their type the models -which had proved so very profitable in the Mediterranean trade, and -offered if they were built by Messrs. Harland and Wolff to find the -greater part of the capital. The scheme thus inaugurated quickly took -shape. Mr. G. H. Fletcher associated himself with the project, and the -first White Star steamer, the "Oceanic," was built, followed quickly by -the "Celtic," "Baltic," "Germanic," and "Britannic." The steamers were -the first vessels constructed with their cabin accommodation amidships, -where there is the least motion and vibration. This proved a very -attractive feature. Mr. Ismay also took a personal interest in studying -the comfort of the travellers by his line, which quickly became very -popular. Mr. Ismay lived to see the début of his masterpiece, the -"Oceanic," the second of this name, but had passed away in 1899 before -the White Star Line became a part of the great American steamship -combine. - - -MR. T. H. ISMAY. - -Mr. Ismay was a remarkable man. He was of a very retiring disposition, -but had great strength of character, with an aptitude for organisation, -he was able to select good men to assist him, and to obtain from them -the best of their work. Mr. Ismay was one of the ablest men of my time. -He declined all honours, and found his pleasure in surrounding himself -with beautiful pictures and _objets d'art_ in his home at Dawpool, and -he was not unmindful of others, for he founded the Seamen's Pension -Fund, to which he was a large contributor. - -To commemorate the Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887, and Her Majesty's -Diamond Jubilee in 1897, grand reviews of the fleet took place at -Spithead. Mr. Ismay invited a large party of his Liverpool friends on -board the "Teutonic" on both of the occasions to see the reviews. At -Spithead the "Teutonic" was joined by a large and very distinguished -company from London, comprising many of Her Majesty's Ministers, the -leaders of the opposition, and men renowned in literature, science and -art. At the first review the German Emperor and the Prince of Wales came -on board, and spent some time inspecting the ship, and especially her -armament. Other Atlantic liners had on board the members of the House of -Lords and the House of Commons. These reviews were very successful, the -great array of battleships being imposing and impressive, although we -could not avoid remarking their small size compared with the "Teutonic," -"Campania," and other liners present. - -The "Teutonic's" trips will be for long remembered for the munificent -manner in which Mr. Ismay entertained his guests, and the perfection of -all the arrangements. - - -SIR ALFRED JONES, K.C.M.G. - -The late Sir Alfred Jones is another of our great shipowners whose -career conveys many striking lessons. Enthusiastic about everything he -put his hand to, intense in his application to work, and resourceful in -finding out the ways and means to success, he had one fault not uncommon -in forceful men--he had not the power of delegation. He would do -everything himself, and the strain was more than even his robust nature -could stand. On my asking him a few weeks before he died why he did not -take a partner, he replied: "I will do so when I can find a man as -intense as myself." - -As indicating his resourcefulness, when he found bananas were not -selling freely in Liverpool, he brought down a number of hawkers from -London with their barrows and peddled his fruit about the streets. On my -suggesting to him that he would make nothing of Jamaica, on account of -the lazy habits of the negro, he replied: "I will change all that. I -will send out a lot of Scotchmen." - -When he travelled to London he was always accompanied by two clerks, to -whom he dictated letters _en route_. Every moment of his time was filled -up, he told me: "My work is done on a time table. A certain hour each -day I devote to my steamers, another to my oil-mills, another to my -hotels, and so on." - -Sir Alfred Jones' name will, however, ever dwell with us as the founder -and most active supporter of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, -which has destroyed the ravages of yellow fever and made the malarial -and waste places of the world habitable. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE CHURCHES. - - -In my young days eloquent preachers were still much in the fashion, and -attracted large congregations, but the building of churches and -appointing to them preachers of eminence as a financial speculation had -happily ceased. The church in Liverpool was largely recruited from -Ireland, and we had certainly many able men, who were not only eloquent -but whose discourses were also very lengthy. The hearing of sermons was -not merely an act of devotion but a form of religious entertainment and -enjoyment, and a short discourse would not have been appreciated. I -remember one very eloquent divine, to whose church it was impossible to -obtain admission unless you were at the door a quarter of an hour before -the service commenced, being when advanced in years removed to another -church. He continued to preach the same sermons with much of his old -fire and vigour, but he emptied the church, for people would no longer -tolerate fifty minutes every Sunday of the old fashioned controversial -discourse. We had in those days many eminent divines, Dr. Lowe at St. -Jude's, Dr. Taylor at St. Silas', Dr. Falloon at St. Bride's, and Mr. -Ewbank at Everton, and most eloquent of all, Dr. MacNeile at St. Paul's, -Prince's Park. He was a great power, both in the pulpit and the -platform, and in the press. Clergy and laity, rich and poor, were -stirred by his eloquent appeals. I never heard him preach, but his -speeches to the boys at the Collegiate on our prize days still linger in -my memory as marvels of eloquence. His presence was very dignified, and -he was stately in manner. He had a profusion of snow-white hair, which -added impressiveness and solemnity to his handsome appearance. He -wielded a giant's strength in debate, and some thought he used his power -without mercy. He died in 1879 at the age of 83. - -In the 'seventies Dr. Forest, who afterwards became Dean of Worcester, -Mr. Lefroy, afterwards Dean of Norwich, and the Rev. Nevison Loraine, -were among our most prominent and eloquent divines; nor must I forget -the Rev. John MacNaught, of St. Chrysostom's, our first broad churchman, -earnest, eloquent, and courageous, but looked upon with much misgiving -and some suspicion. - -The Bishops of Chester were unable to devote much of their time to the -Liverpool portion of their diocese. The result was that the leaders of -the evangelical party became little autocrats in their way. Under these -conditions church life became dormant, and the church narrow and formal, -and wanting in spirituality. Her liturgy and the devotional part of her -services were sacrificed, and made secondary to preaching. This was the -state of things in 1880, when the see of Liverpool was founded. - -Two great influences were, however, quietly operating in the church. The -school of the Oxford tract writers gave prominence to the sacramental -system and corporate powers of the church, which enlisted a new class of -energies in her service, and the publication of _Essays and Reviews_, -although they gave a temporary shock to church people, was productive of -good, by broadening the theological outlook, and inviting that higher -criticism which quickened more interest in the truths of the Bible, and -deepened the reverence for the wider conception of the love of God. - -Dr. Ryle, our first Bishop, was a recognised leader of the evangelical -party, and a prolific writer of church tracts. He was an able preacher, -a good platform speaker after the old-fashioned pattern, and had a very -imposing and apostolic presence. - -Dr. Ryle's work as our first Bishop was a difficult and arduous one. He -tried to be fair and just to all parties in the church, but he was urged -by some of his evangelical followers to take action in restraint of the -high church practices which prevailed in some churches, and to give his -episcopal sanction to the prosecution of the Rev. J. Bell-Cox. He -consented with reluctance. The Bishop at this time frequently came to my -house and I know how unhappy he was at this juncture; not that he in -any way sympathised with the practices sought to be checked--they were -most repugnant to him--but he appreciated the self-sacrificing work of -the high church clergy, and thought that other and gentler means and -methods might be adopted to bring about the desired result. - -In his later years his Lordship's ecclesiastical views became broader -and more liberal. In face of many difficulties he did an excellent and -most successful work in building churches and schools. Beneath an -apparently haughty manner he had a big and kind heart, and those who -were privileged to know him best loved him most. - -I am sometimes asked are church people as good and zealous as in the -days gone by. I think they are more so. They are more devout, more -earnest, more spiritual. They may be less emotional and do not crowd the -churches to hear sermons, but they are to be found in their hundreds at -the Lord's Supper. The church, which was formerly locked up all week, is -now open for daily prayer. The Holy Communion, which was only -administered on the first Sunday in the month, is now administered every -Sunday, and frequently twice in the day. Strong language and swearing -are less frequently heard, and there is in life a diffusion of light and -sweetness, which can only come from the influence of holy things and the -power of love which has taken a stronger possession of our thoughts and -actions. - -The church is broader, has a wider mission, and it stands upon a higher -pinnacle in men's minds. We recognise that men are differently moulded -in temperament and thought, that a national church must within limits -provide the means of worship suitable to all; and that while the simple -conventicle may to some present the most suitable temple of God, others -are happier if their prayers are winged to His Throne amid beautiful -surroundings and to the sound of choral music. - -The nonconformists have always been active in Liverpool, and have had -many able ministers. The most influential of these churches has always -been the Unitarian. I remember Dr. Martineau only as a name, but the -Rev. Charles Beard I knew and greatly esteemed. He was a power for good -in Liverpool, and much of the uplifting and purifying of Liverpool in -the 'seventies was due to his influence. He had powerful supporters -amongst his congregation in Renshaw Street Chapel: the Holts, the -Rathbones, Gairs, Mellys, Gaskells, Thornleys, etc. - -It has often been said that our University had its birth in Renshaw -Street Chapel. It certainly found there its warmest and most active -supporters. - -Hugh Stowell Brown was another bright light among the nonconformists, a -robust and rugged preacher, who did not neglect his opportunities of -advocating higher ideals of civic life and duty. The Rev. C. M. Birrell, -of Pembroke Chapel, was stately in figure and highly cultured; he won -the respect and esteem of all Christian communities. The Rev. Charles -Garrett was a power in Liverpool and the country, as the great apostle -of temperance. - -In the Roman Catholic church there is one remarkable outstanding figure, -Monsignor Nugent, or as he preferred to be known, Father Nugent: priest, -philanthropist, and friend of all, but particularly of the outcast boy -and fallen woman. I could write pages of this worthy priest's great -goodness, his big heart, his wide and tender sympathies, and his work -among the wreckage of society. His memory will linger with us as an -incentive to all that is noble, all that is loving and tender. - -We must not forget the many laymen who have helped forward church work -in Liverpool: Charles Langton, Charles Grayson, Christopher Bushell, -Hamilton Gilmour, Charles Groves, the builder of churches; Clarke -Aspinall, who spent all his leisure in assisting the clergy in their -church and temperance work; and the Earle family. Among the -nonconformists we had W. P. Lockart, a merchant and an ex-cricketer, who -took up evangelistic work in Toxteth Park, and exercised a wide and -great influence among young men. I have elsewhere mentioned the Rev. Dr. -Lundie, and his influence upon the temperance movement; and I must not -omit Alexander Balfour, Samuel Smith, and Thomas Mathieson, all -prominent and most active lay nonconformists. - -To the active efforts of our clergy we owe much of the improvement in -the social condition of our working classes. Their exertions on behalf -of temperance are worthy of all praise; in training the young in habits -of self-control and self-respect, they are saving the child and making -the man who is to control the future destinies of the empire. - - -THE BUILDING OF A CATHEDRAL. - -The see of Liverpool was founded in 1880. There was little difficulty in -raising the endowment fund, thanks to the personal exertions of Mr. -Torr, M.P., and Mr. Arthur Forwood, but the selection of a bishop was a -matter for grave thought. Liverpool contained many low churchmen and -many Orangemen, and it was also recognised that the high churchmen had -done most excellent work. The views of the evangelical party, however, -prevailed, and Lord Sandon and Mr. Whitley were instructed to use every -influence with Lord Beaconsfield to secure the appointment of an -evangelical churchman. In this they were successful. Lord Beaconsfield -appointed Dr. Ryle, whom he had but recently created a Dean, as the -first Bishop of Liverpool. - -The proposal to erect a cathedral was first made in 1887. A committee -was formed; a site on the west side of St. George's Hall--where St. -John's Church stood--was selected, and a design by Sir William Emerson -was approved by Mr. Ewan Christian, the architectural assessor. I was -appointed one of the treasurers to the fund, and at once began an active -canvass for donations. There was, however, a great lack of enthusiasm; -many objected to the site chosen, and the Bishop did not help the cause, -for though he was in a way anxious that a cathedral should be built, he -freely expressed his opinion, both in public and in private, that -additional churches and mission halls would