ct of the House of Commons; but
yet one of promise for the country, though of a promise not unmixed with
evils." The feeling of romantic Tories in the country is expressed in
Coventry Patmore's poem "1867," which begins:

In the year of the great crime,
When the false English Nobles and their Jew,
By God demented, slew
The Trust they stood twice pledged to keep from wrong.

[64] Morley's "Life of Gladstone," vol. ii, p. 235.

The last and longest struggle took place over the compound householder. On
May 17th Mr. Hodgkinson proposed and carried an amendment that in a
Parliamentary borough only the occupier should be rated, thus basing, in
effect, the franchise upon household suffrage, and forcing upon Disraeli a
principle which he had begun by announcing he would never accept. To make
the following letters intelligible it is only necessary to add that in 1866
Lord Amberley had been returned to Parliament as Radical member for
Nottingham:

_Lord Russell to Lady Georgiana Russell_ [65]

PEMBROKE LODGE, _January_ 22, 1867

MY DEAREST GEORGY,--I have been very negligent in not writing to
you before, as I meant to do, but laziness after exertion is very
pleasant. My exertion was not small, as, besides speaking at the
beginning of the evening, I sate up for the division, and did not
get home till near four in the morning. The triumph was very great;
Derby and Cairns and the foolish and wicked Tories were beat, and
the wise and honest Tories, like Salisbury and Carnarvon, helped
the Liberals to defeat them.... We shall have a great fight in
Committee; but I still trust in a reasonable majority for not
pushing amendments too far, and then the Bill will be a great
triumph of sense over nonsense.... We had Dickens Saturday and
Sunday--very agreeable and amiable....

Your affectionate father, R.

[65] This letter ought to be dated July 22, 1869, and addressed to
Lady Georgiana Peel. It refers to the debate on the Irish Church Bill.

_Lady Russell to Mr. Rollo Russell_

37 CHESHAM PLACE, BELGRAVE SQUARE, S.W.,

_February 21, 1867_

... Your Papa and I dined yesterday with Lord and Lady Cork. I
heard some funny stories of Mrs. Lowe.... Here's the best. Mr. Lowe
was talking of the marriage service, of the absurdity of making
everybody say, "With all my worldly goods I thee endow"--"For
instance, I had not a penny." _Mr