LIBERAL

12mo: 4 pp. On lightly creased paper, with spotting and some staining to the verso of the second leaf of the bifolium. Apologises at length for not being able to attend 'the next General Public Meeting [...] of the Committee for Sir E. W. Watkin's [Sir Edward William Watkin (1819-1901), railway entrepreneur] Election'. 'It is unnecessary for me to inform the Committee how anxious I am for the success of the Liberal cause on this as on all other occasions [...]'. He is at present 'quite unequal to any violent exertion or excitement & certainly could not make a speech to a large meeting.

The letter, four newspaper cuttings and portrait are laid down on two quarto leaves, one of which also carries the manuscript biography. These leaves are discoloured and frayed at extremities, with several closed tears, and the cuttings are similarly damaged, but nowhere is there any loss to text. The portrait is very good, on slightly discoloured paper. The letter (12mo: 2 pp) is good, although discoloured and with small dog-ear to top right hand corner.

4to: 1 p. Good. Folded three times. A neatly-written letter of introduction for 'Major William Henry Grote [1795-1844], of the 33d. Regiment, now at Malta, Brother of Mr. Grote MP. for London, who is about to visit Egypt': 'I beg leave to introduce him to your acquaintance, and to recommend him to your Protection and good Offices.'

Two pages, 12mo. On aged and somewhat grubby paper, with a few closed tears to extremities. Text clear and entire. The recipients 'account for clubs' supplied to Samuel in June 1896 'has not been presented between that date and now'. Samuel thinks he paid the amount at the time'. '[O]n my return to town I will look through my receipts and communicate with you further.'

Arranging the three in what appears to be chronological order, the first (good, roughly four inches by two and three-quarters wide) has 'Josiah C. Wedgwood' in copperplate beneath a straightforward Victorian armorial design, with shield, coronet and motto 'OBSTANTIA DISCINDO'. The second (three and a half inches by three wide) dates from after Wedgwood's election as a Member of Parliament in 1906, having 'EX-LIBRIS JOSIAH C. WEDGWOOD, M.P.' on a scroll beneath a more modern armorial design, with helmet and leaves. It has slight damage to the bottom right-hand corner.

British Liberal politician (1879-1924), Secretary of State for India, 1917-22. Jewish opponent of the Balfour Declaration. Untidy collection, discoloured with age and crudely mounted on leaves taken from autograph album, with cuttings pasted over parts of letters, etc. All three of Montagu's letters signed 'Ed S Montagu'. LETTER ONE (9 February 1915, 24 Queen Anne's Gate, S.W., one page, octavo): Is grateful for a letter and cutting.

Three pages, small octavo. With embossed crest. Aged, and with some wear to extremities, but text clear and complete. In English. He sends two walking sticks. 'Might I ask you to send one to the honored Mr. Gladstone and beg him to accept it from me as one of his Hamburg admirers, who knows how fond he is of working with the saw.' The other stick is for Currie, 'as a small remembrance of the pleasant time I spent with you at Hamburg and Kiel.' 'Inside the sticks you will find a saw, which can be taken out and fastened on to the hook.

Dimensions of paper roughly four and a half inches by one and a quarter. Good, on ruckled and slightly discoloured paper, with traces of glue adhering to reverse. Reads 'Very sincerely yours | W E Gladstone'.

A clean copy, on good thick paper, of an engraving, three versions of which are in the National Portrait Gallery (NPG D8332, NPG D8333, NPG D8334), where they are dated 1889, and described as being etched 'after a photograph originally published in the Pall Mall Gazette 'Grand Old Man' extra'. Dimensions of paper roughly nine inches by six, dimensions of image roughly five inches by four. Burton's signature is faintly etched at the foot of plate, and the print is docketed in pencil 'W E G' at the foot of the paper, with 'Burton 1/-' on reverse.

English aristocrat and liberal politician (1802-64). One page, 12mo. Good, but lightly creased, with traces of previous blue-paper mount adhering to verso of blank second leaf of bifoliate. Read 'Sir, | I shall have much pleasure in presenting the Petition for the Abolition of Slavery from Gomersal which has been kindly placed in my hands. | I have the honor to be, | Sir, | Your very obedt Servt | [signed] Morpeth.' The Abolition of Slavery Act was passed in 1833.

Dilke, the 2nd Baronet (1843-1911), was a disgraced politician and author. All items 12mo and very good. All three docketed, bearing the Society's stamp, and signed 'C. Wentworth Dilke'. The first item is addressed to Menzies personally and the other two to 'The Secty.' ITEM ONE: one page. He has received the letter of 9 February and is 'pleased to send you a subscription though not much in town'. ITEM TWO: two pages. Would like to know 'whether ladies are admitted as guests and how often'.

Second baronet (1838-1928), English Liberal statesman and historian. Two pages, 8vo. Very good, with three small mounts adhering to verso of blank second leaf of bifoliate. Reads 'I am much obliged for your letter, and the kind invitation of the Palmerston Club to their annual dinner on Saturday 15th June at the Clarendon Hotel, but I regret very much that I am already engaged for that day'. Signed 'G O Trevelyan'.

