d out a very lucrative branch of my business, and
my electioneering expenses were a good investment. My experience at
Barnstaple, to be told hereafter, repaid the outlay, and no feature of
an election ever came before me but I recognized a family likeness.

Amongst the earliest was that of W.H. Smith, who had been returned for
Westminster. The petitioner endeavoured to unseat him on the ground of
bribery, alleged to have been committed in paying large sums of money
for exhibiting placards on behalf of the candidate. It was tried
before Baron Martin.

About the payments there was no element of extravagance, but there
were undoubtedly many cases of payment, and these were alleged to be
illegal.

Ballantine was my junior. One of the curious matters in the case was
that these payments had been principally made by, or under, the advice
of my old friend, whom I cannot mention too often, the Hon. Robert
Grimston.

Ballantine, as I thought, most injudiciously advised me not to call
"that old fool;" but believing in Grimston, and having charge of the
case, I resolved to call him. Baron Martin knew Grimston as well as I
did, and believed in him as much.

"Who is this?" asked the Judge.

"Another bill-sticker, my lord."

Grimston gave his evidence, and was severely cross-examined by my
friend, J. Fitzjames Stephen. He fully and satisfactorily explained
every one of the questioned items, evidently to the satisfaction of
Martin, who dismissed the petition, and thus Mr. Smith retained his
seat.

The learned Judge said, in giving judgment, that without Grimston's
evidence the seat would have been in great danger, but that he had put
an innocent colour on the whole case, and that, knowing him to be an
honourable man and incapable of saying anything but the truth, he had
implicitly trusted to every word he spoke.

Mr. Smith, whom I met some days after, said he was perfectly assured
that if I had not had the conduct of the case, and Grimston had not
been called, his seat would have been lost.

In the petition against Sir George Elliot for Durham there was nothing
of any importance in the case, except that Sir George gave a very
interesting history of his life.

He had been a poor boy who had worked in the cutting of the pit, lying
on his back and picking out from the roof overhead the coal which was
shovelled into the truck. From this humble position literally and
socially he had proceeded, first to his feet, and then step