learn, regular business will not
begin before the 19th. By the 12th we shall have given ourselves a
much better chance of knowing how the two parties stand together;
and there will be plenty of time for our consultations. Thus at
least I map out the time; pray give me any comments you think
required.

I begged you to keep Derby informed; would you kindly do the same
with Harcourt? Rosebery goes to London to-morrow.

Two days before this resistance to the request for a meeting, he had
written to Lord Granville with an important enclosure:--

_December 26, 1885._--I have put down on paper in a memorandum as
well as I can, the possible forms of the question which may have
to be decided at the opening of the session. I went over the
ground in conversation with you, and afterwards with R. Grosvenor,
and I requested R. Grosvenor, who was going to London, to speak to
Hartington in that sense. After his recent act of publication, I
should not like to challenge him by sending him the written paper.
Please, however, to send it on to Spencer, who will send it back
to me.

The memorandum itself must here be quoted, for it sets out in form,
succinct, definite, and exhaustive, the situation as Mr. Gladstone at that
time regarded it:--

_Secret._ _Hawarden Castle, Chester, Dec. 26, 1885._

1. Government should act.

2. Nationalists should support them in acting.

3. I have done what I can to bring about (1). I am confident the
nationalists know my desire. They also publicly know there can be
no plan from me in the present circumstances.

4. If (1) and (2) come about, we, who are half the House of
Commons, may under the circumstances be justified in waiting for
the production of a plan.

5. This would be in every sense the best situation.

6. But if ministers refuse to take up the question--or if from
their not actually taking it up, or on any grounds, the
nationalists publicly dissolve their alliance with them, the
government then have a party of 250 in the face of 420, and in the
face of 335 who were elected to oppose them.

7. The basis of our system is that the ministry shall have the
confidence of the House of Commons. The exception is, when it is
about to appeal to the people. The rule applies most strongly when
an election has just taken place. Witness 1835, 1841, 185