retained his old position, would probably have proved decisive. What Mr.
Gladstone would not yield to Chamberlain alone he would probably have
yielded to the two Radicals combined; and Mr. Chamberlain, deprived of
the argument to which he gave special prominence, could scarcely have
resisted his friend's wish that he should support the second reading.
Sir Charles wrote, April 7th, 1886:

'I don't like the idea of the Irish throwing all their ferocity
against you, and treating you as they treated Forster. Unless you
are given a very large share in the direction of the business, I
think you must let it be known that you are not satisfied with the
Whig line. I hate the prospect of your being driven into coercion as
a follower of a Goschen-Hartington-James-Brand-Albert Grey clique,
and yet treated by the Irish as the Forster of the clique. I believe
from what I see of my caucus, and from the two large _public_
meetings we have held for discussion, that the great mass of the
party will go for Repeal, though fiercely against the land. Enough
will go the other way to risk all the seats, but the party will go
for Repeal, and sooner or later now Repeal will come, whether or not
we have a dreary period of coercion first. I should decidedly let it
be known that you won't stand airs from Goschen.

'Yours ever,

'Chs. W. D.'

'Another meeting on the Irish Question in Chelsea led to no clearer
expression of opinion than had the previous one, for it was
concluded by Mr. Westlake, Q.C., M.P., who afterwards voted against
the Home Rule Bill, moving that the meeting suspend its judgment,