A meeting of the Liberal Unionist Party was held yesterday
week, at the office of the Liberal Unionist Association, when Lord Hartington addressed them, denying that the Liberal Unionists had the slightest desire to dictate to the Conserva- tives, though they wished to give a friendly support to their policy. He declared (just as we declared last week) that an Autumn Session would quite fail in carrying the Irish Land- Purchase Bill through the complicated discussions to which it might legitimately give rise ; and he held that the proposal of the Government to carry over from time to time certain Bills to a future Session, was the one likely to give rise to less valid objection than any other. Mr. Chamberlain strongly supported Lord Hartington. So far from objecting to such a carrying over of the next (if there be a next) Home-rule Bill from one Session to another, such a course would be a real safe- guard, giving some security for the full understanding and discussion of such a measure. Lord Hartington also explained that the Government would accept Mr. Heneage's amendment providing that nothing in the Local Taxation Bill shall be interpreted as modifying the existing law on the renewal of licences, and intimated that the Government would next year concede a Select Committee to inquire into the whole of the compensation question.
