§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTI wish to be allowed to ask a Question of which I have given the Prime Minister 541 private Notice. My Question is, Whether the statement made by the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies yesterday, that the views of his Colleague the hon. Member for Liskeard (Mr. Courtney), with regard to South Africa, were held only by himself among Ministers, was made on the authority of the Cabinet?
MR. GLADSTONEThere was no previous communication between my hon. Friend the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies and myself upon that subject. I understood my hon. Friend to give his own opinion as to the particular views entertained by my hon. Friend the Secretary to the Treasury on a particular subject. But with regard to the general question of repudiation of the opinion of Colleagues, I must say that my understanding has always been with regard to Members of the Government, not in the Cabinet, that their responsibility for particular measures began when they were called upon to take part in Parliament in respect to the proposals upon them outside the particular limits of their own duty.