be more useful. We received -promises of only £41,000, and then we had to allow the scheme to drop, -for it was quite impossible to make further headway. I think the Bishop -was disappointed. He was an earnest, good man, and during his episcopate -great progress was made in church building in the diocese, but in his -heart I do not think he was ever enthusiastic in favour of the cathedral -scheme. - -No further steps were taken towards the erection of a cathedral during -the episcopate of Dr. Ryle. When his successor, Dr. Chavasse, had been -consecrated bishop the scheme took shape again, and shortly after he had -been installed at his suggestion a small committee was formed to -formulate a proposal. The Bishop was good enough to ask me to become the -treasurer. I had so ignominiously failed in my first attempt to collect -money that I declined, but his lordship was very pressing, and after -thinking the matter well over I said I would make an attempt to start a -fund, provided no site was selected and no general committee formed -until we had received sufficient promises to make the scheme a success; -and I added that if my conditions were accepted I would give up all -other work for six weeks and devote myself to working up a cathedral -fund. I made those conditions because I found on my previous effort the -selection of a site and a design was a serious hindrance, as they -afforded reasons and excuses for not giving. The Bishop agreed to this -proposal. I wrote six or eight begging letters every night and followed -them by a call on the day following, and I wrote a series of articles in -the daily press, and managed to arouse a considerable amount of interest -and enthusiasm in our scheme. We started our list with a handsome -donation of £10,000 each from Lord Derby, Sir Alfred Jones, and others. -Canvassing was hard work, but Liverpool people were very good and very -generous. In my daily rounds I met with much kindness, but with some -disappointments. Only one man, whose father made his millions in -Liverpool as a steamship owner, was rude and unpleasant, but even he in -the end relieved his conscience by sending in a small donation. At the -close of six weeks' work I was able to announce to the Bishop's -Committee that we had promises amounting to £168,000. We did not, -however, stop at this. The ball was rolling and must be kept rolling, -and before we called a halt we had promises in meal or malt amounting to -£325,000. In this amount are included special donations for windows, -organ, etc. - -The Earle and Langton families most liberally gave £25,000 towards the -cost of the Lady Chapel, and ladies of old Liverpool families were most -generous in their contributions. - -This success would have been impossible of achievement if it had not -been for the wonderful influence of the Bishop. Everyone recognised his -saintly character, his arduous work, and the statesmanlike manner in -which he ruled over his diocese. Perhaps the Bishop's strongest point in -dealing with men is his power of "enthusing" others. He always looks -upwards, and in the darkest days is full of brightness and words of -encouragement. - -The next step was the selection of a site, and this aroused considerable -discussion. There were many advocates for what was known as the London -Road site, at the junction of that thoroughfare and Pembroke Place, a -very commanding position; but as the cost of the site alone would have -been £150,000 it was placed on one side. The sites of St. Peter's and -St. Luke's were considered and pronounced too small. Eventually St. -James' Mount was decided upon as being central and commanding, and -having picturesque surroundings. The fourteen acres comprising the Mount -were purchased from the Corporation for £20,000. - -It was decided to advertise for designs and give premiums for the two -best, and Mr. Norman Shaw, R.A., and Mr. Bodley, R.A., were appointed -assessors. - -Many designs were sent in and exhibited at the Walker Art Gallery. From -these the assessors selected the design of Mr. Gilbert Scott, a young -man of only 19, a grandson of the great Gothic architect, Sir Gilbert -Scott, R.A. It was a design which did not commend itself entirely to the -committee, and Mr. Scott being a Roman Catholic it was feared some -objection might be taken, and the committee very wisely decided to link -Mr. Bodley, R.A., with Mr. Scott as joint architects--a very happy -combination, for while we secured the genius of Mr. Scott, we also -secured the ripe experience and exquisite taste of Mr. Bodley. - -We elected the Earl of Derby as our president, and I was made the -chairman of the executive committee, a position of much honour and of -absorbing interest, but involving considerable responsibility. We were -fortunate in having on the committee Mr. Arthur Earle, who has rendered -yeoman service both in collecting funds and finding donors of the -windows. We have also received great assistance from Mr. Robert -Gladstone, the deputy-chairman, and Mr. F. M. Radcliffe. - -We had some difficulty with our foundations, as part of the Mount was -made-ground, and the rock when we reached it was very friable. The -consequence was that on the east side we had to go down forty, and even -fifty feet before we obtained a satisfactory foundation. The -foundations for the Choir, Lady Chapel, Vestries, and Chapter House cost -£40,000. - - -FOUNDATION-STONE LAID BY THE KING. - -It was decided to invite the King and Queen to lay the foundation-stone, -as it was the only cathedral likely to be built in this century. The -King graciously consented, and fixed the afternoon of July 19th, 1904, -for the ceremony, the arrangement being that he was to come down from -London in the morning, lunch with the Lord Mayor at the Town Hall, and -afterwards lay the foundation-stone; and on the conclusion of the -ceremony embark upon the royal yacht in the river to proceed to Cardiff, -_en route_ to open the waterworks constructed in South Wales for the -supply of Birmingham. The arrangements for the foundation-stone laying -required much thought, as my experience has taught me that "functions" -are successful only if every detail is well thought out beforehand. - -Around the foundation-stone a huge amphitheatre of wood was constructed -capable of seating 7,000 persons, and in the centre we erected an -ornamental dais upon which the King and Queen were received and where -they stood during the religious service; and in front of the dais, about -thirty feet away, the foundation-stone stood ready for lifting and -laying. We also formed a choir of 1,000 voices to take the musical part -of the service, led by the band of the Coldstream Guards. - -The day was beautifully fine and the city splendidly decorated, quite a -royal day. Lord Derby and the High Sheriff met their Majesties on their -arrival at Lime Street Station, when presentations were made to their -Majesties. The King was in the uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet; Lord -Derby appeared as Lord-Lieutenant, and uniforms and court dress were -worn by the guests. Their Majesties proceeded from the station to the -Town Hall, where a very select company was assembled. After luncheon the -King knighted the Lord Mayor, who became Sir Robert Hampson. At Lord -Derby's request I proceeded to the site to receive their Majesties on -their arrival, and afterwards had the honour of presenting the -architects and the members of the committee. - -The service was conducted by the Archbishop of York and the Bishops of -Liverpool and Chester. It was grand and majestic, worthy of the -occasion. Most of the bishops of the northern province were present in -their robes, and also about 300 of the clergy. At the conclusion of the -service the King expressed to me his great satisfaction, and the Queen -did the same, adding that the music was beautifully rendered. Everything -passed off well, but during the service heavy banks of clouds began to -gather, and the royal party had scarcely left the site when the rain -fell. - -[Illustration: THE LADY CHAPEL, LIVERPOOL CATHEDRAL.] - - -CONSECRATION OF THE LADY CHAPEL. - -The consecration of the Lady Chapel took place on Wednesday, 29th June, -1910, St. Peter's Day, and was a most imposing and impressive ceremony. -The Lord Bishop conducted the service, the Archbishop of York preached -the sermon, and they were supported by the Archbishop of Dublin and -twenty-four other bishops, all wearing their convocation robes. There -was a large assembly, the difficulty being to accommodate all who wished -for seats. - -The Bishops' procession was formed in the vestries, and was composed of -the Chapter and Clergy, the Cathedral Choir, the Bishops and their -Chaplains, the Bishop of the Diocese, and the Archbishop of York. The -procession marched round the chapel through the street to the door of -the Lady Chapel, the choir singing an appropriate anthem. Arriving at -the door, after the recital of some prayers, the Bishop knocked, -demanding admission. Upon entering the church, the Earl of Derby, the -president, in his chancellor's robes, and attended by Mr. Arthur Earle, -Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Radcliffe, Sir Robert Hampson, and myself, as the -chairman, advanced and handed the Bishop a request that he would -consecrate the chapel, and also a deed conveying the chapel and its site -to the Bishop and the Chapter. The procession then proceeded to their -places in the choir, and the service commenced, the musical part being -beautifully rendered by the choir, Mr. Burstall presiding at the organ. -The service was interesting and quaint, especially the blessing by the -different bishops of the various votive offerings. The Archbishop -preached a most eloquent sermon, taking as his text: Habakkuk 2nd -chapter, 20th verse, "The Lord is in his holy temple: let the whole -earth keep silence." The consecration was followed by a luncheon at the -Town Hall. An octave of special services was held in the chapel in the -following week, at which several bishops preached. - -This is not the place to describe the architectural features of the Lady -Chapel, but it seems to have won the admiration of all by its charming -proportions, its chaste but rich beauty, and its quiet, devotional -feeling. - -The gifts to the chapel by the Earle and Langton families were both -numerous and costly; and of the total cost of the chapel, about £70,000, -these families generously contributed nearly one-half. Their offerings -were supplemented by those of other friends, so that the chapel when -opened was complete in every detail, and with every accessory. - -To the Dowager Countess of Derby and her committee of lady workers, with -Miss Stolterfoht as secretary, we are indebted for the beautiful -embroideries which do so much for the adornment and enrichment of the -choir. - -We launched this first and great instalment of the cathedral "in humble -thankfulness to Almighty God that He has prospered our handiwork, and -pray that in this holy and beautiful house prayer and praise may be ever -offered unto Him; that He will assist with His blessing our effort to -complete the cathedral for His Glory; that He will endue with wisdom the -heads that guide, preserve from evil the hands that work, provide the -silver and gold, and carry to a glorious completion the building thus -begun." - - -YORK HOUSE OF CONVOCATION. - -In 1902 the Lord Bishop was good enough to nominate me as a member of -Convocation. We met at York once each year, when the clergy held their -meetings within the precincts of the cathedral, and the laymen in a -temperance hall. Our debates were purely academical and bore no fruit, -and no notice was taken of us by the Archbishop or the cathedral -authorities. If the clergy and laity were to meet together, Convocation -would have a reality and a value, for if nothing should come of their -public discussions they would at least get to know each other, and an -interchange of ideas could not be otherwise than advantageous to both. -Under the rule of Archbishop Lang I have no doubt Convocation will -become a very valuable institution. - - -CHURCH CONGRESS. - -The opportunity was afforded me to take part in several meetings of the -Church Congress. At some I read papers and at others I was a special -speaker. The most interesting congress was the one held in Exeter in -1894, when I was the guest of Bishop Bickersteth, at the Palace. The -other guests at the Palace were Dr. Temple, then Bishop of London; Dr. -Wordsworth, Bishop of Salisbury; Dr. Gott, Bishop of Truro; and Lord -Cross. - -We were all much interested with the rugged intellectual power of the -Bishop of London. His epigrammatic utterances interjected into our -after-dinner talk were full of wisdom, and often bubbled over with -quiet, quaint humour. Many stories were told of the Bishop when he was -the Bishop of Exeter; of the kindness which was concealed under his -brusque, outspoken manner, and his remarkable influence for good. He -delivered at Exeter a striking and very forcible address upon -temperance. His eyesight was already very defective and Mrs. Temple had -to lead him about. To the surprise of everybody he not only became -Archbishop of Canterbury, but will also be remembered as one of our -great archbishops. - - -NEW YORK CATHEDRAL. - -When in New York I had the opportunity of visiting their cathedral, the -construction of which had been recently commenced. The clerk of the -works took me into a room to show me the model of the cathedral, and he -also showed me a list of cathedrals with their principal dimensions. At -the foot of the list came the New York cathedral, the largest of all. I -said to him, "You have forgotten one cathedral, the Liverpool -cathedral." He replied, "So I have; where will it come?" I told him to -put it at the bottom. He looked at me for a few moments in evident -surprise, and said, "Is it to be larger than New York?" and on my -answering "Yes" he replied, "Oh, we will make that all right; we will -add another bay to our nave." I thought this was truly American, a -determination not to be beaten. