I have been spending the morning with Churchill. His plan is this. Queen's Speech at once--in address an expression of confidence. Liberals to draw G.O.M., Churchill to get up and say that obviously he intends to propose Home Rule. If so, adverse vote will be followed by dissolution. Will they dare to do this? Churchill says that they will, and that I might privately tell Mr. Gladstone this. He vowed that Brett had given Parnell a written statement from Mr. Gladstone. Healy told me to ask whether there were any direct negotiations with Parnell. Hawarden replies: "There are no negotiations going on between Parnell and my father, who has constantly from the first, declared, etc., etc." Who are we to believe? Mr. Gladstone, as we know, has a very magnificent conscience, but he will finish by being too clever by half, if he tries to play Healy off against Parnell, who, as I told you, is not much more than a figurehead.--Yours truly, H. LABOUCHERE. {281} _P.S._--Churchill says that they hear that Goschen has been playing a double game--that to win over Hartington he became a Balaam. _Mr. Labouchere to Mr. Chamberlain_ 10 QUEEN ANNE'S GATE, Dec. 23, 1885. MY DEAR CHAMBERLAIN,--Has this occurred to you? The Whigs evidently will not stand Mr. Gladstone's proposals. If you therefore were to rally to them, you would clear the nest of these nuisances, and, as Mr. Gladstone cannot last very long, become the leader of the Opposition or of the Government--a consummation that we all want. I think that the Customs matter would not be a _sine qua non_. Imperial matters would be few. We are against wars. The main Imperial question would be for extra money--in case of wars. In the main the Irish would be with us--their views about land are much yours--I should fancy therefore that, provided we have a clear distinction between local and imperial affairs, we should soon be the very best of friends. That Mr. Gladstone will go on, I think pretty certain, because--excellent and good man as he is--he sees that his only chance is, to get the Irish. He is now engaged in a game of dodging. He has invented as usual a "principle"--that he can go into no details until he officially knows that the Government will do nothing. The object is to get the Irish on generalities. They, however, are quite up to this, and even supposing that they were to vote with us, they would at once turn him out, if he were to play pranks. I do not quite therefore see how he could come in without some sort of secret understanding with them. Now, what would satisfy them? On customs, as I have said, there would be no great difficulty. Ditto on protection to minorities. Remains the veto. They are anxious to get over it, but cannot accept the Imperial Parliament. Would it be to our advantage that they should? We should be continually having rows in Parliament about their Acts. When I saw Healy on Sunday I suggested this: {282}