Commission, for the first has failed so ignominiously that a Conservative Government may feel that the case for the agitators has collapsed, and a Radical Government dare not venture on a second test of the kind. But the Conservative Government will not, in the nature of things, last for ever; and when "the pendulum swings," the Radicals will surely attempt to act upon the majority report as though it were inspired. The evidence, the constitution of the Commission, its methods of inquiry, the reckless assertions which led to its being called into existence-all these things will be forgotten; and that is why attention must be directed to them now. APPENDIX I. CORRESPONDENCE WITH MR. GLADSTONE, &c. (From The Times, October 12th, 1892.) MR. GLADSTONE ON RENTS IN WALES. TO THE EDITOR OF The Times. SIR,-The serious charge laid against the landowners of the Principality by Mr. Gladstone in his recent speech at the foot of Snowdon has no doubt been brought to your notice. The North Wales Property Defence Association, which numbers amongst its members the great majority of considerable landowners in North Wales, is preparing a complete and exhaustive answer to Mr. Gladstone's accusation, and I am confident that the result will be entirely satisfactory. Of that confidence, indeed, this Association had given earnest long before Mr. Gladstone's speech was uttered, by pressing upon the late Government for the appointment of a Royal Commission to investigate the question known as the Welsh Land Question, which is to all intents and purposes the creation of the Welsh vernacular Press. A moment's reflection shows that such an answer as is contemplated cannot be published at once, and subsequent events have tended to delay it. Thus Mr. Glad stone specified two sources of information, and two only. They were: (1) The speech of Mr. T. Ellis, M.P., in supporting the second reading of the Welsh Land Bill. It is hardly necessary to point out that the assertions made in the speech of a pronounced partisan ought not to have been accepted as gospel by the Prime Minister, and it may be said at once that there is no difficulty in showing, by virtue of serious allegations without any foundation in fact made in that speech by Mr. Ellis, that his statements are not always accurate. (2) "Public and authentic returns." Now, the members of this Association, being of the opinion lately expressed by the Duke of Argyll that there are no "public and authentic" returns from which the actual rents paid by farmers in Wales can be gathered with accuracy, took the step of writing through me to Mr. Gladstone and to Mr. Ellis asking what these "public and authentic returns" might be. From Mr. Ellis no answer has been received. Mr. Gladstone, however, is always courteous, but there is a certain vagueness and ambiguity in his courteous replies. I append a copy of the correspondence, from which it will appear that there has been some difficulty in ascertaining what the precise returns were upon which. Mr. Gladstone relied, and that Mr. Gladstone's memory failed. him at a convenient moment. "The North Wales Property Defence Association, "To the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P. "RIGHT HON. SIR,-On behalf of the landowners of North Wales who belong to the above Association, I appeal to you to favour me with the authority upon which you founded your remarks as to the reduction of agricultural rents in England and Wales, in a speech which you delivered at Cwmllan on Tuesday last, a cutting of which I enclose, taken out of to-day's Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald. "Hoping you will favour me with an early reply, Not receiving a reply, I wired to Mr. Gladstone's private secretary at Hawarden Castle on September 20, thus:"Would you kindly let me know if you have forwarded my letter of the 16th inst. to Mr. Gladstone?" Reply received same day : "All letters forwarded at once to Downing Street." "10 Downing Street, Whitehall, Sept. 20, 1892. "SIR, I am desired by Mr. Gladstone to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th inst., and to inform you that the figures on which he based his recent statement with regard to the reduction of rents in Wales were obtained from the late Chancellor of the Exchequer. "I am, sir, your obedient servant, "G. H. M. Owen, Esq." "SPENCER LYTTELTON. "The North Wales Property Defence Association, "Offices, 23 Market Street, Carnarvon, Sept. 27, 1892. "To the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P. "RIGHT HON. SIR,-You will, I trust, pardon my addressing to you one additional question in relation to your recent utterances upon the Welsh land question. In the Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald (September 26) you are reported to have said: "In Wales there were actually four counties in which during that period of distress the rents, so far from being reduced 24 per cent., so far from being reduced 7 per cent. even, were actually raised.' |