LIBERAL

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. He letter begins: 'The last time I had the pleasure of being at your Works, was with The Duke of Sutherland, & Mr. Maconnell then of the L. & N. W. Rail. I am now anxious to see you on a matter of business, & if you are at home, I propose to go to Bedford on Thursday next, the 7th. Jany.' He gives details of how he proposes to travel, before explaining his object as to 'show you the Plan of a plough. I have tried it in a rough way, & it seems to save much <?>, & to do good work.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly-aged, with traces of grey paper mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Thirty-seven lines of text. The letter is written to the anonymous author of 'Decimal coinage. The plan of the mathematicians rejected by commercial and practical men' (London: Ridgway, 1858), who has sent his work to Monteagle.

A son of the Earl of Minto, Elliot (hereafter GSE) was Russell's brother-in-law and one of his two executors. The events described in the present collection occurred while GSE was living with Russell, who was then Home Secretary, as his private secretary; and the controversy is over the claim that the replacement of Sir James Hudson as Italian ambassador by GSE's brother, the future Sir Henry Elliot (1817-1907), was an 'act of nepotism' on the part of Russell.

ONE: 1p., 4to. Embossed with government seal at head. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'I The Right Honourable William Page Baron Hatherley, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, do hereby sanction the closing of the County Courts of the Circuit No. 34 during four weeks in the month of August next, Richard Harington Esqre., The Judge of the Same Courts, being desirous of holding Courts in the month of September next. | Hatherley C'. In envelope with Hatherley's signature ('Hatherley') at bottom-left of front, addressed in autograph to 'Richard Harington Esq | Heath Lodge | Hanwell'.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition. Addressed to 'Mr. Scharf;, He was unable to call on Scharf before leaving town the previous Friday, but will 'endeavour to be at the meeting of the Commission on the 8th'.

24pp., 12mo. Disbound stitched pamphlet. In fair condition, lightly aged, with central vertical fold. In manuscript at head of title-page: 'No 6'. Having been Chancellor of the Exchequer during the Crimean War, Gladstone had resigned with the other Peelites at the beginning of 1855. Seven copies on COPAC, but now scarce.

On 3 x 9 cm piece of card, cut from the end of a letter. Reads: 'Yours sincerely | H. H. Asquith'. In poor condition, heavily creased and marked.

1p., folio. On aged and creased paper. With Coalition Liberal Organisation stamp at bottom right, and manuscript date 'Decr 1920' at head. The agenda is in four numbered parts, including an 'Address by the Right Honourable J. Austen Chamberlain, M.P. (Chancellor of the Exchequer)', and the proposing by T. W. H. Inskip, M.P., of F. A. Wilshire, 'Prospective Coalition Candidate Thornbury Division', with Sir George Davies in support.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-ruckled paper. The letter begins: 'Dear Herbert, | My address will show you why I cannot have the pleasure of breakfasting with you. My poll is tomorrow [Trevelyan was MP for Glasgow Bridgeton], and the evening of the 7th. I am to speak in Inverness, and then have to come South to take part in our two South Northern Ireland contests'. He will be 'from 3 to 600 miles from London for some time to come', and will 'miss the sort of society of which the breakfast club is the quintessence'. From the papers of Sir Robert Herbert.

1p., 12mo. On aged and lightly-worn paper. It will give him great pleasure to wait upon Salaman and his sister, and he will certainly do so 'unless absolutely prevented' by the House of Commons, which he hopes will not be the case. The word 'Lord' has been added in a contemporary hand before Stuart's signature.

1p., 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged. He is enclosing a contract, and asks to be sent a copy of 'some work on the antiquities of the Exchequer by Mr Hall'.

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, and slightly creased at foot. He apologises for being unable to attend a meeting, 'which I had given up, hearing that Sir C. Trevelyan had, already, promised to undertake the duty'. As president, he must attend 'an important Lecture' at the Victoria Institute, 'the Committee having fixed the day, supposing me to be free'.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letter begins: 'I have just come down here, and find my brother's hounds are hunting on Tuesday. I venture therefore to ask, if I may be allowed to change my plans, and to dine with you on Thursday next, instead of Tuesday.' He concludes by explaining why he hopes the change may not be inconvenient.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He thanks him for his congratulations on 'the honour His Majesty has conferred upon me', adding 'The kind and generous way in which the announcement has been received by our friends has been most gratifying to my Wife and myself.'

On 4 x 13.5 cm. strip of paper, cut from the front panel of an envelope. In fair condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'John Head Esq | Ransome Sims & Head | Ipswich', with the underlined signature 'Samuel Plimsoll' at bottom left.