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -PHILANTHROPY, CHARITABLE AND SOCIAL WORK. - - -In no department of Liverpool life has more distinct progress been made -than in its social regeneration. Liverpool was always liberal and -generous in her charities, but there was an absence of enlightenment in -her municipal administration, and an utter failure to realise the social -degradation in which so many of her people lived; her streets in the -'sixties were not fit places for respectable people after dark, while -the neighbourhood of the Sailors' Home at all times of the day was a -place to be avoided. Liverpool was known as the "black spot" on the -Mersey, and well earned that title. - -It is difficult to make people sober or moral by act of parliament, and -the Liverpool people did not wait for Parliament, but aroused and set in -motion a strong public opinion, which demanded radical social changes. -The town had been flooded with licensed public-houses at a time when Mr. -J. R. Jeffery, Mr. Robertson Gladstone, and other justices advocated the -free license system, and the increased competition in the sale of drink -had led to many evils. The justices thought that by extending licences -they would do away with what was called the "gin palace," as it would no -longer be worth the publican's while to invest large sums of money to -make his house attractive and alluring. The multiplicity of licences, -however, increased intemperance to such an extent that in 1874 things -were so bad that the _Times_ commented on the dreadful moral condition -of Liverpool, and its unparalleled death-rate, as indicating that "the -leading inhabitants were negligent of their duties as citizens." The -public conscience was aroused, and a band of very earnest temperance -men, headed by Mr. Alexander Balfour, the Rev. Dr. Lundie, and Mr. Sam. -Smith began a crusade against the licensing justices and the Watch -Committee, whom they considered to be sympathetic with the drink -"trade," and a Vigilance Committee was formed. The struggle was a long -and fierce one, but great reforms have taken place. The streets of -Liverpool have been purified, and the temptations to drink have been -largely reduced. The name of Alexander Balfour will ever stand out -prominently as the chief of this movement, in the days when strong men -were wanted to lead, and in these latter days Sir Thomas Hughes is -entitled to much credit for the firm and consistent manner he has ruled -over the licensing bench. - -Liverpool now breathes freely, and is no longer "the black spot" on the -Mersey. - -Throughout this long and angry controversy the Conservative party -occupied a difficult position. Many of its most active supporters were -connected with what is termed the "trade," they were endeavouring to -conduct a very difficult business respectably, and in conformity with -the licensing laws, they have also been called upon to make large -sacrifices. The Conservative party were always sympathetic with the -"trade," and felt that the measures meted out to them were unduly harsh, -but have always recognised that something heroic must be done to win -back the city's good name. It is regrettable that a great and -much-needed social reform should have become so much mixed up with party -politics, but under the circumstances it was perhaps unavoidable. - -The reforms which have taken place owe much of their success to our -press. _Porcupine_ in the 'seventies, under the editorship of Hugh -Shimmin, was their active and strong advocate; and more recently the -_Daily Post_ under the direction of Sir Edward Russell, has also done -good service, and sad to say, both editors had to appear in the law -court to vindicate their actions. - -While this movement to exercise increased supervision over public-houses -and to diminish their number was in progress, the City Council was -actively engaged in the problem of not merely demolishing insanitary -property, but of replacing the rookeries thus destroyed by suitable and -well designed houses. This new policy began in 1885, when the group of -dwellings known as Victoria Square was erected. This good work has -proceeded rapidly, and the Corporation has already expended considerably -over £1,000,000 in this direction. - -Perhaps no one obtains such a full insight into the charitable and -philanthropic work of the city as the Lord Mayor. He is called upon to -preside over annual meetings of some ninety of our charities, and is -brought into close contact with the many smaller societies, doing what -they can for bettering and brightening the lives of the people. Whatever -may have been the shortcomings of Liverpool in other respects, her -people have always liberally supported her charities, and these have -been far-reaching and generous in the benefits they have conferred upon -the community. - -In the wide realm of philanthropy Liverpool has had many active workers, -for the most part unknown to fame, who plod away day after day in our -slums, with no prospect of reward, save the satisfaction of doing -something to ameliorate and brighten the lives of others. Recently a -short paragraph in a newspaper told us of the death of a clergyman who -had a distinguished university career, and who for twenty-four years -lived and worked unknown in the by-ways of Liverpool, attached to no -church, but doing what he could to uplift those around about him--and -there are many such. Among our workers in the good cause of -philanthropy we have had Mr. Edward Whitley, M.P., Mr. Clarke Aspinall, -Mr. Christopher Bushell, Mr. William Rathbone, M.P., Mr. William -Crosfield, Mr. Charles Langton, Canon Major Lester, and Monsignor -Nugent. - -Mr. William Rathbone was not only an ideal local member of Parliament, -but for more than half a century he was foremost in every good work in -Liverpool. As a member of the Select Vestry he made the poor laws a -special subject of study. In the founding of our University, and the -District Nursing Association (the first in the country) Mr. Rathbone -rendered a great service. - -Mr. Christopher Bushell was another leader of men; tall and dignified in -appearance and a good speaker, he was active in the cause of -philanthropy in support of the church and of education. - -Nor must we forget the many ladies who have devoted their energies to -charitable and philanthropic work. Miss Calder has accomplished great -things for the school of cookery, and we have Miss Melly and Miss -Rathbone working for the Kyrle Society. The late Countess of Lathom was -ever ready with her handsome and distinguished presence and eloquent -voice to help forward every good work. Only a few months before she met -with her sad and tragic death she said to me, "When I am gone you must -write as my epitaph, 'She opened bazaars.'" Liverpool has had few -friends more devoted or more capable than the late Lady Lathom. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -THE SEAMEN'S ORPHANAGE, ETC. - - -On the death of Mr. Alfred Turner in 1896, I was made president of the -Seamen's Orphanage. The detail work of the institution is carried on by -the chairman of the committee. The first chairman was Mr. Robert Allan, -whose devotion to the interests of the institution was beyond all -praise. On his retirement his place was filled by Mr. J. H. Beazley, one -of the sons of the founder, the late James Beazley. No institution in -the city of Liverpool is doing a better or a nobler work. We can all -realise how much our safety, and how greatly our prosperity as a nation, -depend upon our sailors, yet we scarcely appreciate how little chance a -sailor has of saving money for a rainy day, and how entirely dependent -his widow and family generally are upon public support. - -The institution is worked upon right lines; a high moral and religious -tone is inculcated, and the children are brought up to be good Christian -boys and girls and to take a pride in their school. I do not know -anything more refreshing than to visit the school, with its hundreds of -bright, joyous children, all so glad to make you welcome with their -cheery "Good morning, sir!" - -Our anniversary Sunday is a red-letter day in the institution, the -sermon being preached by a bishop. After the service an inspection of -the institution is made. It has been my privilege to entertain the -bishops during their visit, and we have had staying with us the Bishops -of Carlisle, Hereford, Bangor, Sodor and Man, Manchester, and the -Archbishop of York. - - -THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON MOTORS. - -The advent of the motor vehicle, driven by an internal combustion -engine, was remarkable for its suddenness and its rapid development. - -The motor was only in the experimental stage in 1896, yet four years -later several thousand were on the roads, and this number increased in -another five years to 60,000. That vehicles should be driven along the -public highways at thirty and forty, and even fifty miles an hour, was -subversive of all ideas of what was prudent and safe, and when these -vehicles set up clouds of dust in their progress, there was a public -outcry. This was fully justified, for the speed at which motors were -driven was undoubtedly excessive. On the other hand, the public did not -realise the complete control which the drivers could exercise, even at -high speeds. - -The Government, in response to the popular demand in 1905, appointed a -Royal Commission on Motors, of which I was nominated a member. Viscount -Selby was appointed the chairman, and the other members were the Marquis -of Winchester, Sir Edward Henry, Chief of the Metropolitan Police, Sir -David Harrel, K.C.B., and Mr. Munroe, C.B., of the Local Government -Board. - -We held about fifty sittings, extending over a year, and examined over -sixty witnesses, representing the Highway Authorities, the various motor -clubs and manufacturers, and a large number of persons who were opposed -to the use of motors on the high roads, unless limited to a low rate of -speed. - -The enquiry was interesting and instructive. It brought out the fact -that much as many people object to motors, they one and all agreed that -they had come to stay. It was also proved that since railways had -withdrawn the heavy traffic from the highways, the roads had been -allowed to fall into poor condition, and to this could be attributed -some part of the complaints as to dust. I was personally in favour of -limiting the speed to twenty-five miles an hour in the open and ten -miles through towns and villages; but as all the other members of the -Commission felt that in the open country we should rely upon the powers -of the present Highway Act, which makes it a serious offence to drive at -a speed causing danger to the public, and were in favour of a no-speed -limit, except through villages, I gave way so that our report might be -a unanimous report. We made a long list of recommendations for the -better regulation of motor traffic. I am glad to say our report was well -received, and although no bill has been introduced to give legal force -to its recommendations, they are being very generally acted upon. - -I have often since regretted that I did not press my recommendation -restricting the speed in the open to twenty-five miles an hour, as I -feel it would have largely solved the speed question. The powers under -the Highway Act would still have remained, compelling motorists to drive -at all times with due regard to public safety. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -THE EARL OF DERBY. - - -APPOINTMENTS TO THE COUNTY BENCH. - -I was brought into such frequent contact with the late Lord Derby, in -connection with my duties as chairman of Quarter Sessions, that I should -like to add a few words of appreciation of his lordship's great kindness -and consideration. I must, however, in order to make my story quite -clear, preface my remarks by a reference to the late Earl of Sefton, who -was the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire for so many years. Lord Sefton in -his appointments to the bench, took an infinite amount of trouble to -select good men, and men who when appointed would do their work. He was -good enough frequently to consult me, and I certainly did my best to -support him in his choice of suitable men for the office of magistrate, -which I hold to be a position of importance and responsibility. - -It is not generally recognised that magistrates are endowed with very -great power over the liberties of the people, and they ought therefore -to be selected with great care. Two magistrates sitting at Petty -Sessions have in a sense more power than a judge sitting at an Assize. -They not only determine the guilt of the prisoner, but can and do -impose considerable terms of imprisonment. At the Assizes the jury -decide if the prisoner is guilty, the judge only awards the punishment. - -Lord Sefton unfortunately made a mistake in some of his appointments to -the Salford Division. He was, however, entirely free from blame. -Erroneous information was given to him, and he made, quite unawares, -some political appointments. He added to the bench the names of several -Conservative politicians, which gave great offence to the Liberal -Government then in power. Mr. Bryce, then Chancellor of the Duchy, -wished to rectify the mistake by insisting upon Lord Sefton appointing a -number of active Liberals. This he declined to do, and it led to a -deadlock. Lord Sefton threatened to resign, and would have done so had -we not been able to build a bridge over which both he and the Chancellor -were able to retire without loss of dignity. I was much helped in these -negotiations by my friend, the late Mr. Robert D. Holt. - -Upon Lord Sefton's death Lord Derby was appointed the Lord Lieutenant. -Naturally a timid man, he was very anxious to avoid the mistake made by -his predecessor, and for several years he created no new magistrates in -some Petty Sessional Divisions, and the administration of justice was -rendered most difficult through the lack of justices. - -I was at this time frequently at Knowsley, and spent hours in going over -lists of names with his lordship, and always came away with a promise -that some appointments should be made forthwith, but still he hesitated. -It was quite impossible to feel disappointed. Lord Derby was always so -courteous and kind, and one could not help feeling that his hesitation -arose from his extreme conscientiousness and high sense of duty, and -also one could not fail to recognise that his task was delicate and -difficult. - -When the Liberal Government came into office in 1905, they set about to -adjust the inequality