Lord Randolph Churchill's Letters from India, 1885 554 ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE FIRST VOLUME 1. Lord Randolph Churchill, 1883 (Photogravure) Frontispiece TO FACE PAGE 2. Lord Randolph at Eton and at Oxford (Photogravure) 12 3. Lord Randolph and His Father (Photogravure) Lord Randolph and His Mother 28 4. Lady Randolph Churchill (Photogravure) 72 5. Member for Woodstock (Photogravure) 108 6. The Fourth Party ('Vanity Fair'), by Leslie Ward 168 7. Athwart the Course (Cartoon from 'Punch') 232 8. A Dream of the Future (Cartoon from 'Punch') 252 9. The First Diploma of the Primrose League (facsimile) 260 10. The Waits (Cartoon from 'Punch') 472 CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME CHAPTER XII. 1886 THE TWENTY-SIXTH OF JANUARY PAGE Mr. Gladstone's meditations—The Home Rule disclosures—Lord Randolph's Irish policy—Hopes of a Coalition—Lord Randolph's programme—Lord Salisbury's reply—Resignation of Lord Carnarvon—Procedure discussions—Rumour and report—Mr. Gladstone's offer—The Queen's Speech—Lord Salisbury and Coercion—Divisions in the Cabinet—Meeting of Parliament—The policy of the 26th of January—Mr. Jesse Collings' Amendment—Defeat of the Conservative Government—Their record 1 CHAPTER XIII. 1886 HOME RULE Mr. Gladstone's Home Rule Administration—The reality of the struggle—Mr. Chamberlain's position—Lord Randolph and Home Rule—Ulster, 1886—'The Union party'—Waiting for the Bill—Mr. Chamberlain resigns—Mr. Chamberlain and Lord Randolph—The great debate—Mr. Chamberlain's speech—The Whig peers—The Land Bill—The dissentient Liberals—Mr. Chamberlain and Birmingham—The Foreign Office meeting—A critical interlude—'Never! Never!'—The Home Rule Division—Parliament dissolved 48 CHAPTER XIV. 1886 LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS The General Election—'An old man in a hurry'—Birmingham—Triumph of the Unionist party—Formation of Lord Salisbury's second Administration—The lead in the House of Commons—Chancellor of the Exchequer—The short session—Lord Randolph as leader—Conduct of public business—Correspondence with Lord Hartington—End of the session—Golden opinions—Foreign affairs—A grave divergence—Eastern policy—The Dartford programme—'Mr. Spencer's journey'—Bradford—'The Grand Young Man' 115 CHAPTER XV. 1886 THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER At the Treasury—Lord Randolph as an official—Secret Service money—The Metropolitan coal and wine dues—Preparation of the Budget—Democratic finance—The death duties—The inhabited house tax—New stamp duties—Horses, cartridges and theatre tickets—The Sinking Fund—Large reductions of taxation—A fivepenny income tax—The means for Local Government—The Budget in the Cabinet—A silence 179 CHAPTER XVI. 1886 RESIGNATION