6 FEBRUARY 1904, Page 3

Liberal Unionism as now defined by Mr. Chamberlain means opposition

to Home-rule plus the support of the Balfourite or the Cha.mberlainite fiscal policy. A Liberal Unionist may advocate the one or the other, but he is at least committed. to Mr. Balfour's minimum. You may entertain what fiscal opinions you please, so long as they are not in favour of maintaining the fiscal status quo. We have only to add that we entirely repudiate this new definition, which it is impossible to reconcile with Mr. Balfour's original declaration, which involves the expulsion of Free-trade Unionists from the Association, and which converts it into a Protectionist caucus. We may note that at the meeting of the Metropolitan Liberal Unionist Federation on Thursday night, under the presidency of Lord James of Hereford, the second of the above reso-