The atmosphere was unlike that of a political gathering; it resembled rather some casual assemblage where all sorts of men had met by accident and conversed without prejudice.

Everybody met somebody whom he had known in some quite different relation of life and with whom he had never looked to be associated in any such task as the framing of a Constitution.

It was all oddly haphazard, full of interest and surprises; all of us were a little out of our bearings, but much disposed to reconnoitre in the spirit of friendly advance.
After the first day of Sir Horace Plunkett's chairmanship there was an adjournment of something like a fortnight to give the Chairman and secretariat time for preparation: and in this interval a plan of action was formed.

The object in view was to avoid the danger of an immediate break and to give play to the reconciling influences.

It was decided to begin by a prolonged process of general discussion, in which men could express their minds freely without the necessity of coming to an operative decision on any of the controversial points, until the value of each could be assessed in relation to the possibility of a general agreement.
The plan adopted was to discuss, without division taken, the schemes which had been submitted by members of the Convention and by others.
Members would propose and expound their own projects: for the exposition of the others some member must make himself responsible.
At this "presentation stage" and at all stages, Redmond absolutely declined to put forward a plan in his own name.