§ Mr. Escottwished to know whether any Members of the late Government would oppose the production of papers concerning the commencement of the war in Afghanistan in the year 1839.
§ Sir J. Hobhousesaid, that in the year 1839, various papers had been laid before both Houses of Parliament giving the fullest information that could be required upon the subject. He begged to remind the House of what then occurred. At the opening of Parliament, in the year 1839, the Queen, in her Speech from the Throne, called attention to the sub- 308 ject, and it was then stated that all necessary information should be laid before Parliament respecting the intended expedition. The Duke of Wellington and the right hon. Baronet now at the head of the Government expressed a hope that full information would be given. Both in the Lords and in that House frequent reference had been made to the subject in the course of the year 1839, and seven different sets of papers were laid upon the Table of the House of Commons, but from the moment the papers were produced, nothing further was heard on the subject, and, if silence gave consent, there could be no doubt that the Members of the present Government were satisfied with the information which they then received, for the right hon. Baronet now at the Home-office gave notice of a motion which he did not take the trouble to bring forward so soon as he found "that the papers were produced, and, whatever might have been previously threatened, no motion condemnatory of their conduct was brought forward. All he had to say was, that full information had already been given, that the papers laid before Parliament went into the question in great detail, and that at the time, he and his Friends were prepared to discuss the whole question.