At a special general meeting of the Unionist Free-Trade Club
held at the Westminster Palace Hotel on Monday, Lord Cromer presiding, it was resolved, in view of the divergence of opinion amongst members as to the relative importance of Free-trade and other grave political issues, to dissolve the club. At a meeting held immediately after the general meeting, it was decided to form an organisation for the defence of the Constitution and of Free Exchange under the title of "The Constitutional Free Exchange Association," the aims of which are defined as to bring together "those Free-traders who hold that the dangers which threaten the maintenance of an effective Second Chamber and of the Union, and the tendency of recent legislation towards the establishment of State Socialism, have become matters of pressing urgency ; and who on that account are, under the existing political conditions, prepared to give in general their loyal support to the Unionist Party, in spite of differences of opinion on the Fiscal question, as the most effective method of resisting such dangers." Promises of support have been received from a large number of prominent Unionists, and a provisional Executive Committee has been formed consisting of Lord Cromer, Lord George Hamilton, Sir Hugh Shaw-Stewart, Major Leonard Darwin, Mr. J. St. Loe Strachey, Mr. A. J. Hobson, Mr. Percy M. Thornton, and Mr. Abel H. Smith. It was announced on the same afternoon at a meeting of the Free-Trade Union that a number of members of the Unionist Free-Trade Club had decided to join the Free-Trade Union in accordance with a circular issued on March 16th, and signed by Lord James of Hereford, Mr. Arthur Elliot, Mr. Henry Hobhouse, Mr. F. Huth-Jackson, Sir A. C. Lyall, Sir Frederick Pollock, and others.
Previous page
