Afa 3i] CONTROVERSY WITH BUTT llf>
Parnell to Butt
1 On that occasion I yielded my judgment to your opinion upon a matter regarding which full individual liberty of action had always Veen left to each member of our party. You will recollect that upon the only occasion when you suggested that our party should follow you on a question of Imperial policy it was, after a long discusRion, decided that each individual should act for himself. I munt then, in future, claim for myself that liberty of action upon Imperial and English matters which has hitherto been granted to every member of the party, while I shall continue to follow your load in regard to Irish questions.'
Butt replied on April 21 in a very long latter, the import of which may, however, bo gathered from tho following extracto:
* If I rightly interpret your latter, I umlorHtttmi you
to say that, while you owe to mo in relation to Iriih
that which you are enough to call
41 allegiance/* your conduct IE all Imperial and English
is from obligation to ma or tho
party in whoso ranks you have enrolled yourself. . . .
I must dissent from your view of tho relation in which
each member of our party stands to the rant.
'The pledge which wo take is clear, plain, and distinct:
1" That, deeply improHsod with tho importance of unity of action upon all matters that can aflbct the parliamentary position of the Home Mulct party, or tho interests of the Homo Hula we to
other and the country to obtain that unity by counsel together, by making all eonccmfdoiift
to tho opinions of each other, by OB far as
1 2