between the political parties as represented on -the bench, and the Lord Chancellor practically made all the -appointments, the Lord Lieutenant merely confirming. Under this -arrangement the bench in Lancashire has been greatly increased, but I -doubt if its status has been maintained. - -Lord and Lady Derby from time to time extended great kindness to us, -Lady Derby frequently inviting us to dine and sleep at Knowsley, to meet -her distinguished guests. In this way we had the opportunity of meeting -the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Lord Chancellor (Lord Halsbury), -the Prime Minister (Mr. Balfour), and others. The hospitality of -Knowsley is proverbial, Lord and Lady Derby were ideal host and hostess, -and we have paid no pleasanter visits than those to Knowsley. - -When Lord Derby was elected Lord Mayor of Liverpool I was asked to act -as his deputy, as it was not expected that his lordship would do more -than the formal and official work. For some time I called at the Town -Hall every morning to see if I could be of any service, but I quickly -discovered that Lord Derby was not going to discharge his duties in a -perfunctory manner, and my services were required very little. I -remember on one of my visits his lordship telling me his horse was the -favourite for the Oaks, which was to be run on the day following. I -begged him to go up to see the race, but he replied his first duty was -at the Town Hall. - -The race was run, and Lord Derby's horse won. I often narrated this -episode as a proof of his lordship's devotion to his duties, and once in -his presence, when he intervened and said: "Do not give me too much -credit; I must confess the temptation to see my horse win was too strong -for me. I went up by the midnight train, and returned by the first train -after the race." - -Lord Derby proved a most excellent Lord Mayor, and the debates in the -Council were never before--and have never since been--conducted with so -much decorum and dignity. The hospitality of the Town Hall was -maintained on a splendid scale. Lady Derby took a keen personal interest -in all the arrangements, and her own charming personality contributed -greatly to the popularity and success of his lordship's year of office, -which I have also reason to believe he greatly enjoyed. - -It may be interesting to narrate how Lord Derby became Lord Mayor. I -had heard it stated that his brother and predecessor in the title had -often expressed his wish that the old tradition of the family might be -revived, and that he might be asked to become Mayor of Liverpool; and -bearing this in mind I ventured one day to mention the subject to Lord -Stanley. I found it not only interested him greatly, but he said he was -sure his father would appreciate the honour, provided it was the -unanimous wish of the Council. I mentioned the matter to our leader in -the Council, and an early opportunity was availed of to elect Lord Derby -as the first Lord Mayor of the extended Liverpool. - -By the death of Lord Derby, Liverpool sustained a grievous loss. He had -filled many great public positions--Governor-General of Canada, -Secretary of State for War--but in no position did he do more useful -work than in the management of his own vast estates, and in furthering -good work of every description round and about Liverpool. He fully -realised that great responsibility attached to his position, and he -devoted himself to the discharge of his many duties in the county and in -Liverpool with an assiduity and earnestness which won the admiration of -all, while all were fascinated by his great courtesy and old-world charm -of manner. - -Lord Derby took a deep and active interest in the building of the -cathedral, always making a point of attending our meetings when in -Liverpool, and his encouragement and wise words of advice were most -helpful. - - -PRINCE FUSHIMI OF JAPAN. - -In June, 1907, I received a letter from Sir Edward Grey, the Secretary -of State for Foreign Affairs, asking me if I could entertain at -Bromborough Hall the Prince Fushimi of Japan, a royal prince, who was -visiting England on a special mission from the Emperor. I replied that, -while I should be delighted to do all I could to extend hospitality to -the Prince, I could only place ten bedrooms at his disposal. Sir Edward -Grey replied that as the suite comprised twenty-two he had asked Lord -Derby to invite the Prince to Knowsley, but would be glad if I would -make the necessary arrangements for his visit to Liverpool. This was -followed by a letter from Lord Derby asking me to send to his -comptroller a list of the guests I thought he ought to invite, -intimating that he could put up thirty and dine forty all told. I made -out a purely official list, and arranged for the Lord Mayor to give the -Prince a luncheon at the Town Hall, and for the Dock Board to take him -in their tender for a sail on the river, and afterwards to proceed to -Knowsley. - -The suite in attendance on the Prince was most distinguished, including -the Grand Chamberlain to the Emperor, the Admiral who had been Minister -of Marine during the Russo-Japanese war, the General who commanded the -cavalry during the war, and many other men of eminence. They mostly -spoke English, and were very interesting. They were charmed with the -park at Knowsley, and were familiar with the history of many of the -great personages whose portraits were displayed upon the walls of the -Knowsley dining-room. They asked innumerable questions, and among other -things wanted a plan of Knowsley. The only plan Lord Derby could produce -was a plan made to show the drainage system. Strange to say, they were -delighted with it. - -The following morning, shortly before leaving, the Prince came -downstairs, preceded by two of his suite, bearing a beautiful cabinet, -which he placed at Lady Derby's feet, a present from the Emperor. Lady -Derby was much gratified, and said she was more than repaid for all the -trouble she had taken in opening the house and bringing all the -servants, carriages, and horses from London, adding, "They are such -perfect gentlemen." - -Knowsley was in the hands of the painters, and, being in the middle of -the London season, it was not an easy thing to arrange to entertain the -Prince; but as the King had expressed a wish that Lord Derby should be -his host, it had to be done. Liverpool had a good friend in the late -Lord Derby, and no one will ever know the trouble he took to entertain -royal and distinguished visitors to Liverpool, oftentimes at -considerable personal inconvenience. - -During the war between Russia and Japan, it was for long a question if -the fleet of Japan would be strong enough to meet the Russian fleet. At -the close of the war it came out for the first time that the most -powerful ship in the Japanese fleet had in the early days of the war -been blown up by a mine, with the loss of 800 lives. I ventured to ask -the Minister of Marine how they managed to keep the secret so well. He -simply replied, "Our people are very patriotic." I also asked the -general who was in command of the cavalry how it was that their great -strategical movements did not leak out. He answered with a twinkle in -his eye, "The newspaper gentlemen were very pleasant, and we managed to -interest and amuse them elsewhere." - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -TRAVELS. - - -One of the most remarkable developments of modern times has been the -increase in the facilities for foreign travel, with the consequence that -travelling has become the pastime of the many, and not the privilege of -the few. In the 'sixties and 'seventies travelling was difficult. In the -first place, a passport had to be obtained, with the visé of the -ambassador of every country through which it was intended to pass. It -usually took ten days to procure this, and there also had to be faced -the difficulties of the Customs at the various frontiers, the absence of -through train services, and the general halo of suspicion with which -foreigners were regarded on the continent, and which led frequently to -unpleasantness. In 1860, on my way to Trieste, I was detained at Turin, -and at the hotel I met Mr. Ed. Lear, R.A., the author of the _Book of -Nonsense_, who was on his way to paint a picture in Italy. Mr. Lear made -a few pen-and-ink sketches for me. When I arrived at the Austrian -frontier at Verona, these were found in my baggage, and I was detained -for twelve hours while enquiries were made about me by telegraph. -Another time, I was staying at the little Portuguese town of Elvas, and -walked across the frontier to see Badajos, the scene of the memorable -siege during the Peninsular war. On entering the town, I was asked for -my passport, which I produced, but as it had no Spanish visé I was -placed in charge of a gendarme, who with a drawn sword marched me across -the frontier back into Portugal. These little incidents serve to -illustrate the suspicion which surrounded travellers on the continent. - -In addition to my voyage round the world, already described, I paid -annual visits to the Southern States of America, in connection with my -firm's cotton business, and I also spent some time in Portugal and the -West Indies. - -In no department of travel has more progress been made than in ocean -travel. I crossed the Atlantic in 1861 in the "City of Washington," of -the Inman Line, and returned in the Cunard steamer "Niagara," the voyage -each way lasting twelve days, and they were twelve days of great -discomfort. The sleeping accommodation was below the saloon; the cabins -were lit by oil lamps, which were put out at eleven o'clock at night; -the air was foul and stifling; and there was an entire absence of -ventilation. - -In the saloon, above the dining-tables, trays filled with wine-glasses -swung from side to side with every roll of the ship; the saloon was lit -by candles, which spurted grease and smelt abominably. There was no -smoking room provided, and we sat in the "fiddlee" upon coils of rope, -while the sea washed to and fro, or else we tried to get under the lee -of the funnel. What a change has taken place, and how greatly the -electric light has contributed to the comfort of travellers by sea! - - -THE FRANCO-GERMAN BATTLEFIELDS. - -The most interesting journey I ever made was in 1871, when with my -father and the late Dr. Grimsdale and Mr. Ryley I visited the -Franco-Prussian battlefields. The war was not ended and the German army -was still surrounding Paris, which made travelling difficult, but we met -with great civility from the Prussian officers, and visited the -battlefields of Saarbrück, where the Prince Imperial received his -baptism of fire, Wörth, Hagenau, Weissenburg, Gravelotte, where we found -men still burying the horses slain in the battle, Mars-le-Tour, Metz, -and finally Sedan. We gathered many trophies, but were not allowed to -bring them away. Wherever the Prussians made a stand and were -slaughtered in their hundreds, as at Gravelotte, we found pieces of -small German Bibles, and we were told that every German soldier, from -the Emperor William downwards, carried a Bible in his haversack. - - -COSTA RICA. - -The year after I retired from business, in 1891, I visited Costa Rica -with my eldest daughter, to inspect the railway in which we were much -interested. The country from Port Limon, which lies on the shores of the -Gulf of Mexico, bathed in a tropical sun, to San José, the capital, is -most picturesque and remarkable for its deep ravines, its rapid rivers, -and its wealth of vegetation. On leaving Port Limon we passed through -long and deep valleys filled with palms and every species of tropical -plants, which made us exclaim that we might be in the Kew -conservatories. We gradually worked our way up 5,000 feet to the plateau -upon which San José is situated, and the scenery hereabouts reminded us -of an undulating English landscape, such as we have in Kent or Surrey. - -The railway was then in its infancy, and in a very rickety condition; it -was said that the man who travelled by it for the first time was a hero, -and if he travelled a second time he was a fool. But reconstruction was -already in progress. - -We were much interested in the banana cultivation, as it supplied -cargoes for our steamers sailing between Port Limon and New York, a -trade which has since developed into gigantic dimensions. We had all the -anxiety of finding the capital necessary to finance both the banana -industry and the railway, and like most pioneers we did not secure the -reward; it went to an American company, who reaped where we had sown. My -daughter and I had a charming trip to Cartago, and ascended the volcano -of Iritzu, 13,000 feet, and from the summit had a view of both the -Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. We made also a trip to the Pacific coast on -horseback; it was a long journey, and in order to escape the heat of the -sun we travelled chiefly by night. We passed innumerable waggons drawn -by bullocks and laden with coffee for shipment from the Pacific coast. -It required some vigilance on our part to prevent our horses being -struck by the long horns of the bullocks as we passed by. We had -eventually to leave the high road and strike through the bush, the -Indians going before cutting down with their _machettes_ the vines and -tree branches which blocked the path. We returned only a few days later, -yet such is the rapid growth of tropical vegetation that the Indians had -again to clear the track. We stayed the second night at the village of -Esperanto, and early next day reached the Trinidad gold mines, situated -on the mountain side looking down on the Pacific coast. I shall never -forget the view which stretched out before us. There was the Pacific -Ocean lying opalescent in the bright beams of the morning sun, and -studded with little blue islands, looking like so many blue beads upon a -silvered mirror. - -On our way out from Jamaica to Limon we spent two days at Colon. The -works on the Panama Canal were in active operation. We went a little way -up and saw enough to convince me that the French would never make the -canal. The waste of money was prodigious. We saw a train of trucks -loaded with cases side-tracked into the bush and completely grown over. -The sickness was also terrible. Every day a funeral train came down to -Colon from the works