Mr. Ayrton professes eagerness for the appearance of his minute
defending himself against Dr. Hooker, the Director of Kew Gardens ; but he has delayed the publication of the papers for a full month beyond the time expected, and even now Mr. Ayrton's defence,—or rather, as we believe it will prove, his new attack upon Dr. Hooker, has not appeared, though it is said that it may be expected to-day. The truth is that Dr. Hooker's friends melt away day by day as August approaches, while the Body-guard of the Government is necessarily retained, and that this conduces, as the First Commissioner of Works well knows, to his own advantage. In the meantime, we may warn him that there are more people even of influence interested in the great institu- tion which Dr. Hooker and his father have virtually created for us, than there are in the retention of Mr. Ayrton's bland official sting and fluent venom in the service of his country. The Coun- cil of the Royal Botanical Society had a meeting last Saturday, and a public assemblage of great horticulturists and botanists was held on the previous Tuesday, expressly to strengthen Dr. Hooker's hands against Mr. Ayrton ; nor do we believe that if Mr. Ayrton has, as we hear rumoured, retaliated by putting a number of auspicious and almost insulting questions to Dr. Hooker in relation to his administration at Kew, he will find that that It superfluity of naughtiness " is likely to strengthen him in the position he has taken up.
