The Life Of Charles Stewart Parnell Vol - I

/Ei, 36] NEGOTIATIONS 341
Parnell to Mr. Justin McCarthy [Confidential]
' Kilmainham : April 25, 1882.
' MY DEAR MCCARTHY,—I send you a letter embodying our conversation, and which, if you think it desirable, you might take the earliest opportunity of showing to Chamberlain. Do not let it out of your hands, but if he wishes you might give him a copy of the body of it.
' Yours very truly,
'CHARLES S. PARXELL.'
The body of the letter ran as follows :
* We think, in the first place, no time should be lost in endeavouring to obtain satisfactory settlement of the arrears question, and that the solution proposed in the Bill standing for second reading to-morrow (Wednesday) would provide a satisfactory solution, though the Church Fund would have to be supplemented by a grant from Imperial resources of probably a million or so.
' Next, as regards the permanent amendment of the Land Act, we consider that the rent-fixing clauses should be extended to as great an extent as is possible, having in view the necessity of passing an Amendment Bill through the House of Lords; that leaseholders who have taken leases, either before or since the Act of 1870, should be permitted to apply to have a fair rent fixed; and that the purchase clauses should be amended as suggested by the Bill the second reading of which will be moved by Mr. Redmond to-morrow.
' If the Government were to announce their intention of proposing a satisfactory settlement of the arrears difficulty as indicated above, we on our part -would