On 2.5 x 11.5 cm. piece of paper, cut from front panel of envelope. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Lower part of address present, reading 'Gt Grimsby | Grantham'. Circular frank in red ink over this, reading 'FREE | 8 JY 8 | 18<5?>9'. Good firm signature underlined at bottom left: 'W E Gladstone'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and ruckled paper. He invites him to pay him a four-day visit at Brock Park, 'to meet many of your Liberal friends'. Note: Tomline had his observatory at Orwell Park, hence a neighbour of Ransome's (Orwell House).

1p., 16mo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and ruckled paper. His return to London having been delayed, he regrets that he 'lost the tea-party'. He would be 'glad to know what is due on the account'.

The six items, totalling 9pp., are in fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, George H. Emmott's letter having slight wear at head. The recipient was Charles J. Holdsworth of Sunnyside, Wilmslow, Cheshire.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Aged and worn, with glue stains and slight damage to second leaf from mounting. At the time of writing Cox was curate at Wantage. Russell begins the letter by stating that he will be visiting his mother and will not 'return to Watford before Friday night. - On Saturday morning I hope I may have the good fortune of finding you at home to talk over matters in connexion with my marriage on the 5th. of May.' (to Lady Emily Villiers, daughter of George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon). He thanks him for taking his room at the Clarendon Hotel, before concluding.

A total of 41pp., 4to. Complete run of ten issues (a second edition, expanded to 63pp., appeared in the same year). In black cloth binding, with manuscript note on front pastedown: 'George H M Ricketts - | Lent to Mr Blackman with a hope that he will read it & circulate it amongst his friends.' Eight of the ten numbers are of 4pp.; one (no.4) is of 6pp; and another (no.10) of 3pp. Uniform in design and all printed in blue ink.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lighthly-aged paper. Reads: 'Dear Sir | I beg to enclose a cheque for the Sum of £10 . 10 . and shall feel obliged by yr returning to me a Receipt for the same | I remain | Yours truly | Braybrooke'. In another hand at top right: 'Answd'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. Ends abruptly at the end of the fourth page, and without signature. For the period an unusually frank expression of distress, apparently over the death of his wife's elder daughter He thanks her for calling on him with books - 'when you so kindly came to that House though I had intended so very much to see you I felt all my courage fail - & that I s[houl]d. only distress you & do myself harm if I saw you'.

4pp., 8vo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. 'No. 33' in top right-hand corner of first page, which is headed by National War Aims medallion featuring George slaying the dragon. The two central papers carry 'The Prime Minister's Declaration', with headings: 'What we are NOT fighting for', 'What we ARE fighting for' ('In Europe', 'In Asia and Africa', 'General', 'Conclusions'. The back page carries 'Endorsements of the Prime Minister' by Clemenceau, Albert Thomas, President Wilson, Arthur Henderson, J. H. Thomas, Lord Lansdowne and Ramsay Macdonald.

12pp., 8vo. Stapled. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. 'This Statement was delivered to a meeting of the Representatives of Labour called to consider the question of further efforts for the prosecution of the war.

2pp., 12mo. On leaf with mourning border. With 7.5 x 12.5 cm frank cut from front of envelope, reading 'Calne September fifth 1837 | Nassau Senior Esq | Ilfracombe | Devon | Lansdowne'. In good condition, lightly aged. While Senior is known to have been a protégé of the Marquess of Lansdowne, this letter suggests that he acted as his agent. The Marquess asks him to 'secure me a lodging at the hotel at Ilfracombe or if full at any house in the town on Friday, when I expect to be there pretty early'.

On 6 x 11.5 cm strip of paper. In good condition, with light signs of age. Reads: 'Yours truly | Chas Napier'. On the lower part of the page, in another hand: 'Signature of Admiral Sir Chas. Napier'. Presumably cut from a letter in response to a request for an autograph.

9pp., folio. On five leaves of aged and worn paper. Heavily reworked, with numerous deletions and additions. Headed 'The Confessions of A [amended from 'The'] Suspicious Gentleman. | by Lord Nugent'. The present short story was first published in 'The Musical Bijou' for 1830, and was reprinted in 'The Polar Star' (abridged) and 'New York Mirror', before being collected in an anthology by Nugent and his Wife, 'Legends of the Library at Lilies, by the Lord and Lady there' (London: Longman, 1832), pp.51-91.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Illustrated letterhead, printed in gold, red, blue and purple. Writing on behalf of his wife as well as himself, he explains that 'absence from England will prevent them accepting the kind invitation of Ms. Harrison Blair for Easter Sunday'.

On letterhead, cropped down to 7.5 x 9 cm. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads: 'March 10. 91 | B. C. | Alas! I am rusticating! | Aberdare'.