with bodies for interment, and grave spaces in the -cemetery were so scarce that they were let at a rental of so much a -month. Now, thanks to the researches of the Liverpool Tropical School of -Medicine, these pestiferous swamps have been rendered innocuous. - - -JAMAICA. - -I made a voyage to Jamaica in 1864, the year of the rebellion, and had -the pleasure of staying with Governor Eyre. The rebellion at one time -assumed a very grave aspect, and the governor got into serious trouble, -because, to save the situation, he shot several of the rebel -ringleaders, after a trial by drumhead court-martial. I fully believed -from what I knew of the circumstances that he was justified in doing so, -and his action prevented a serious outbreak, but he was made the -scapegoat. - -I have visited Jamaica several times, and until I had seen Ceylon, -considered it the most beautiful island in the world. - - -MEXICO. - -In 1892, when on a visit to America with my daughter, I was asked to -proceed to Mexico, to endeavour to induce the Mexican Government to -give their National Bonds in exchange for the bonds of the Mexican -Southern Railway. These had been guaranteed by the several Mexican -States through which the railway passed, but there had been default in -the interest payments, and the bonds were in consequence greatly -depreciated in value, the $100 bond selling in London for $25. I thought -it was a hopeless mission, but decided to go. We proceeded from New York -through Arkansas and Texas. It took us thirty-six hours in the train to -cross Texas, travelling all the while; this will give some idea of the -great size of this state. - -On our way we saw in the newspapers that an insurrection had broken out -in Mexico, headed by Gusman. The New York papers had long detailed -accounts. This induced me to break our journey at Laredo, which is -situated on the frontier of Mexico, as I did not wish to expose my -daughter to any danger. On my arrival at the hotel at Laredo, I sent for -the landlord and asked him where the rebellion was. He replied, "Right -here, sir, in this hotel." I could not understand what he meant, and -desired him to explain himself. "Well," he said, "I will tell you how it -was. Some reports reached the north that a civil war had broken out, and -one day fourteen newspaper reporters arrived. They came to this hotel -and sent for me, and demanded how they could get to the seat of the war, -and where Gusman, the leader of the rebels, was to be found. I told -them there was no rebellion, and that I had seen Gusman in Laredo a few -days before, selling cattle. They were not, however, satisfied, and said -that they had come down to write up a civil war, and a civil war there -must be. They stayed in this hotel ten days, sending to the north every -day long accounts of the progress of hostilities, and then they returned -home." I thought this was one of the best stories of the methods of -American journalists that I had ever heard, and as I knew it to be true, -I repeated it to President Diaz a few days later, on my arrival at the -city of Mexico. The old President was much amused, and said it reminded -him of the story of a tiger. He received news that the people of a -certain village were being destroyed by a tiger, and dared not venture -out for fear of the animal, so he sent down a company of soldiers; they -found it was quite true that the villagers were scared to death, but -there was no tiger. A puma is called in Mexico a tiger. - -When I told the President the object of my mission to Mexico he laughed, -and exclaimed, "Did I think he was going to give me his good money for -my bad money?" In my heart I thought he had very aptly described the -situation, but I replied that I hoped to convince him that the good -credit of Mexico was in jeopardy by my railway bonds being in default, -and if the Government would step into the breach it would place the -credit of Mexico in a high position in the London money market. I, -however, made very little impression upon him. I was asking for Mexican -bonds worth £900,000 for my railway bonds worth at the outside £250,000. -I had several interviews, but met with very little encouragement. I, -however, got to know the President, and he became very friendly and -pleasant to me. On one of my visits he told me of his birthplace, -Oaxaca, situated about 200 miles south of the city of Mexico; he was -evidently very proud of it. He spoke of the beauty of the situation, the -richness of the country, both in the fertility of its soil and mineral -resources, and the industry of the Indian population. - -I thought it would not be a bad idea to run down and see Oaxaca. I was -doing no good in Mexico, and I should also be able to see something of -the Mexican Southern Railway, which ran about half the way to a place -called Tehuacan. We proceeded by train to Puebla, where I left my -daughter, and then down the long broad valley of Tehuacan. Every few -miles we came to a magnificent church, which formerly had been the -centre of a village or town, for during the Spanish occupation this -valley contained a population of 1,000,000, and was very fertile and -rich. We saw now and again the aqueducts and tunnels which had conveyed -water through the valley for irrigation. - -At Tehuacan we passed through several fine cañons; here we took horses, -as the railway was not completed beyond this point, and rode through a -very delightful country. The first night we slept at an Indian village, -or tried to sleep, but were disturbed by the barking of dogs. Every -house appeared to possess a dog, which made it its business to howl and -make the night hideous. The village was quite tidy, the houses mostly -built of bamboo and thatched with dried palm leaves. The Indians -themselves, in their wide-brimmed hats and white calico clothes, often -wearing woollen ponchos, were picturesque and interesting. - -On our arrival at Oaxaca we put up at the hotel, which was far from -inviting, and then called upon the governor and the archbishop, the -latter an Irishman with a decided brogue; he is a very rich and powerful -man, and practically rules over his diocese, both in temporal as well as -in spiritual affairs. - -Oaxaca was a charming little town, prettily situated in a valley; in the -centre of the town is a public garden and bandstand. One of the secrets -of President Diaz's popularity is his sympathy with the love of music so -general among the Indians, and he has wisely provided every little town -with its orchestra. - -We were much interested in the market, and saw the country people bring -in with their produce little nuggets of gold, which they had washed out -of the gravel beds on their farms. - -The Indians in these parts consist of two clans or tribes, the "Black" -and the "White Hats"; the "Black Hats" were a troublesome people to -control, but so far as I could see, the Indians are an industrious and -well-conducted people. - -On my return to the city of Mexico, the President was greatly surprised -and delighted when I told him where I had been. He was much interested -and asked me many questions, and from this moment my mission appeared to -make headway; I had made the President my friend. A bill was introduced -into the Legislature authorising the issue of Mexican bonds in exchange -for my railway bonds. Although it met with some opposition, the -President was all-powerful, and it passed the Legislature, and in six -weeks I received the new Mexican government bonds for £1,000,000. I can -well remember the smile of the chief clerk in the Treasury when he -handed me the bonds. I asked him why he laughed; he said such a rapid -thing had never been done in Mexico before, and he could not quite see -why they should have hurried in this way; nor could I, save that my -daily presence at the Treasury acted as a gentle stimulus. - -We returned home via El Paso and Denver. The directors of the Mexican -Southern Railway were greatly delighted at my success, and presented me -with a cheque for £1,000. I look back upon this journey with much -pleasure, not only from recollections of a very beautiful and -fascinating country and people, but having enjoyed the friendship of two -very remarkable men--President Diaz and Signor Don Limantour, the -present finance minister in Mexico. One day in course of conversation -with the President, I mentioned my great admiration for Signor Don -Limantour, and I added that he had been educated at Stonyhurst, in -England, which I considered a great advantage to him. It was, therefore, -very gratifying to me to learn shortly after I had reached England that -he had been made finance minister, with the understanding that he would -succeed Diaz as President. In the hands of two such capable men the -future of Mexico is assured. - -President Diaz is a man of great commonsense and of strong will. To -consolidate his rule in the early years of his presidency he was obliged -to be severe. The country was infested with banditti, who put a stop to -all commerce and travel. Diaz, when he caught the banditti, made them -into rural guards, on the principle of setting a thief to catch a thief, -and by this means he quickly restored law and order. Even when I was in -the country gibbets were still to be seen, some having hanging to them -the remains of their former victims. For some years after I returned -President Diaz occasionally corresponded with me, and I kept him -informed of the condition of things in Europe, and in particular of the -position of Mexican finance in London. - - -AMERICA IN 1905. - -In company with Lord Claud Hamilton I again visited America in 1905. We -sailed from Liverpool in the "Ivernia." When we arrived at Boston Lord -Claud received a letter from the president of the New York Central -Railway placing at his disposal a private car which would be attached to -any train we required, and in which we were free to go to any part of -the United States. This was a personal compliment to Lord Claud as -chairman of the Great Eastern Railway. - -We found the car contained a dining saloon, four state rooms, and at one -end was a smoking room and observatory in which we could sit and view -the scenery. - -There was an excellent _chef_ and a very attentive steward; and in this -car we travelled and lived for three weeks, being most sumptuously -entertained. We picked up two friends, so we had a very pleasant party -of four. We visited Niagara, Chicago, St. Louis (to see the Exhibition), -Washington, and other places _en route_. At St. Louis we were received -by the president of the Exhibition, Mr. Francis, who drove us round the -grounds in a Western prairie coach, painted yellow, and drawn by six -white horses. It was a curious experience. The coach was fully laden, -and as we rushed around the corners it lurched and heeled over in a -truly alarming manner. We felt for the time as if we were part of a Wild -West circus troupe. - -The Exhibition was very well worth seeing. Of all the great exhibitions -it was quite one of the best. The illuminations in the evening were on a -magnificent scale. - -During our railway progress we were surprised at the number of wrecks of -trains we passed; seventeen in all. Many had been accompanied by loss of -life, but little or no allusion was made to them in the newspapers. We -began to feel anxious for our own safety, and we were congratulating -ourselves upon our escape from all trouble, when, nearing New York on -our way from Washington, suddenly we saw our locomotive sail away in -front of us, and looking back saw the remainder of the train standing -half-a-mile behind us. The couplings had broken, but the automatic -brakes, fortunately, brought us to a standstill. - -When we arrived at any important place at which we intended to make a -stay, we placed the private car on a siding while we took up our -quarters at an hotel or a country club. These country clubs are charming -institutions in America, and the members are most generous in extending -their hospitality to travellers. - -When at Washington President Roosevelt kindly invited us to dine at the -White House. We were unable to accept this invitation, and he then asked -us to lunch. With the exception of General Chaffee, we were alone with -the President. The White House has a very English homelike aspect. It is -a large Georgian house furnished and decorated in Adams style, and -resembles an English gentleman's country residence. - -President Roosevelt is a thick-set man of medium height, very vivacious -and active, both mentally and physically. He had all the energy and -strenuous activity, while his Chief Secretary of State, Mr. Hay, had the -wisdom and discretion, and the two made a strong combination. When Mr. -Hay died this salutary restraint was removed, and President Roosevelt -tried to carry out reforms with a rush. Though his intentions were -excellent the rough and hasty methods he adopted plunged the country -into a disastrous and far-reaching financial disaster. - -At lunch the President told me that he had that morning been reading -Macaulay for the third or fourth time, and was anxious to know when -Tories in England ceased to be called Tories. I replied, "It was after -Macaulay's time; about the 'sixties." He then told me that he had been -to see the Jiu-jitsu clan of Japanese perform with their grips; they had -300 grips, and being fond of athletics he had learned thirty of them. -After lunch, while I was standing near the fire, the President rushed at -me and said, "Let me try a few of the grips on you," and before I could -answer he had my right arm over his shoulder, and I had to follow -bodily. He did not hurt me, and relinquished his grip when he found he -was my master. He then took hold of my legs below the knees and threw -me over his shoulder, and finally, taking hold of my hands, placed me on -my back. The easy way in which he caught me and prevented my falling was -a proof of his great muscular strength. He attacked Lord Claud Hamilton -in a similar fashion, but Lord Claud shrank from the contest. I think -this was a proof of the extreme human character of the President. He -will live as one of America's greatest Presidents, and I suppose there -are not many men who can say they have wrestled with this great -uncrowned king of America. - - -MISCELLANEOUS TOURS. - -Of our winter travels in the Mediterranean, our visits to