I should imagine that the Irish will come round. The aim of the Conservatives will be to keep in a short time with their aid, then to quarrel with them, and to seek to hold their own against the Irish and the Radicals by a combination with the Whigs. This scheme Randolph Churchill explained to me a short time ago. If G.O.M. still hankers after an alliance with the Irish, it may be possible to arrange one, which would cause a split between him and his Whig friends. He was always wanting to know as soon as possible what could be effected, because he said that he wanted time to gain over some of his late colleagues. I am not the least surprised at results. Putting aside the Irish vote and bad times, was it likely that there would be great enthusiasm for a cause, which was explained to be to relegate everything of importance to the dim distant future, and to unite in order to bring back to power the old lot, with all their doubts and hesitations, under a leader who was always implying, without meaning it, that he meant to retire?--Yours truly, H. LABOUCHERE. _Mr. Labouchere to Mr. Chamberlain_ SIGN MANSIONS, BRIGHTON, Dec. 3, 1885. MY DEAR CHAMBERLAIN,--This afternoon I got a telegram {270} from Randolph to say he was coming down, and I have had him here all the evening. He says (but don't have it from me) that, if a vote of want of confidence is not proposed, they will adjourn for three weeks after the Speaker is chosen. If they have a majority with the Irish, he says that they are inclined to throw their Speaker as a sop to the Irish, and evidently he has a scheme in his head to get Hicks-Beach elected Speaker, and to take his place himself. He told me that he had given in a memorandum to Lord Salisbury about the state of parties in the House of Commons, in which he puts down Hartington as worth 200 votes, and you for the balance. They intend to give a _non possumus_ to all proposals for Home Rule, and they expect to be supported by Hartington, even if the G.O.M. goes for Home Rule. Salisbury is ready to resign the Premiership to Hartington if necessary, and the new Party is to be called the "Coalition Party." It appears that the G.O.M. (but this I have vowed not to tell) has given in to the Queen a scheme of Home Rule, with a sort of Irish President at the head, who is to be deposed by the Queen and Council, if necessary. Should they not be turned out, they will at once start a discussion on Procedure. Is not the cow working wonders for us? Next time we must have an urban cow.--Yours truly, H. LABOUCHERE. _Mr. Chamberlain to Mr. Labouchere_ HIGHBURY, BIRMINGHAM, Dec. 4, 1885. MY DEAR LABOUCHERE,-- ... The "urban cow" is the great difficulty. I put my money on free schools, but, judging by London, the electors do not care much about it. Things are going better for us. I was forced to speak yesterday at Leicester, and you will see I had a dig at the Whigs. I will drive the knife in on the 17th.