ABSTRACT
The Caucus spread from one town to another, that is to say, representative Associations were established in them in due form. Very often they were started amid complete indifference on the part of the masses. The Birmingham Federation claimed to control the affairs of the party, but the old institution of parliamentary Whip with its offices still subsisted. In the world of old Liberalism, there were two fundamental strata,-parliamentarism and individualism. The one was contributed by the historic Whigs, the other was due to political economy, to philosophy and to the industrial revolution. In the Caucus, this spirit speedily displayed itself in the discharge of its first duty, which was the choice of candidates for the parliamentary elections. The discussions on the Caucus started in the Press did not produce a great effect on the life of the new Organizations. They followed the impulse given them from Birmingham without paying heed to the attacks of the opponents of the system.
