[526:3] It was so ruled. Rep. of 1898, p. 60.
[527:1] The text of this provision was: "One month, at least, prior to the meeting of the General Committee at which the Executive Committee is to be elected, a list of those Members of the existing Executive Committee who offer themselves for reëlection, together with the names of any others nominated by the Executive Committee, shall be sent to each of the Federated Associations. Federated Associations desiring to nominate other Candidates for the Executive Committee shall send in formal nominations to the Secretary of the Federation at least fourteen days before the meeting. In the event of nominations exceeding the number to be elected, a ballot will be taken at the meeting of the General Committee."
[527:2] Rep. of 1896, p. 77.
[528:1] This appears from the annual reports of the General Committee, which did, however, continue for some years to send circulars to local associations urging them to pass resolutions of a general character.
[528:2] At the same time all the Liberal members of Parliament were made ex officio members of the Council, where their presence was expected to exert a restraining influence upon the extreme and impracticable elements in the party.
[528:3] After the party had been out of power many years this rule was not rigidly observed. In 1903, for example, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman spoke in support of one of the resolutions. Rep. of 1903, p. 75.
[528:4] Rep. of 1896, pp. 71-78.
[529:1] Rep. of 1897, pp. 75-80. One of the arguments in favour of the election of the Executive Committee by the General Committee was that the latter was more fairly representative than the Council, because the delegates to the Council from the part of the country where the meeting was held attended in greater numbers than from more distant places.
[529:2] Ibid., 1898, pp. 39, 41.
[530:1] Rep. of 1898, pp. 40-41.