56 John Redmond's Letter [ I 9°3 



and they like him, and are in a sort of way proud of him, as a remark- 

 able personality who fixes the attention of the world. 



" iyth May. — A letter from Redmond about the maximum reduc- 

 tions, asking that the Government should declare its intention about it. 

 He writes : 



"15 May 1903. 



" ' My dear Blunt. — I duly received your letter. I am handing it 

 and the proposed question to my brother, and asking him to look after 

 the matter. I cannot do so myself as I am going to Ireland on Sunday 

 for a few days. 



" ' About the Land Bill. The crux still is the question of the maxi- 

 mum reduction, and I have very great misapprehensions on this matter. 

 If the Government persists in keeping in the maximum reductions 

 there will undoubtedly be a very bitter conflict on the very first clause 

 of the Bill in Committee with possible recriminations between the repre- 

 sentatives of the landlords and the tenants. 



" ' This would undoubtedly spread to Ireland, and the present unan- 

 imity of opinion, which in my view alone makes it possible to carry the 

 Bill, may entirely disappear. The retention of this maximum reduc- 

 tion is really a small matter, and the Government ought in my opinion 

 seriously to consider the responsibility of again raising a conflict 

 between classes in Ireland threatening the whole future as well as the 

 passage of this Bill. The Ulster members are all of our way of think- 

 ing, and I cannot conceive any valid reason why the Government should 

 stand by this maximum. I take the very gravest possible view of the 

 situation, and I do hope that before it is too late the Government will 

 make a concession on this matter which will enable the Bill to be passed 

 without conflict, and which will preserve the good feeling which at 

 present exists in Ireland. 



" ' I hope you will be able to press these views with vigour. 



" ' Very truly yours, 



" ' J. Redmond/ 



"20th May. — I have been at Newbuildings since Saturday enjoying 

 the new oak leaves, and the bluebells. This morning I came up to 

 London and went at once to see George, to whom I showed Redmond's 

 letter. In return he read me one he had received from Dunraven in 

 precisely the opposite sense, declaring the resolve of the Conference 

 of Landlords to fight any attempt to withdraw the maximum clause, 

 and to get it reinserted by the Lords if the Commons amended it. He 

 told me the situation. On Saturday Chamberlain went to Birmingham, 

 and made a speech about the corn duty, contradicting all that Arthur 

 Balfour had just said. I feared that this meant a revolt on Chamber- 

 lain's part, and a bid for leadership.' But George assured me it was 



