War Office, Thursday morning, 3 a.m. Here is some bad news. No Ministers in town, except you and Chamberlain! Have tried Lord G. and Lord Northbrook. No results! So things must take their chance. There ought to have been a Cabinet to-morrow; but suppose it is not possible. R.B. Please return enclosed. Will send you a copy later. Have you any suggestion to make? You will see that W. proposes to keep this secret. Not possible for long in this Office. _Sir Charles Dilke to Mr. Brett._ Telegraph to _Mr. G. and Hartington to come up to-day_, and call a Cabinet for to-morrow at 11 a.m. Make Hamilton telegraph to all Ministers at once. I'm prepared to take it on myself if you like, but you can send this to Chamberlain if he agrees. I agree certainly.--J. C. Local Government Board, February 5th, 1885. It is absurd not to make them come up _to-day_ in face of Wolseley's "_It is most essential that I shall have the earliest possible decision._"] Only three subjects were discussed: Khartoum, secrecy, and the question of the Italians as against the Turks in the Red Sea.' On February 7th, 'The next matter was Wolseley, who had confused us by greatly varying his statements.... Next came a proposal that Gordon should be bought from the Mahdi.' 'On February 9th Mr. Gladstone mentioned his intention to bring in Rosebery and Lefevre as members of the Cabinet. It was decided that the Italians should be allowed to go to Kassala--a decision which was afterwards reversed. The French views on Egyptian finance were named, the despatch of Indian troops to Suakim again discussed. Wolseley having asked that General Greaves should be sent to Suakim, Childers said that the Queen and Duke of Cambridge had stopped that officer's promotion because he "belonged to the Ashantee gang" (Wolseley's friends), and that the Duke had now complained that he did not know him. Chamberlain proposed that we should invite the Canadian Government to send a force to Suakim; and, finally, Childers was allowed to mention finance, which had been the object for which the Cabinet was called. 'On February 10th I wrote to Chamberlain that Rosebery and Lefevre would help the Cabinet with the public, but would weaken us in the Cabinet. 'On February 11th there was another Cabinet, five members being absent--namely, the Chancellor, Carlingford, Spencer, Chamberlain, and Trevelyan--owing to the suddenness of the call. It was on the Suakim command, Mr. Gladstone being very obstinate for Greaves, as against Graham with Greaves for Chief of Staff--a compromise. I supported Hartington--I do not know why--and we beat Mr. Gladstone by 5 to 4. Both officers were inferior men, and Graham did but badly. Probably Greaves would have done no better....