'On May 7th I wrote to Chamberlain to say that I had to speak at a
house dinner of the Devonshire Club that night, and to ask him if
there was anything he wanted said, to which he replied: "Note
Randolph Churchill's letter to Salisbury with reference to the
Conservative Caucus, and the vindication of the Birmingham one." It
was impossible not to notice this important letter, which
revolutionized politics for some time.'

'_May 14th_.--After the Cabinet I was informed by Chamberlain that a
week earlier, on Wednesday, May 7th, Randolph Churchill had sent to
him to know whether, if he broke with the Conservatives, the
Birmingham Liberals would support him as an independent candidate.'

Sir Charles's letter to his agent at this time sums up the political
position:

'The Tory game is to delay the franchise until they have upset us
upon Egypt, before the Franchise Bill has reached the Lords.... Our
side will be in a humour to treat as traitors any who do not insist
that the one Bill and nothing else shall be had in view--in face of
the tremendous struggle impending in the Lords.'

'On _May 13th_ I had received a letter from Mr. Gladstone in answer
to one from me in a matter which afterwards became important, and
but for Chamberlain's strong stand would have forced me to leave the
Government. I had so strong an opinion in favour of woman's suffrage
that I could not undertake to vote against it, even when proposed as
an amendment to a great Government Bill.'

Sir Charles had written as follows: