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 was, however, no news to Sir Rowland Hill. Early in January, 1837, he had, through Mr. Charles P. Villiers, then and still Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton, privately submitted the plan to the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Spring Rice)—offering, indeed, to let the Government have the whole credit of the reform, if they cared to take it up—a course, however, which they were too timid to adopt.

By the public at large the scheme was welcomed with enthusiasm. Meetings in support of it were called throughout the country, and petitions for its adoption poured in upon Parliament. Mr. Robert Wallace, M.P., gave the question his heartiest support, and moved for and obtained a Parliamentary Committee to inquire into the scheme.

In London a strong Committee, known as "The Mercantile Committee," was formed under the Chairmanship of Mr. Bates, of the firm of Baring Brothers, containing many influential gentlemen, amongst whom the name of Mr. George Moffatt, afterwards M.P. for Southampton, deserves especial mention. Of this Committee Mr. (afterwards Sir) Henry Cole was the energetic Secretary, and he and it gave valuable assistance in pressing the reform on the attention of the public and the Government.

As already stated, one great difficulty was to convince the Parliamentary Committee of the fairness of