"My dear Mr. Bradlaugh,—
"Many thanks for your kind little note of to-day. It will give me the greatest pleasure to receive you here at 1.15 to-morrow, Monday.
"Yours sincerely,
"Dufferin and Ava."
"British Embassy, Rome,
"2nd April, 1889.
"My dear Mr. Bradlaugh,—
"I am very much obliged to you for your kindness in sending me the notice of your motion. There are already indications of the willingness, both of the present Viceroy and of the Government at home, to modify the existing régime in India, and I have no doubt that you will obtain some satisfactory assurances in regard to, at all events a portion of your suggestions. I am strongly of opinion, however, that for the present it would be wiser to apply whatever reforms may be found desirable to the Provincial Councils, and to leave the Governor-General's Council untouched, except so far as allowing the Budget to be discussed, and giving to the members the right of asking questions under certain specified conditions. The Supreme Council of the Governor-General is almost always engaged in the consideration of large Imperial questions, in regard to which it would not be likely to receive any great assistance from the native members who might be added to it; and, even if this were not the case, it would be well to watch how the proposed changes in the Provincial Councils had worked. Moreover, I think our efforts should be applied rather to the decentralisation of our Indian Administration than to its greater unification, and I made considerable efforts in India to promote and expand this principle. In any event, I am sure the discussion which you will have provoked will prove very useful; and I am very glad that the conduct of it should be in the hands of a prudent, wise, and responsible person like yourself, instead of having been laid hold of by some adventurous franc-tireur, whose only object might possibly have been to let off a few fireworks for his own glorification.
"Yours sincerely,
"Dufferin and Ava."