Mr. Labouchere has published in Truth the account of an
interview which he had with "an emissary" from 1 Canton Gardens on August 15th. The " emissary " tried to persuade him to write a letter to Mr. Gladstone saying that he had wished not to take office, because he thought he should be more useful below the gangway, and intimated that he (Mr. Labouchere) was one of Mr. Gladstone's chief difficulties,— the difficulty suggested being that in a Monarchical country it is of importance so to select the Ministry as to please the Monarch. The whole story has a vague and dubious air about it, and we imagine that the " emissary " must have indulged in very free improvisations on his own account, for which he had uncommonly little authority. Mr. Labou- chere takes great credit to himself fer having had no wish for office ; but that is quite oonsistent with a considerable annoyance at not having been offered it, which it is very easy to detect. As regards the actual Administration, he professes great confidence in Sir William Harcourt,— and he is probably the only man in the Kingdom who feels it; something like displeasure at Lord Rosebery's appoint- ment to the Foreign Office ; and a good deal of chagrin at the promotion of Mr. Asquith. But what annoys him most of all is probably the keen perception that the influence of Mr. Labouchere is rapidly waning. He is quite -clear-headed enough to see that, and naturally it does not give him satisfaction.
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