Second baronet (1838-1928), English Liberal statesman and historian. Two pages, 12mo. In good condition on foxed grey paper, and with traces of previous mounting adhering to verso of blank second leaf of bifoliate. 'I am sorry to say that, as I have written to Mr James Watson, I cannot get to Newcastle or the Tyneside till the 1st. October, when I am to preside at the Welsh Disestablishment meeting.' Signed 'G O Trevelyan'.

Liberal statesman (1831-1907) and Chancellor of Oxford University. One page, 12mo. In good condition with slight spotting and remains of brown-paper mount adhering to blank second leaf of bifoliate. Reads 'I am starting for the continent in a day or two, so that I am unable to accept your engagement for the 7th December. It is quite uncertain how long I may be away.' Signed 'George J Goschen'.

Liberal statesman (1831-1928). One page, 12mo. Grubby and discoloured, and with some staining to blank reverse from previous mounting. Reads 'Dear Sir | I have been reading the evidence given before the Committee of the House of Commons on the Undersized Fish Bill: It may perhaps interest you to read an article which I have written as the result in the Fortnightly Review for this month (June).' Signed 'G Shaw Lefevre'.

Liberal statesman (1792-1861). One page, 12mo. In good condition despite slight discoloration and traces from previous mounting on reverse. Folded twice. Marked 'Private'. Reads 'I accept with much pleasure and many thanks your obliging Present of the Photograph of the Great Ship. I shall not cease to take the most lively Interest in the success of this stupendous Enterprize. [sic]' Signed 'J R G Graham'. Brunel designed the Great Eastern steamship between 1852 and 1858.

Easily one of the most significant pieces of legislation in the whole history of Parliament. After the Lords rejected Lloyd George's budget in 1909, the Liberal Government, re-elected in 1910, laid resolutions in the House of Commons on the restriction of the powers of the Lords which later became this bill. 3 pages, 4to. Three leaves on light blue paper. A little grubby and with a few minor stains and some slight fraying, but in good condition overall. Recto of first leaf headed 'Parliament Bill. | ARRANGEMENT OF CLAUSES.' Bill itself paginated 1-3.

Peel (1829-1912) was a Liberal politician and Speaker of the House of Commons. Primrose (1846-1923) was a Privy Councillor, Secretary to Gladstone and Speaker of the House of Commons. Both items are 3 pages, on 16mo bifoliates. Both are creased and discoloured. Between 1873 and 1874 Peel was Patronage Secretary to the Treasury. The exchange apparently concerns an election or by-election in Exeter.

British Liberal politician (1864-1932; DNB). 1 page, 4to. In good condition though dusty. 'My dear Landa, | Thank you very much for your kind note, which I greatly appreciate. [manuscript interpolation: '^ It was a difficult Parliamentary job.'] I also appreciate the [kind] note about the speech in your papers.' The reference may be to what the DNB calls Maclean's success in soothing the teachers, 'at that time furious at the cuts in their salaries'. He died of a heart attack brought on by overwork a few months later.

English Liberal politician (1870-1963). Both letters are 1 page, 8vo. Both are dusty but otherwise in good condition. In the first letter he says he has 'only now had time to read the proofs of your book on Palestine, and have read them with interest and pleasure.' He says he will be 'glad to write an introduction, as you were kind enough to ask me to do; no doubt you will not desire it to be more than a quite brief one.

British politician (1893-1957), who gave his name to the 'Belisha Beacon'. All four items signed 'Leslie Hore-Belisha'. In the letter (1 page, 4to, in good condition) he thanks Landa for his note and says he 'should be most happy to do anything I could for you in the matter of the Tribunals. These, however, will come under the Ministry of Labour and not under the War Office. I think, therefore, it would be well if you get into touch with Ernest Brown.' All three notes 1 page, 16mo, and all three in good condition.

Liberal politician (1873-1954). Both letters written while the Right Hon. Sir John Simon. Both letters dusty but in good condition. Letter to Hobman, 1 page, 4to. Thanks him 'for commissioning Mr Landa to come round with me on my Western Tour. He was a most excellent companion and we both enjoyed it. Since then I have been to Manchester and Colne Valley and Holderness, [& Bradford,] and everywhere I find Liberals in high [^ Spirits,] and thirsting for the fight.' Letter to Landa, 1 page, 16mo. He is writing for Lady Simon.

Liberal politician and author (1829-1906). One page, 12mo. "Your bracelet is all safe and I have <?> it up." Negligible smudging to one word. With a biographical cutting attached at the foot of the note.

(c.1813-1900), wife of the Liberal Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone (1809-98). 2 pp, 12mo. "I am very sorry your note has not been answered. The truth is I am overwhelmed with applications & it is with very great regret that I must refuse your request. / I hope to be in Wells soon & in any case I could not make another engagement." Two spots of glue from previous mounting adhering to the reverse.