Collection of Manuscript Letters Ward (William), Earl of Dudley, Lord Lieutenant. A very good collection of eleven original letters and notes - ten autographed signed letters and notes and one...

Collection of Manuscript Letters Ward (William), Earl of Dudley, Lord Lieutenant. A very good collection of eleven original letters and notes - ten autographed signed letters and notes and one T.L.s., with a typed copy of another letter, all to T.P. Gill, Secretary of the Irish Dept. of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, mostly 1904 - 07, with one from 1920, some from the Earl's seat at Crom Castle, Newtownbutler, Co. Fermanagh, others from the Vice-Regal Lodge and other addresses; with typed copies of two of Gill's replies. An interesting correspondence, touching on many subjects, including Irish Land Policy, redistribution of Parliamentary seats, whether Irish industries were crushed by English policies, and the Congested Commission which he headed. Ward's letter of 14 Dec. 1905, is a farewell on his leaving office, after a disagreement about proposals for devolution of powers. 'The days of humiliation, of rebuff, of weary waiting and bitter disappointment are over - and the days of freedom and of action have begun... . Did you ever reach such absolute 'rot' as Long's speech at Bristol... . It is very easy to talk about the 'rights' and 'privileges' of minorities in Ireland - but it never seems to strike these people that the majority in Ireland also has rights, which are always consistently denied by men of the Long type.' In March 1907 writing from London, he expresses concerns about the progress of the Irish Bill. 'Birrell seems to view things in the right light and is full of courage and enthusiasm, but the influence of Asquith, Haldane and Tweedmouth & Co. appears to be very strong in the Cabinet and as far as I can judge from what various people have told me, there is great fear in the Cabinet of making the Bill in any sense a Home Rule Bill... . the general spirit at present appears to be one of fear and distrust, and unless a new spirit enters into them before it makes its appearance, I very much doubt whether it will be one which the Nationalist would be willing to accept.' * William Ward, second Earl of Dudley was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1902 - 05 and later Governor General of Australia. T.P. Gill an Irish Party M.P. was an active and influential civil servant, and head of the Irish Dept. of Agriculture 1900 - 1923. As a coll. of m/ss letters, w.a.f. (1)

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