Egypt, Greece, -Algiers, Norway, etc., I need not say much, the ground is now so -familiar to most people. - - -THE DESERT OF SAHARA. - -We had one little experience, to which I look back with much interest. -Staying at Biskra, on the borders of the Sahara, we formed a camp and -went four or five days' sojourn into the desert, quite a unique and -pleasant tour. We were joined by two American ladies, and our camp -consisted of eleven men and about a dozen mules, and four or five -camels. We had an excellent native dragoman, who turned out to be a -very good cook. The camels carried the tents and bedding, and the -kitchen utensils, while we rode the mules. As we marched out of Biskra -we formed quite an important cavalcade and all the people in the hotel -turned out to see us. After marching about ten miles we halted for -lunch, and it was surprising how soon Achmed had a ragout ready for us. -We afterwards marched about fifteen miles, and pitched our camp just -outside an oasis, and not very far from an encampment of Bedouins. - -The days were very hot, but the nights quite cold. Our beds were spread -on the ground in the tents, and we required all our blankets and rugs to -keep the cold out. An armed Arab slept on the ground outside the door of -each tent. The desert at this season of the year--the spring--was -covered, more or less, with short grass and an abundance of wild -flowers. In many places we had to pass over large areas of sand dunes, -which were very trying, and to cross the dried-up beds of rivers. These -rivers come down from the mountains when the snows melt and rush along -in mighty torrents, scooping out water courses, until they finally lose -themselves in the burning sands of the desert. As we got away from the -mountains, the desert began to look more and more like the ocean, with -its clean-cut horizon all round, the hummocks of sand reminding one of -Atlantic seas. The clear blue sky and the translucent atmosphere -imparted an enchanting aspect to the scene; indeed, it became -fascinating, and I can quite enter into the spirit of the Bedouin, who -sees in the wastes of his Sahara so much to love and to attract him. - -The intense sense of loneliness is a new experience for an Englishman, -and awakens within him strange emotions, giving him new views of his -environment and throwing new lights upon the future. The starlight -nights were lovely, and on one night we were able to play bridge by -starlight up to midnight. - -We passed through several oases, which usually consist of a village -surrounded by two or three thousand date-palm trees, the houses being -built of mud and thatched with palm leaves. Palms constitute the riches -of this country, and a man's wealth is computed by the number of -date-palm trees or camels he possesses. - -The Bedouin tribes we came across seemed a well-behaved, peaceable -people. They move about with their flocks of sheep and goats. At night -their flocks are tethered about their tents, and by day they wander in -search of pasture. The men beguile their time while watching their -flocks by doing embroideries, and also in making garments. They lead the -simple life. - - -THE COUNT'S GARDEN, BISKRA. - -All lovers of a garden will take great delight in the Count's garden at -Biskra, rendered famous by the beautiful poetic description given of it -by Mr. Hichens in his novel the _Garden of Allah_. - -The garden is situated just outside Biskra, on the banks of the river -Benevent. It was laid out fifty years ago by the Count Landon, who -lavished his money upon it to make this the most perfect tropical garden -in the world. Every species of palm tree, every plant known in the -tropics, finds here a home. On the south side it is bordered by the -river, with terraces overlooking the desert wastes of the Sahara beyond; -running streams of water intersect the garden and afford the means of -the constant irrigation which is necessary. The borders and walks are -wonderfully kept by an army of Arab gardeners, so vigilant in their -attention that it is almost impossible for a falling leaf to reach the -ground before it is caught and removed; thus everything is tidy and -orderly. - -It was in this garden Domini met the Count Anteoni and listened to his -reasons for finding his happiness in its leafy solitudes: "I come here -to think; this is my special thinking place." It was to him an ideal -place for finding out interior truth. The Arabs of the Sahara sing, "No -one but God and I knows what is in my heart," and so the vast solitudes -of the desert in their terrible stillness, overwhelming distances, and -awe-inspiring silence, make men think and think. The Arabs say in truth -that "No man can be an atheist in the desert." - -We enter the garden through a large gateway, flanked on one side by a -two-storied Moorish dwelling-house which contains the sleeping -apartments of the Count. We cross a large court-yard margined by -hedgerows, towering up twenty feet or more, deeply cut to form a shade -for the benches underneath. At the far end of the quadrangle is the -salon, the walls of which are covered with bougainvillea of a deep -violet colour. On the far side the salon looks out upon a broad avenue -of date-palms, fringed with hedgerows of dark red hibiscus and scarlet -geranium. A few yards beyond is the Arab divan, embowered by purple -bougainvillea. Huge date-palms lift their heads above all and afford a -welcome shade from the direct rays of the sun; but its rays glint -through and light up the orange trees, with their red golden fruit, -which stand on the far side, and throw a yellow shimmering tint over the -feathery foliage of the bamboos which fill in the space between the -palms. - -Everywhere overhead the date-palms and the cocoanut-palms meet and form -a series of leafy arcades, throwing a canopy over the undergrowth, -protecting it from the scorching rays of the sun. This undergrowth -consists of hedgerows of bamboos, hibiscus, and alamanders, intersected -by avenues of date and cocoanut-palms, alcoves in shady corners, -pergolas shrouded with creepers leading out of mysterious paths and -by-ways, groves of phoenix-palms and bananas, thickets of scarlet -geraniums, and large clearings filled with fan-palms. Everywhere is the -music of running water rippling as it flows through its tortuous -channels, distributing life and luxuriance in its path. - -It is difficult to enumerate all the trees which give so much charm to -the garden, but I must not forget the acacias, gums, indiarubber trees, -eucalyptus, and many varieties of mimosa. - -The garden is thrown open to the public upon a small payment, and forms -one of the great attractions of Biskra. It is difficult to conceive a -more wonderful contrast than that between the luxuriant tropical -vegetation of the Count's garden and the arid, sandy wastes of the -Sahara with which it is surrounded, and out of which indeed it has been -created. It was amusing to run across in out-of-the-way nooks and -corners so many people diligently reading, and it was always the same -book, the _Garden of Allah_. - - -EGYPT. - -There is probably no country so fascinating to the traveller as Egypt. -It is not merely that it is Oriental and picturesque, but it is a Bible -land and the seat of the early dawn of civilisation. Its explorers have -made discoveries out of which they have been enabled to build up the -history of an ancient and most remarkable people; and while the -traveller beholds in wonder the gigantic proportions of pyramid, pylon -and temple, he is fascinated by the story which recent discoveries have -woven around them. One cannot visit Egypt without becoming an -Egyptologist in a small way. My two visits to Assouan gave me a very -good grasp of the centuries of history rolled up within the Nile valley, -and enabled me to deliver on my return several lectures in the Picton -Lecture Hall in connection with our course of free lectures. - -Things have been changed very much in Egypt. The lovely island of Philæ, -with its Ptolemean temple, is submerged, and the valley of the Nile has -changed its character by the raising of its waters. Cairo has become the -pilgrimage of the fashionable, and much of what was primitive and -interesting has been improved away, but still the Egypt of history -remains, and will remain, to charm and fascinate with its spell of -romance--its reverence for the dead and the grandeur of its religious -rites and ceremonies. - - -IMPRESSIONS OF INDIA. - -India awakens within us such a sense of vastness and distance, and so -strongly appeals to our imagination, that one is much tempted to write -at length that others may enter into our enjoyment of a country and a -people so great, so picturesque, and so remarkable. It was this feeling -which prompted me, while in India, to write a series of letters to the -_Liverpool Daily Post_. These letters are too long to be reproduced -here, and I must, therefore, confine myself to a brief résumé of our -impressions of India. The first thing which almost staggers the -imagination is the extent of our Indian Empire. - -[Illustration: THE DEAD CITY OF FATEHPUR SIKRI, -BUILT BY AKBAR, AND WHICH FOR 300 YEARS HAS REMAINED DESERTED.] - -[Illustration: THE PILGRIM CITY OF BENARES ON THE GANGES.] - -Landing in Ceylon, which lies only seven degrees north of the Equator, -we were surrounded by the most profuse and luxuriant tropical -vegetation; and the vertical rays of the sun kept us indoors, except in -the early morning and late evening. A few days later we had passed -through Calcutta and found ourselves at Darjeeling, with snow lying all -about us, and with the mighty snow-ranges of the Himalayas piled up -before us, and yet we had not left India. We were surrounded by -300,000,000 of people belonging to six hundred nationalities, and -speaking as many languages, differing not only in nationality and in -language, but in religion, in civilisation, and in their manners and -customs, and all this multitude of peoples, nations, and languages were -comprised in "India." - -Nothing brings this great diversity among the people of India more -vividly before the mind than a walk through one of the main streets of -Calcutta. Here one meets with natives from every part, some arrayed in -simple white garments, but others clothed in gorgeous apparel. Their -costumes of silk and satin are radiant with a dazzling wealth of colour, -every nationality having its distinctive dress, the Bengalese, the -Pathan, the Sikh, the Nepaulese, the Tamils, and the Mahrattas, and all -walk with that dignified bearing which proclaims them to be members of a -princely class. Our wonder increases. How comes it that this multitude -of peoples, these descendants of martial races, live together in peace -and amity? - -The plains of Delhi, which for 2,000 years were the arena of perpetual -conflict as nations were made and unmade, proclaim the warlike character -of the people, the intensity of their national hatred, and the ferocity -of their bloody feuds. They are now held together in peaceful union by -legions of British troops--there are but 70,000 British troops in all -India--and probably 250,000,000 out of the 300,000,000 people in India -have never seen a British soldier. - -This great phalanx of nations is held together, is made happy and -prosperous, by the just rule which appeals to their imagination and -their sense of justice, and which is administered by 900 British -civilians, who are for the most part men under 40 years of age. I think -this is one of the most remarkable spectacles the world has ever seen. -It speaks well for the English public-school system which has trained -these men. It speaks also well for honest administration and the -influence and power which it exerts, exercising a moral influence -greater and more far-reaching than any military rule. - -The most interesting study in India is that of the people, among whom -there is the greatest difference in physique. We have the lithe, active -little coolie of Southern and Central India, the hewer of wood and the -drawer of water; the fat, astute, and subtle Bengalee, devoid of moral -or physical courage, a born agitator; the stalwart hillmen of the -North-West who furnish our Indian army with its best recruits; and the -Mahrattas, the descendants of warlike races, who to-day are among the -most active traders. - -The student of character has a wide and fruitful field for -investigation, but there are certain features which stand out -prominently--their marvellous patience, their devotion to their -religion, which is almost fanatical. Like the Egyptians of old, they -live in the contemplation of death, and look upon death as the great -consummation. The elaborate and magnificent tombs we see everywhere -correspond to the pyramids and monumental buildings of ancient Egypt; -while their ruinous condition attest the wisdom of Solomon, that "Vanity -of vanity, all is vanity." - -The poverty of India is also striking, but it is not so great as it -appears. When we talk of a daily wage of twopence it seems almost -impossible that life can be supported on any such sum; but in India a -penny will buy all the rice the coolie can eat, and his other expenses -are very small. Still, it must be considered a poor country. - -There is no scenery in India until we reach the hills, which occupy a -considerable area in the Madras presidency, and margin the whole of the -North-West. Central and Southern India are vast plains. The grandest -mountain view in the world is that of the Himalayas, from Darjeeling. -Darjeeling stands at an elevation of 7,000 to 8,000 feet, on the foot -hills of the Himalayas, about forty miles from "Kinchin Junga," which is -the centre of one of the highest ranges. In the foreground are several -deep valleys, usually filled with clouds. Looking over these, a further -great bank of clouds appears high up in the heavens. On closer -examination we begin to see they are not clouds; their opaque, snowy -whiteness and their sharp peaks and serrated edges tell us that this is -a range of mountains. "Kinchin Junga" stands in the centre, with an -altitude of 28,000 feet, but in this mighty mountain group there is no -mountain less than 24,000 feet, and not one of these has been scaled by -man. On a clear evening, when the setting sun throws its roseate rays -over the snows, no view can be more sublime and beautiful. Away on the -west they