TENNIEL, 'HARD LINES!', PENCIL, 1877

210 by 152mm., pencil, signed with monogram and dated 1877, mounted, framed and glazed

Punch, 28 July 1877, page 31

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In 1877, the Comptroller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office (HMSO), William Greg, died. Consistent with the wishes of the House of Commons, Greg was replaced not by another aristocrat, but by an experienced clerk with a facility for physical labour named Thomas Digby Pigott. However, his appointment was called into question because it was suggested that he had been maneuvered into the job because his father was a friend of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli. The appointment passed the Commons, but on 19 July 1877, Disraeli was forced to defend the decision in the House of Lords. Disraeli argued that Pigott’s father had merely been a vicar in his parish some thirty years earlier, and he had had no personal relationship with either Pigott or his father. Disraeli successfully convinced the House of Lords to approve the appointment, and Pigott proved an able administrator, retiring with a Knighthood in 1905.