MR. LABOUOHEREsaid, it was, no doubt, in the recollection of the House that a short time ago Her Majesty's Government thought it desirable to advise that a Lord High Commissioner Extraordinary should be sent to the Ionian Islands to consider the state of those possessions, and that his right hon. Friend the Member for the University of Oxford (Mr. Gladstone) was intrusted with that Commission. Supposing, as he presumed was the case, that a Report had been received by the Government from his right him. Friend, as Lord High Commissioner Extraordinary, he wished to ask the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is the intention of Government to present the Report of Mr. Gladstone on the state of the Ionian Islands to Parliament. He should also like to ask the right hon. Gentleman if it be true, as lifts been stated in the newspapers, that Sir Henry Storks has prorogued the Assembly of the Ionian Islands for six months.
SIR EDWARD BULWER LYTTONSir, in the publication of the Report—or I should rather say Reports, for there are more than one—of the right hon. Member for the University of Oxford there are, perhaps, no persons so interested as Her Majesty's Government, except, indeed, the very distinguished Gentleman by whom those Reports were furnished. But it is the opinion of Her Majesty's Government —in which the right hon. Member for the University fully concurs — that, whatever might be our inclination and our joint interest, it would be attended with very great injury and mischief to the public service, and would greatly embarrass Sir Henry Storks, if these Reports or any papers tending to provoke or invite discussion in Parliament at this moment were to be laid on the table. I, therefore, hope that the right hon. Gentleman and the House generally will adopt the same course of patriotic forbearance which was taken by a distinguished statesman in "another place." With regard to the question whether Sir Henry Storks has prorogued the Assembly of the Ionian States, I have to say that I have heard of the prorogation by telegram, but I am not aware whether despatches explaining the reasons for that step have yet reached the office.