The Duke ofArgyll replied to Lord Cairns in a very
moderate, tut very vigorous speech, argued from the " Cross-Bench " point of view, in which he maintained that the House of Lords would be far more powerful than it is, if there were a great many more Peers who thought for themselves and repudiated mere party leadership ; and maintained that such Peers would accept this Bill as a very moderate and reasonable measure, and as one which, even if it regulated a general election without the pass- ing of any Redistribution Bill, would, nevertheless, return a Parliament favourable to such a Redistribution Bill as the rural party would most approve. What the Duke of Argyll euphemistically termed the " nervousness " of the House of Lords about Redistribution, was, he declared, sure to be mis- understood by the country as hostility to Reform. That it will be so understood is certain ; but whether that will be a " mis- understanding" is much more doubtful.
