1903] cmd an Important Letter 49 



through me. To this George readily assented, and it is agreed between 

 us that after the Easter recess he shall meet Redmond at my house 

 and discuss all things amicably there. He had already met Redmond 

 once at Dunraven's, but it will be much more confidential here in Chapel 

 Street. George has to speak tomorrow at Manchester, and will at 

 my suggestion say something in the direction of still further relieving 

 the evicted tenants. I hope it may all turn out well. 



" 4th April. — A letter has come from Redmond of so important a 

 kind that I dare not send it on to George, but shall wait till I see him 

 on Monday. In it Redmond gives a list of the amendments which 

 will probably be adopted at the Dublin Convention, and he expresses a 

 special hope in regard to the King's visit just announced for Ireland, 

 that the King will not receive any addresses while there. Redmond 

 says that, while the Irish are quite prepared to receive the King in a 

 friendly way, they cannot officially show loyalty. 



" 6th April. — Arriving in London I went to Park Lane, where I 

 found George waiting for me. I showed him Redmond's letter, and we 

 went through the various points of it together, and he then went into 

 his inner room to write an answer, leaving me to talk to Sibell mean- 

 while. At the end of about three-quarters of an hour he came back 

 with the paper he had written, which, considering the difficulty and 

 importance of the questions dealt with, I hold to be a considerable feat. 

 In it he treats each of Redmond's suggested amendments, agreeing to 

 modifications of his bill as to most of them, but putting his foot down 

 on all demand of increasing the bonus of twelve millions. In regard 

 to that he says : 



" ' I fear that any attempt, and above all any attempt now, to increase 

 the £12,000,000 would give a dangerous advantage to those in England 

 who are hostile to the whole plan. / think this is a great danger.' 



" This memorandum I am to copy out and send in my own hand- 

 writing to Redmond, and in such a way as not to compromise George 

 more than is necessary on account of the great risk. ' Chamberlain,' 

 he said, 'is sure to cross-question me as to my having had any direct 

 communications with the Irish Party, or come to terms with them. It 

 must be kept absolutely secret.' I told him how dangerous a man I 

 knew Chamberlain to be, and how he had ruined all his rivals and 

 opponents at Birmingham in times past. It is certain that the great 

 danger for the bill lies in him. Yet Michael Davitt is publishing in 

 Dublin the tale that Chamberlain is the author of the whole Land 

 policy, and that he means to go on and give some sort of Home Rule 

 in the autumn. This, no doubt, was once Chamberlain's policy in 1885, 

 and he will find it difficult to oppose it openly now, but his jealousy of 

 George's success may make him oppose it secretly, and he will be without 

 scruple. The truth of the matter is that the Land Bill is supported 



