§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTbegged to ask the noble Lord the Leader of the House a Question of which he had given him private Notice—namely, Whether, in view of the fact that a British trade amounting to nearly a million a year was being destroyed and that great loss had boon inflicted on British subjects by the high-handed proceedings of the French Government in Madagascar, Her Majesty's Government would take any steps to protect British commerce and property in that island? Further, he should like to know whether the noble Lord approved the discreditable proceed- 799 ings of the Government Whips last night, in arranging a "Count-out," by persuading hon. Members not to cuter the House and by inducing them to leave it when they had entered it?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONSir, in reply to the first part of the Question of the hon. Member, I am afraid that at present. I can only refer him to the answer which I believe was given him a few days ago by my noble Friend the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs. I called at the Foreign Office since I received the hon. Member's Notice; but the time has been so short that I have found it to be impossible to give any further answer. If, therefore, the hon. Member requires any additional detailed information, perhaps he will give Notice of a Question on the subject, which the noble Lord will answer.
§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTsaid, that he would repeat the Question tomorrow.
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONWith regard to the second part of the hon. Member's Question, I think it is couched in terms which would scarcely have allowed the Question to be placed upon the Paper. I do not conceive that the hon. Member would have been permitted to place on the Notice Paper of the House a Question imputing discreditable proceedings to two Members of the Government. I am not aware of any proceedings on the part of the Government Whips last night, discreditable or otherwise, being taken for the purpose of preventing the House being made or kept. As a matter of fact, the House would not have been made, I understand, but for the presence of two Members of the Government. I stated to the hon. Member early yesterday, and I think also on the previous day, that the Government could not undertake any exceptional means for keeping a House on Tuesday evening. It never has been the practice to do so, and the hon. Member himself only asked that assistance should be given him to form a House, but said nothing about one being kept. As a matter of fact, the House was made, but the interest in the subject raised by the hon. Member appears to have been too slight to enable the House to be kept. I am not aware of any proceedings on the part of the Government Whips in relation to this matter.
§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTsaid, that on the earliest opportunity he should call attention to the waste of time in that House, to the fact that on three successive Tuesday nights it had been counted out mainly owing to the action of the Government, especially last night, and to the proceedings of the Government Whips, who were active not only in preventing Members from entering the House, but also in inducing them to leave it when they had entered.