1 JANUARY 1887, Page 13

Mr. Henry Howorth, who represents the views of a large

party among the Conservatives, will not hear of a coalition, though he wishes to see Mr. Goschen borrowed by his party as leader of the Conservatives in the House of Commons. He thinks Lord Hartington can assist the Conservatives better from outside than he can from within, and he does not think that Lord Randolph's resignation has any particular significance beyond the necessity of filling up the vacancy he leaves. He does not seem to reflect that Mr. Goschen will not at all relish being the first Liberal to pass over to the other side of the House ; and that if he were, he certainly would not be able to draw the Liberal Unionists as a party with him. Mr. Howorth seems to us to ba counting,—as, indeed, men do often count,—on the ability both to keep your cake and to eat it. But, as a matter of fact, that always turns out to be impracticable.