The Daily Telegraph of Tuesday published a letter from John
Bright (written in 1882) on the subject of Henry George's book on land nationalisation. The letter begins with the very characteristic sentences :--" If you think it can be just to seize all the property of landowners without com- pensation, I will not lose time in debating the matter with you. If you think the scheme practicable, I can only say that your ignorance of English opinion and of the moral sense of Englishmen is to me astounding." The way to make the land serviceable to all," continues Mr. Bright, "is to make it free to all, on the same terms that all other property is free. If you think to relieve the nation by robbing the landowners, you admit that any class may be robbed if the nation or the poor require relief." The letter ends with the following admonition:—" I would advise you to keep to the common-sense and moral sense of our own people, and not accept the ideas of wandering theorists and dreamers like the author of the book of which you have asked my opinion. I always reject th9 notions of men who begin their systems of relief and general prosperity
by robbing somebody." Mr. Bright was a Radical, but a Radical of a very different moral and intellectual temper from the Radicals of to-day.
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