The prospect of a Coalition Ministry has all but vanished.
Lord Hartington returned to England on Wednesday night, and held consultations with his Unionist colleagues on Thursday. The result has not yet officially transpired, but all accounts concur in the impression that Lord Qartington intends to refuse again the official alliance for which Lord Salisbury is believed to be anxious. The reason seems to be that large numbers of the Conservatives themselves are more than reluctant to follow any leader except Lord Salisbury, while many of them hold that Lord Hartington can serve them better by maintaining his independent position than by joining the Government. It would not be easy for Lord Hartington to accept office under Lord Salisbury, without giving a general impression to the country that he had abandoned Liberalism for Conservatism ; and such an impression as that would probably be fatal to his influence with the Unionist Liberals. On the whole, the best that can now be hoped for is that Mr. Goschen might see his way to accepting the place vacated by Lord Randolph Churchill as Leader of the House of Commons. He would make such a Chancellor of the Exchequer as we have not had since Mr. Gladstone himself held that office, and he is decidedly more opposed to Radical views than even Lord Hartington. It is not likely that he will separate himself from his former colleagues; but if he could see his way to do so, he would furnish the Conservatives with the very leader of whom they are in deadly want.
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