As Your Excellency wishes for a positive statement whether I would consent to act on such a Committee I feel compelled to beg to be excused.
At the same time may I, through this letter, urge upon Messrs. Whitehead and Chater a reconsideration of their objections to a Committee of four viz: two unofficial members and one official member and a Chairman. It seems to me that a Committee so constituted would give the unofficial members all the advantages which the origin of the Committee could fairly be held to entitle them to, and would be within both the letter and spirit of the Secretary of State's instructions while at the same time it would sufficiently meet my personal objections. In such a Committee no recommendation could be carried in the teeth of unofficial opposition and every recommendation which a majority could agree to would be free from the possible reproach of being a mere party conclusion. It might of course happen that on some points there would be an equal division but the only result would be that no recommendation would be formulated.
As Mr Whitehead is good enough to impute to me perfect impartiality I fail to see why he should object to a Committee composed (excluding the Chairman) of two members on his side (for it is impossible to escape the conclusion that there are sides) and one on the other.
I have &c.,
(Signed) F. Clarke,
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H. E. Sir W. Robinson K.C.M.G.