The Conservatives, I hear, have it in consideration to submit the Queen's Speech immediately, and to put up one of their men {278} to propose a vote of confidence, if there be no amendment on our side. I asked Healy what the Irish would do then? He said, "If nothing is settled, walk out probably." "Then?" I asked. "Go with the Conservatives and turn out the Liberals." But it seems to me that, without being sure of the support of the Irish, Mr. Gladstone could hardly take office. If so, what then? Hartington? Hartington is cuts with Churchill. He says that he has insulted him in his speeches, and that he will never speak to him again. Churchill told me a few weeks ago that the Conservatives were determined to dissolve, if Home Rule were attempted, in order to protect the House of Lords. Would they have the courage to dissolve at once? Are they not rather calculating on Mr. Gladstone not being able to form a Government, and either coming back with the Whigs, or dissolving on the ground of a deadlock? How the revelation came out was this: Herbert Gladstone told Reed of the Leeds paper his father's views. Reed told Mudford. Could this have been stupidity, or was it intentional by order of Papa? The _Pall Mall_ of yesterday was directly inspired from Hawarden. The channel was Norman. Certainly the ways of Mr. Gladstone are rather more mysterious than those of the Heathen Chinee. My reading of it is that he is simply insane to come in.... The Irish are suspicious of him, and intend to have things clear before they support him. Parnell says that he has a way of getting people to agree with him by the enunciation of generalities, but that when he has got what he wants, his general principles are not carried out as might have been anticipated. This is so true that I could not deny myself the pleasure of letting him know it. In this case, he will have to be a good deal more definite, if he is to count on the Irish. My own conviction is that if the Irish get Home Rule, they will--with the exception of the land question--surprise us by their conservatism. Their first thing will be to pass some sort of very drastic legislation against the Fenians. What the next step will be, I don't exactly know. The Irish too want to know.--Yours truly, H. LABOUCHERE. {279} _Lord Randolph Churchill to Lord Salisbury_ INDIA OFFICE, Dec. 22, 1885. ... Now I have a great deal to tell you. Labouchere came to see me this morning. He asked me our intentions. I gave him the following information. I can rely upon him: