Yet, the leadership was his; if he did not exercise it, no one else could; and this incident shows that his abnegation of leadership was not a mere phrase.
On November 22nd the Grand Committee reassembled to hear the report from the Nine.

Lord Southborough, who had presided at all their meetings, detailed the conclusions which had been reached or the point on which they had broken down.
Then followed a discussion lasting some three days, in which Ulstermen and Nationalists reaffirmed their positions.

Archbishop Bernard, the Primate, and Lord MacDonnell all attempted mediation.

Finally, Lord Midleton, who described the position as "a stone wall on each side," announced that he and his group would put before the Grand Committee certain proposals as a _via media_.

These in effect conceded to an Irish Parliament all that Nationalists claimed, subject only to the reservation that customs must be fixed by the Imperial Parliament and the produce of them retained as Ireland's contribution to Imperial services.
At this point our work was interrupted by the reemergence of the redistribution question.