Victorian statesmen enjoyed a civilised existence. Not overly concerned with being seen always at their desks, politicians organised their lives with time to recover their verve and peace of mind away from the Westminster hothouse. Each year the main business of the House of Commons was conducted in the first seven months. In August, MPs would disappear for the summer and autumn, occasionally returning in late November for a few weeks’ business before Christmas. Then the cycle would begin again in earnest in the middle of January. The business of government during the long recess was generally
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