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Chap. V.] Political Visitors. 61
admitted, in spite of the inconvenience of my being in the middle of great preparations for an entertainment which preparations were abundantly visible from the front door." I then invited him to call upon me and see what he wished to see, and he proved by no means a disagreeable visitor.
Our political visitors for the day or the night, as the case might be, included amongst others Mr. J. G. Talbot,. M.P., Mr. T. Salt, M.P., Sir J. T. Hibbert, M.P., and Lady Hibbert, the Earl and Countess of Meath, Lord and Lady Colchester, Lord and Lady Stalbridge, Sir Algernon and Lady Borthwick (afterwards Lord and Lady Glenesk), Alderman Sir R. W. Carden, Mary, Dowager Lady Lilford, and Mr. G. Drage, M.P., and his wife.
Mr. Talbot was interesting to me for the reason that the first vote I ever recorded at a Parliamentary election was for him and his colleague, Sir C. Mills (afterwards Lord Hillingdon), at the West Kent election in 1868, when both were returned. Mr. Talbot's after career a& a Churchman is too well known to need any remark here. Mr. Salt was M.P. for Stafford and Parliamentary Secretary of the Local Government Board under Lord BeacoDstield ; Sir J. Hibbert had previously occupied the same position in the first Gladstone Government (1868— 1874). He was afterwards Parliamentary Secretary of the Treasury in the second Gladstone Government. When Mr. Gladstone took office for the third time in 1886, Hibbert hoped to have had his third official chance, but the Prime Minister said that his faithful follower must be content with a K.C.B., instead of £1500 a year. Lord Meath has rendered, and still is rendering, valuable service to the country as a social reformer, treading in the steps of the great Lord Shaftesbury. Lady Meath stayed twice with us, coming to speak at drawing-room meetings on behalf of the Ministering Children's League, founded by her. It was from her earlier name, when Lady Brabazon, that that valuable scheme of " Brabazon Working-parties " in workhouses received its name. On several occasions the annual treats with which the Brabazon Working-parties are wound up were held in |
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