I am bound to add, however, that a feeling of indignation in
regard to the articles has been aroused in Canadian circles, and should
you, while concurring generally in my view, think that some action
ought to be taken, I shall be glad to hear from you by cable. The
trouble is that Mr. --, of course, knows well that a nation cannot
be libelled in the legal sense, and that we are thus debarred
from taking the only measures to which a gentleman would be
amenable.

He himself was constantly being dragged into the arena
of party politics, and more than once he was obliged to issue
a denial of views attributed to him in the newspapers. For
example, in December, 1909 -- the year in which the House
of Lords rejected the Budget -- he addressed the following
to Sir Wilfrid Laurier:

I find by Press reports that my name is used in reference to the
present political contest in the United Kingdom -- it is well known
in this country that I am never interviewed -- I have not in this
instance departed from this rule and have had no interview with
anyone. If I had any opinion to express on the present contest
I would claim the privilege of doing it in my own words, but I would
consider it absolutely out of place for me to say or do anything which
might be considered ever so remotely as an interference in any party
contest now before the electors of Great Britain and Ireland. Please
cause this to be published in such manner as you think best.

For some time past -- ever since his memorable and tri-
umphal progress through the West -- he had been far from
enjoying his usual health. The injury to his right arm
caused by the accident at Vernon prevented him from
using a pen. Moreover, as he wrote to Sir Wilfrid:

I am still very deaf from the effects of a concussion caused by
the report of a cannon fired at a short distance from my ear some
months back.

He decided that the time had at last come for him to
resign the High Commissionership, and he wrote to this
effect to the Prime Minister. Sir Wilfrid begged him to
reconsider his decision. In reply, he sent the following
on April 8th, 1910:

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