al and
University Societies, 16 from 8 London Groups, 8 from Subject Groups,
and 9 members of the Executive Committee were present. The business
consisted of the sanction of rules for the Pan-Fabian Organisation.

The Conference of 1908 was a much bigger affair. A dozen members of the
Executive, including Mr. H.G. Wells and (as he then was) Mr. L.G.
Chiozza Money. M.P., and 61 delegates representing 36 Groups and
Societies met for a whole-day conference at University Hall, Gordon
Square. Miss Murby was chairman, and addressed the delegates on the
importance of tolerance, an apposite subject in view of the discussion
to follow on the proposed parliamentary action, especially the delicate
issue between co-operation with the Labour Party and the promotion of a
purely Socialist party. A resolution favouring exclusive support of
independent Socialist candidatures moved by Mr. J.A. Allan of Glasgow
received only 10 votes, but another advocating preference for such
candidates was only defeated by 26 to 21. The resolution adopted left
the question to be settled in each case by the constituency concerned.
Another resolution directed towards condemnation of members who worked
with the Liberal or Tory Party failed by 3 votes only, 17 to 20. In the
afternoon Mr. Money gave an address on the Sources of Socialist Revenue,
and a number of administrative matters were discussed.

The 1909 Conference was attended by 29 delegates of local and University
Societies, and by 46 delegates from London Groups and from the parent
Society. On this occasion a Constitution was adopted giving the
Conference a regular status, the chief provisions of which required the
submission to the Conference of any alteration of the Basis, and "any
union affiliation or formal alliance with any other society or with any
political party whereby the freedom of action of any society ... is in
any way limited ... "; and of any change in the constitution itself.
These are all matters which concern the local organisations, as they are
required to adopt the Basis, or some approved equivalent, and are
affiliated to the Labour Party through the parent Society. No
contentious topic was on this occasion seriously discussed.

The Conference of 1910 was smaller, sixty-one delegates in all.
Resolutions against promoting parliamentary candidatures and favouring
the by this time vanishing project for an independent Socialist party
obtained but little support, and the chief cont