dip down into Nepaul, and on the extreme right the deep -indentation marks the pass by which the British troops entered Tibet. - -[Illustration: THE HIMALAYAS FROM DARJEELING. - -IN THE CENTRE, KINCHIN JUNGA, 28,180 FEET.] - -We do not travel to India to see scenery, but Oriental life: the -splendours of Agra and Delhi, the pilgrim city of Benares, and the -silent, deserted cities of Fatehpur Sikri and Amber, all rich in -historical records of the great Mogul kings, who for so many centuries -held sway in India. It is only by seeing these places that one can form -some idea of the magnificence and splendour which surrounded these -monarchs, which has never been surpassed. - -[Illustration: AGRA--THE TAJ MAHAL. - -THE MARBLE TOMB, ERECTED BY THE EMPEROR SHAH JEHAN, IN MEMORY OF HIS -WIFE, A.D. 1648.] - -While we were in India we saw the beginnings of that unrest which has -caused so much anxiety and has led to those outrages which the best -Indians must deplore. We have in promoting education in India forgotten -that there is but a limited opening for mere students, and in the -absence of fitting occupation they become agitators. We ought to train -the young men for some definite calling as agriculturists, engineers, or -mechanics. - -We also thought that the Europeans in India hold themselves too much -aloof from the educated Indians. Caste prevents any great intimacy, but -more might be done to bridge this over. - -With small and reasonable concessions to native ambition, but, above -all, with that firmness of administration which alone appeals to the -Oriental mind, the present feeling of unrest will pass away, and India -will continue to pursue that remarkable development and progress which -have done so much for the happiness and well-being of her people. - - -LORD CLIVE. - -In the summer of 1906, when motoring through Shropshire, I turned aside -to visit the little village church of Morton Saye, of which my -great-grandfather, Samuel Peploe, was vicar in 1770. I had not visited -the church for nearly fifty years. Then it was a very quaint, -old-fashioned place, with black oak pews and a black oak minstrel -gallery at one end close to the pulpit. This was the singing gallery, -the choir of three voices being led by a violin and cornet. - -I found all had been changed. The church had been restored; the old -features had disappeared; but fortunately the restoration had been -carried out in good taste. I spoke to the vicar, who had followed us in, -and who was evidently proud of his little church; he showed me the brass -plate he had taken off the coffin of my grandfather, and had placed as a -memorial on the walls of the church. I knew the great Lord Clive had -been buried in the church, and asked to see his grave. The vicar pointed -to a flag-stone under some pews. There was no inscription upon it, and -he said that the only record they had that the great soldier was buried -in the church was the small brass plate above the vestry door, and he -added:--"Strange to say, there is no memorial to the man who made India, -either in England or India, except in Shrewsbury, his native town. I -suppose," he added, "it was because he committed suicide." On his return -home from India Lord Clive was furiously attacked by political enemies, -and the man who had shown on so many occasions such conspicuous courage -on the field of battle quailed and fell, struck down by the venom of his -calumniators. - -When I was in India during the year following I enquired everywhere for -a memorial to Lord Clive, but, although India bristles with statues to -its governor-generals and eminent soldiers, there is in India to-day no -record of Lord Clive. I was so much impressed with this that I wrote the -following letter to _The Times_:-- - - - Grand Hotel, Calcutta, Feb. 8th, 1907. - - LORD CLIVE. - - To the Editor of _The Times_. - - Sir,--India has many monuments erected in honour of successful and - popular viceroys and others who have served her well, but I have - been unable to discover any monument to Lord Clive, to whom more - than any human being we owe our great empire of India. Westminster - Abbey contains no record of the great soldier-statesman. - - In the by-ways of Shropshire, in the quaint little church of - Morton-Saye, the village swain sits Sunday after Sunday over the - grave of Lord Clive. No inscription marks it, not even his name; a - small brass plate hid away over the vestry door and scarcely - legible is the only record that the remains of Robert Clive rest - within its walls. - - Truly Lord Clive made India, but in the making of it he aroused - jealousies and political enmities which, acting upon a too - sensitive nature, brought him to a premature death. But should he - be forgotten? - - The good work which Lord Curzon did for India in every direction - is, I am glad to find, gratefully recognised and appreciated by her - people. Among the many excellent things he accomplished was the - preservation of her ancient monuments and historical records; and, - if he had remained in office, I am sure the memory of his - illustrious predecessor would not have been forgotten. - - The Maidan, in Calcutta, would be enriched if it embraced a - monument to Lord Clive. Westminster Abbey would more truly reflect - all that is great and worthy in England's history if it contained - some appropriate record of Robert Clive and what he did to build up - her empire. - - Yours truly, - - (Signed) WILLIAM B. FORWOOD, - Chairman of Quarter Sessions for Lancashire. - - -_The Times_ wrote a leading article; Lord Curzon followed with a -brilliant letter, and other letters appeared, with a result that a -committee was formed, the sum of between £5,000 and £6,000 was -subscribed, and we shall shortly have memorials of the great -soldier-statesman both in London and in India. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -RECREATIONS. - - -It is a good thing to have a "hobby." Perhaps in these days we have too -many, and pursue them with too much intensity, to the neglect of more -important matters. To this I must, to some extent, plead guilty. I have -devoted much time and thought to boating and to gardening. - -My boating days commenced in the 'sixties, when I frequently sailed with -my uncle, Alfred Bower, who owned some of the crack yachts belonging to -the Birkenhead Model Yacht Club--the "Presto," "Challenge," "Enigma," -etc. They were large beamy boats, of about eight to ten tons, with -centre boards. Our racing was mostly in the upper reaches of the Mersey, -lying between Eastham and the Aigburth shore. - -In 1866 I made my first venture, buying the American centre-board yacht -"Truant," which had greatly distinguished herself for speed, and taking -her up to Windermere. She was not, however, of much use on that -expansive but treacherous sheet of water. The heavy squalls were too -much for her huge sail plan. I also owned and sailed on the Mersey the -"Glance," eight tons; "Satanella," fifteen tons; "Saraband," fourteen -tons; and "Leander," twenty tons. - -I then for a time gave up yachting on the Mersey, and in 1868 bought a -racing boat on Lake Windermere, the "Spray." She was most successful, -winning in 1870 every race we sailed. - -In 1871 I was induced to build a twenty-ton racing cutter for the sea, -and called her the "Playmate." She was built by Ratsey, at Cowes, and -was the first boat to carry all her lead ballast on her keel, and in -consequence her advent was watched with considerable interest. I sailed -her for two years in the various regattas round the coast, on the Solent -and on the Clyde, but she was only fairly successful. The competition in -the class was very keen, and the boats built by Dan Hatcher carried away -most of the prizes. - -This was the time when yachting, I think, reached its highest point of -interest, and the matches of the forty, twenty, and ten ton classes were -watched with great keenness throughout the country. In the forty-ton -class we had the "Norman," "Muriel," "Bloodhound," "Glance," etc.; and -in the twenty-ton class the "Vanessa," "Quickstep," "Sunshine," etc. We -had also some very fine sixty-tonners, and an excellent class in -schooners. Our regattas were conducted with much keenness, and created -great enthusiasm. Locally we had many active yachting men, Mr. David -MacIver, M.P., who sailed the "Sunshine," the "Shadow," and the -"Gleam"; Mr. Gibson Sinclair, Mr. Astley Gardner, Mr. Coddington, Mr. -Andrew Anderson, Mr. St. Clair Byrne, and others. - -It is always wise, and I am sure in the long run pays best, to do -everything thoroughly, even although it is only for sport or pastime; -and when the Board of Trade allowed yacht owners to present themselves -for examination and obtain their certificates as master mariners, I -entered my name, and was the fourth yacht owner to qualify, Lord Brassey -being the first. My sea experience was, of course, of great service to -me. I afterwards found my Board of Trade certificate as a master mariner -gave me increased pleasure in yachting, and my crew great confidence in -my skill as a navigator. - -Selling the "Playmate," I returned to Windermere; indeed I had never -left it, but sailed the regattas each year, and in the year 1908 I -completed my forty consecutive years' racing upon the lake, winning, for -the second year in succession, the Champion Cup. The competition for -this cup is limited to yachts which have won first or second prizes. My -yacht, the "Kelpie," was designed by Mr. A. Mylne, of Glasgow. She is -quite one of the smartest boats on the lake, particularly in light -weather. - -During my forty years' sailing upon the lake I have witnessed great -changes in the designs of the competing yachts. The boats starting with -a length of 20 feet on the water line, were gradually enlarged by being -designed to immerse the whole of the counter, making the water line -length 26 feet 6 inches. We carried about 750 feet area of sails, -including in this a huge foresail. The boats were large and powerful, -but difficult to manage, and it is a wonder no accident took place. We -afterwards introduced a load line length of 22 feet with overhangs, with -the result that we have established a very smart and useful class of -boat. - -I built many yachts on the lake--the "Althea," "Truant," "Charm," -"Brenda," "Playmate," "Breeze," "Pastime," and "Kelpie"--and several -boats for the smaller class. I also built in 1881 the steel launch -"Banshee." She was designed by Alexander Richardson, and is to-day the -prettiest launch on the lake. I have raced on Windermere with varying -success, but it has been the source of enormous enjoyment, and the days -spent on Windermere are among my happiest. When we first visited Bowness -we were content to reside in lodgings, but in 1879 we rented -"Fellborough," a charming little house on the lake shore below the -ferry. After remaining here three or four years, we occupied for longer -or shorter periods Wynlass Beck, Loughrigg Brow, Ambleside, High Wray -Bank; and in 1889 I took on a long lease "Wykefield," at the head of -Pull Wyke Bay, a charming house with lovely gardens, and furnished also -with a boathouse and pier. Here we remained until 1902, and since that -time we have occasionally occupied Wray Cottage, a pretty dwelling -nestling under the shadow of Wray Castle. - -[Illustration: YACHTING ON WINDERMERE, 1909.] - -It would indeed be very difficult to describe the enjoyment Windermere -has afforded us during all these years. Our long walks, mountain climbs, -picnics on the lakes, fishing, and last, but not least, our regattas, -filled our days with pleasure, and we look back upon our holidays with -sunny memories of great happiness. - -In 1904 I wrote a history of the Royal Windermere Yacht Club. The Rev. -Canon Rawnsley added an interesting chapter descriptive of the lake, and -the book was illustrated by some excellent photographs. - -As a thankoffering to God for permitting us to enjoy such great -happiness, in 1908 we placed a stained-glass window in the Parish Church -at Bowness representing the _Te Deum_. - -In 1880 we built at Lymington a fifty-ton yawl, which was named the -"Leander." In this we cruised for three summers off the west coast of -Scotland and south coast of England; but I found I could not spare the -necessary time, and was obliged to give up sea yachting for good in -1885. - -I was elected rear-commodore of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club in 1879, and -was for a time also commodore of the Cheshire Yacht Club. - - -YACHT RACING ASSOCIATION. - -In my early days of sea racing, being much impressed by the want of a -central authority to regulate all matters connected with yacht racing, I -brought the question under the notice of Mr. Dixon Kemp, the yachting -editor of the _Field_. He consulted Colonel Leach, a very leading and -influential yachtsman, with the result that we formed the Yacht Racing -Association. We secured the Prince of Wales as our president, and the -Marquis of Exeter as our chairman, and very speedily recruited a large -number of members. - -I was elected a member of the Council and subsequently chairman of the -Measurement Committee, which had very important work to do in connection -with the rating of yachts for racing purposes. The old Thames rule was -played out; yachts had become of such excessive length and depth that a -new rule of measurement became necessary. We took a large amount of -expert evidence, and finally drafted a rule which was adopted and -remained in force until the present international rule superseded it. - - -ROYAL CANOE CLUB. - -This club was founded in the 'sixties by "Rob Roy" Macgregor, who had -built a small decked canoe, in which he had navigated the principal -rivers in Europe and the Holy Land. Macgregor was not only an -enthusiastic boating man, but he was a good Christian worker and -philanthropist, well known in the East End of London. "Rob Roy" appealed -to me and others to form a Northern branch of the Canoe Club on the -Mersey. We did so in 1868, establishing our headquarters at Tranmere. -The club was very flourishing, and the upper reaches of the Mersey -formed a very attractive cruising ground; but the increase in the number -of steamers destroyed canoeing on the Mersey as it has destroyed -yachting. Living, as we did, at Seaforth, I was able to run my canoe -down to the shore and enjoy