Lord James of Hereford has addressed to Mr. T. Garnett,
Chairman of the Freo-Trade League, Manchester, an ina:. portant letter on Free-trade and Home-rule. Lord James • observes that those who say it is dangerous to vote for a Free-trade Liberal lest Home-rule should be carried are both forgetful and unobservant. The Lords who rejected the Bill of 1893 by a ten-to-one vote have not changed their views, and would not fail to act upon them unless a vote of the electorate had been specifically and clearly taken on the subject, and were found to be decisively in favour of Home-rule. But no such opinion will be expressed at the forthcoming elections, for no supporters of Home-rule are asking for it. Lord James then continues :—"I have fought for the maintenance of the Union and shall continue to do so. I will aid the Unionist forces as far as within me lies. But I object to being summoned to the field by a sham battle-cry. It is not fair fighting. We see the Unionist flag held high aloft, but beneath it Protectionist forces are gathered. We Free- traders have the right to say these are not our friends. We will not fight by their side, for a true faith tells us that it is our duty to fight against them." All true Unionist Free- traders will be gtatef al to Lord James for his clear and un- compromising guidance.
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