XXIII 



CHAIRMANSHIP OF L.C.C. 297 



reunion in the Liberal party. Personally it has been to 

 me a matter of deep regret not to be able to follow Mr. 

 Gladstone in his Irish policy. 



I trust that further discussion may have a good 

 result and have always avoided anything which could 

 widen the breach. 



I have no objection to your publishing my letter, nor 

 of course to Mr. Gladstone reading it ; but in that case 

 I should like to see his reply. 



Mr. Gladstone then asks whether, seeing that 

 Sir John so strongly objects to the " fixed sum," 

 he would fall into line if it were not to be " fixed." 

 Mr. Reid, while forwarding this question, says 

 that he believes the leaders of the Liberal party 

 to be all tending towards Federalism. Upon 

 which Sir John writes : 



High Elms, Farnborough, R.S.O., Kent, 

 24 January 1890. 



Private. 



Dear Mr. Reid — Many thanks for your too flattering 

 letter. 



If we are to keep our existing financial union, no 

 doubt one great objection is removed, and as you will 

 see by the enclosed I have always said that Federation 

 does not appear to me open to the same fatal objections 

 as Home Rule. 



I could not indeed advocate it because there are 

 obviously great difficulties for which I do not yet see a 

 solution. 



You speak of my recent "political fellowships," 

 but in the City and in West Kent as well as in my own 

 constituency, a large majority of those who led the 

 Liberal party in the good old days are Unionists. 



You, yourself, say that the Liberals who have 

 hitherto differed from us on this point are now abandon- 

 ing Home Rule and tending to Federalism, an admission 

 on their part that we have been right so far. 



If Mr. G. puts forward any new plan which I feel 

 I should be justified in supporting I would most gladly 

 do so, as my severance politically from him has been to 

 me personally a matter of deep regret. 



