1903] Chamberlain an Impulsive Fellow 57 



not so. ' Chamberlain,' he said, ' is an impulsive fellow, and, now he 

 has blown his steam off, he has come back pleased with himself 

 and in a better temper. I am not afraid any longer of his wrecking 

 my bill. He will leave it alone. It is quite impossible, however, that 

 we should give up the maximum limit. The landlords won't stand it, 

 and the Lords would put it back if we did.' He then wrote me a 

 memorandum to show Redmond as an answer to his letter. ' He is 

 getting fussy,' he said. Armed with this I went on at once to Red- 

 mond, and caught him at home before he went out to the House. The 

 result is shown in the following letter : 



"37, Chapel Street, May 20, 1903. 



" ' Dear George. — I saw Redmond at twelve, and explained to him 

 the situation, with the help of the notes you gave me. Also I expressed 

 my personal view that the maximum was not worth fighting about. 

 He said that he also personally thought its importance had been exag- 

 gerated. But such was not the view taken in Ireland, where it had 

 Been much worked up in the press, or by most of his colleagues ; public 

 opinion had gone too far for him to be able to control it. It was 

 largely the fault of the Conference landlords, Dunraven and Mayo, 

 who till the other day had agreed with him to a withdrawal of the 

 limit, and then for some unexplained reason had suddenly turned 

 round. The difference between them would now have to be fought out 

 on the floor of the House. It would be so, as far as he personally was 

 concerned, without acrimony, but by others, he feared, with bitterness. 

 He did not seem to think much of the reference to the House of Lords. 

 Within the last fortnight I have talked with others of the Irish members, 

 and I fear there is no doubt of there being a growing section among 

 them indifferent, if not hostile to the Bill. It seems to be the general 

 opinion that unless the tenants specially affected are given easier terms 

 than the Bill provides there will be new combinations against purchase. 



" ' Such is my impression of the situation. It will be a pity, having 

 got so far, if the concordat ends in a new quarrel, but. if what Red- 

 mond tells me of Dunraven's sudden change from agreement to dis- 

 agreement is accurate, it is hardly Redmond's fault. 



"'W. S. B.' 



"To this I got a brief note from George. ' I am not pessimistic.' 

 Neither for that matter am I. I don't believe the maximum point 

 is a very serious one, and, even if there should be a new quarrel 

 between the Nationalists and the Dunraven Landlords, it won't stop the 

 bill, which has gone too far now to be upset. Chamberlain was the 

 only real danger. 



" yd June. — Newbuildings. Prince Scherbatoff came down to see 