many pleasant sails in the Crosby Channel. -Finding an ordinary "Rob Roy" was too small and very wet in a seaway I -designed and built a sailing canoe with a centre board, which was a -great success and was the pioneer of sailing canoes. - - -GARDENING. - -There can be no more delightful pastime than gardening. I may claim this -to be my pet "hobby." Other pastimes are evanescent and leave behind -them no lasting results or afford no more than a passing pleasure; but -in gardening we have seedtime and harvest, all the pleasures of sowing -and planting, watching the gradual growth, training, and nurturing the -young plant, and in due time gathering in the flowers or fruit, and in -these days when so much is done in "hybridising" we have the added charm -of experimenting in raising new varieties. We began to import orchids -in 1866, bringing them from the West Indies and Central America in large -wooden boxes, thinking it necessary to keep them growing, but we lost -more than half on the voyage. They are now roughly packed in baskets or -bales and a very large percentage arrive safely. - -When in India in 1907, at Darjeeling, I hired two men and two donkeys to -go down into the valleys of Bhutan to collect orchids. They returned in -about ten days with four large baskets full, chiefly denrobiums. Among -them there was a good deal of rubbish, but also many good plants, which -I sent home, and which have since flowered and done well. There are no -plants more difficult to kill than orchids; but, on the other hand, -there are no plants more difficult to grow and to flower. Their habits -must be known and studied, and, above all, they must be provided with -the exact temperature and degree of moisture they have been accustomed -to. But the reward of successful cultivation is great and worth striving -for. No flowers can be more lovely in form and in colour, and they have -the great merit of lasting for days and even weeks in all the wealth of -luxuriant beauty. They are the aristocracy of flowers. - -[Illustration: _Photo by Medrington._ William B. Forwood] - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -OBITER DICTA. - - -Life viewed in retrospect down the vista of half a century of activity, -presents many lessons which may be both interesting and -instructive--lessons from one's own experience, lessons derived from -watching the careers of others, of those who have made a brilliant -success, of others who have made a disastrous failure, and of the many -who have lived all their lives on the ragged edge between plenty and -penury. - -It is also instructive to notice the conditions under which the great -problem of life had to be worked out, as they vary to some extent with -each decade. The world does not stand still, it will not mark time for -our convenience; we have to go with the times, and the enigma of life is -how to turn them to the best account. - -The outstanding features of the present day are the keenness of -competition in every walk of life, and the rapidity with which events -occur, creating a hurry which is prejudicial to the careful ordering of -one's own life. - -Competition has always been very keen, and the cry has ever been for -the return of those good old days when competition was less. If they -ever existed, it was before my time. - -Everything, however, is comparative. With larger numbers of people there -must be more competition, but there are also more opportunities, more -employment, more people to feed, and more to clothe. - -But with the advance of education, particularly of technical knowledge, -the competition has become more intense in the higher branches of -industrial and intellectual activity; still, there is room, and ample -room, on the top. The lower rungs of the ladder are well occupied, but -the numbers thin off as we approach the top, and this must be more and -more the case as education advances. - -The hurry of the present day is prejudicial to that thoroughness which -is necessary if we are to attain efficiency. The hurry of everyday life -becomes more and more conspicuous. Living at high pressure, in this -super-heated atmosphere we are apt to lose our sense of proportion, and -crowd our minds with thoughts, schemes and projects regardless of our -power of assimilation and arrangement. Our minds are apt to become mere -lumber rooms, into which everything is tossed. Many things are -forgotten, and cannot be found when wanted. How much better it would be -for ourselves and for the world at large if we could live with more -deliberation, if we could specialise more, be more intense within a more -limited range of thought and activity, less casual, more thorough in the -commonplaces of life. Life would not lose in interest or -picturesqueness, and it would gain in symmetry and value. It may be said -that while it might add to the effectiveness of life, it would deprive -it of much of its colour and romance; this would not, however, -necessarily follow. On the contrary, greater effectiveness would open -out new avenues for thought and action, new spheres of usefulness, more -refined and elevating in their character, and more satisfying in their -results. - -These appear to be surroundings in which we have to work out the -problems of our lives, and this leads us to the consideration of how we -are to achieve success under these conditions of competition and hurry. - - -SUCCESS IN LIFE. - -There are various kinds of success in life: business success, social -success, and success in public affairs. Perhaps to the ordinary -individual business success is the most important; it is a source of -happiness, promotes social success, and opens up avenues of public -usefulness. - -If we look back and endeavour to trace the careers of those with whom we -have been associated when young, I think we shall observe that those -who have been most successful in their business careers have, with few -exceptions, not been the brilliant and clever boys, but rather those of -duller intellect, who have had the gift of steady application. This -faculty is not born in us; we are by nature casual, and apt to follow -the lines of thought and endeavour which require the least labour, and -offer the most varied interest. We hate the grind of sustained effort, -it bores us, and we long for something new. This dislike of prolonged -application, and desire for change, has made more shipwrecks of business -careers than perhaps any other cause. In its craving for change and -excitement, it leads to speculation as a possible road to wealth without -effort. - -The power of steady application must be inculcated in the school, by -insisting that every subject taught shall be mastered by the boy, and -not left until he has made it his own, and is able to clasp his hands on -the far side of it. A few subjects taught and mastered in this way are -of more value than a whole curriculum of studies learnt in a superficial -and casual manner. We are apt to forget that the primary object of all -education must be to train the mental faculties and to educate the -judgment. We are too prone to cram the boy with knowledge which he has -not the power to assimilate and make his own. We set out too often with -the presumption that as a boy is born with legs and arms which are ready -for use, so he must be born with a brain ready cultivated. The arms and -legs do their work very much better if they are trained and strengthened -by gymnastic exercises. In like manner the brain requires training--for -this reason I have always regretted the gradual elimination of Greek and -Latin from our national system of education. I know of nothing to take -their place as a gymnastic for the mind. - -We too often send boys into the world to handle the most mighty weapons -for weal or for woe, "capital and credit," without any proper mental -equipment. - -The lack of hard mental training is more far-reaching and disastrous -than is generally supposed. The want of accuracy leads to many mistakes. -Mistakes lead to excuses, and excuses mark the high road to lies. The -absence of accuracy is the fruitful parent of carelessness in thought, -in habit, and in the discharge of the duties of everyday life. I fear -this is a national weakness, for I have found that the German clerk -excels in accuracy; he may be wanting in initiative, but he is accurate -and reliable in his work. Englishmen have, however, remarkable gifts for -a business career, if they are properly trained and educated. A good -English man of business is the best in the world, he has great -initiative, the power of getting through work, the talent to observe and -to form a rapid judgment, but he is not born with these accomplishments, -they are largely the result of education and training. - -There is a great reluctance in this country to introduce any system of -compulsory military service. Without dwelling upon its advantages to the -nation, as likely to increase the physique of our men, military -discipline would have a very beneficial moral effect. Probably one of -the most valuable traits of character is that of "obedience," and this -would be cultivated and enforced by military drill, and I think it would -also add to our self-respect. As things are moving we are in danger of -becoming a nation of "slackers," both physically and mentally. - -I have already spoken of the necessity for steady perseverance and -accuracy if we are to make a success in life, but there are two other -qualities which are also essential to success, the capacity to observe, -and the gift of imagination. - - -OBSERVATION. - -The number of men who go through life with their eyes closed is -astonishing. These men regret their want of luck, they say they have had -no chances; alas! they have had their chances but either failed to see -them, or lacked the courage or capacity to take advantage of them. - -The world is so constituted that changes are ever taking place, and -every change is fruitful of opportunities. We hear it said of some that -everything they touch turns into gold. It is only another way of saying -that they are ever on the look-out for opportunities, and are not -laggards in turning them to good account. - - -IMAGINATION. - -The want of imagination prevents many men from making use of their -opportunities. Upon a dull day, when the clouds hang in the valleys, and -obscure from view the tops of the mountains, imagination fills up the -picture, and probably paints the crests of the mountains much higher -than they really are. Too many men travel only in the valleys of life, -content with what they see; and imagine nothing above or beyond. -Suppose, for instance, a serious disaster overtakes the harvest. The man -endowed with imagination will look beyond the disaster and note its -far-reaching effects, and in them recognise his opportunities for -action. - -General Sir Richard Baden-Powell is doing an excellent work with his -"boy scouts," not only in teaching discipline, but in encouraging the -habits of observation and imagination, which will be of the greatest -value to them in after-life. - -I have touched upon three points necessary to success in life, -"thoroughness and accuracy," the faculty of "observation," and the gift -of "imagination," because they are but seldom prominently referred to. -It is not needful to enlarge upon the value of character nor upon the -necessity for "integrity." Of nothing am I more certain, than that -"Honesty is the best policy." I can think of no career which has been -permanently successful, in which this "golden rule" has not been -observed. Speculation is the gambler's road to fortune. It has many ups -and downs, and generally leads to disaster and the "slough of despond." -But there is a wide gulf separating speculation from the enterprise of -the genius that foresees and devises new methods of trade, or -anticipates, as the result of careful observation and calculation, -changes in the market value of securities and commodities. - -Enterprise degenerates into speculation when the dictates of caution and -prudence are set aside. To use the words of an old and much respected -Liverpool merchant, who recently passed away, "Commercial success -requires the concurrence of two contrary tendencies, caution and -enterprise. Caution is necessary in avoiding risks, in foreseeing -consequences, and in providing against contingencies, even remote ones. -But this will not carry a man far, he must also have the brain to -originate, and the courage to strike when a favourable opportunity -occurs. What we call a sound judgment is the due balance and just -proportion of a well-stored mind. In no department of life is there more -need for this balance and proportion than in the higher walks of -commerce. The head of a great firm needs be a statesman, an economist, -and a financier, as well as a merchant." - -I had proposed to conclude this sketch by a short account of the men of -my time still living, who have been active in the making of Liverpool, -but so many have lent a helping hand, the work having been that of the -many rather than of the few, that it would be impossible to avoid being -invidious. Events move so rapidly, the men and circumstances of to-day -are crowded out and their memory obliterated in the new interests of -tomorrow, that no man's work or influence can be said to have exercised -more than an evanescent power; yet Liverpool has been built up--its -commerce, its municipality, and its charitable and philanthropic -work--by leaders of men who have found their work lying at their hand -and have done it, and have done it well. - -My story must now end. It has necessarily been told in a somewhat -desultory manner, leaving out many details and many incidents which -might have added to its completeness. But if it interests any of my kin -or my friends, and still more, if it inspires them to make some effort -on behalf of our great and glorious city--to elevate its social and -intellectual life, to adorn and beautify its public streets and places, -to brighten the lives and homes of the people, to carry forward and -onward the great temple we are building to the glory of God--it will not -have failed in its purpose. - - -LIVERPOOL: -LEE AND NIGHTINGALE, PRINTERS, 15, NORTH JOHN STREET. - -1910. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Recollections of a Busy Life, by William B. 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