BRITISH CONSERVATISM AND THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE ... - ideals

dated 21 February 1890, Merrick complained of a meeting scheduled to be
held in Bristol regarding the formation of a Divisional Council.
My own opinion is that each Branch or Habitation
has quite enough to do to look after its own district
without bothering with its neighbours. ... I don't
think outside interference ever does much good.85
In the aftermath of a meeting held in Yate during March,
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tempers flared.
Merrick denied the rights of local, regional, and
Central authorities to infringe on the territorial supremacy of
Habitations, arguing in a letter to Codrington, "I defy local Ruling
Councillors or anyone else to prove our nonjurisdiction."
He added
that many members of the Habitation were of the "opinion that the Grand
Council
is not up to much and is merely an association for finding
employment for a lot of half pay army officers."86
Nevertheless, it must be noted that the conflict was
successfully resolved by means of a personal appeal made by the Vice
Chancellor, Lane-Fox, to Sir Gerald Codrington.
In the final analysis
what remains most striking is not the disagreements which surfaced
occasionally, but the continual success achieved in minimizing tensions
and obtaining the cooperation and alliance of the local Habitations and
Conservative Associations, not only with respect to their central
organizations, but also with respect to one another and the interests
of the party as a whole.
85
Ibid., 21 February 1890. The 1899 Roll of Habitations
lists the formation date as 22 March 1890.
86 A reference to District Agent, Major Barnett. Correspondence
of Sir Gerald Codrington, 7 April 1890.