MR. WHITEsaid, he wished to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether that perfect identity of sentiment still exists between the Government of Her Majesty and the Court of France, with regard to the future government of the Danubian Principalities as announced in his declaration on the 4th of May last. The announcement made by the right hon. Gentlemen the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the 4th of May gave unqualified satisfaction to a great majority of the Members of that House; but re- 882 ports had since been circulated which might lead to the supposition that the Governments of France and England were not in such perfect accord upon this subject as might have been anticipated from the former statement of the right hon. Gentleman, and he therefore begged to put the question of which he had given notice.
§ MR. HORSMANrequested the Chancellor of the Exchequer to inform the House, for the convenience of hon. Members, what business would be taken on Monday.
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, that with reference to the business of the House, it would probably be necessary to proceed on Monday with the Committee on the India Bill. As the suggestion he had made had not been complied with, he could scarcely hope that such progress would be made with the India Bill to-night as to justify him in asking the House to go into Committe again to-morrow. He did not propose a morning sitting on Monday, as he believed it would be very inconvenient to many hon. Members; and, as the Government had been compelled to appeal to the courtesy of hon. Gentlemen so far as the frequency of morning sittings was concerned, he was anxious, as far as was consistent with the progress of public business, to consult their convenience. He proposed, therefore, that there should be an evening sitting on Monday, when they would proceed with the India Bill, and when he hoped they would pass the measure through Committee. With reference to the question of the hon. Member for Plymouth (Mr. White) as to the statement made by him (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) on the 4th of May, that perfect identity of sentiment existed between the British and French Government with regard to the future Government of the Danubian Principalities, he begged to remind the House that the Conference of Paris was still sitting, and that the first Resolution at which the Members of that conference arrived was that the strictest secrecy should be observed with respect to all that took place at the conference. So far as he could form an opinion that secrecy had not been violated, and he was sure the hon. Gentleman would not expect him, on the part of Her Majesty's Government, to set the example of violating such a Resolution.
§ The Motion for the Adjournment of the House was then withdrawn.