§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTEsaid, he would request permission to be allowed to make a personal explanation respecting something which fell from him on Friday before the adjournment of the House for the recess, and which had, he believed, caused some annoyance to his hon. Friend (Mr. Cavendish Bentinck). His hon. Friend was hurt, first, at a statement which, as he thought, implied that he had spoken of Mr. Herbert's charge for the fresco in the House of Lords without that gentleman's authority; and secondly, because he had received no notice as to this statement. The facts were these:—In coming down to the House early on Friday morning to attend a Committee, he (Sir Stafford Northcote) met Mr. Herbert, who seemed much distressed at the newspaper report of what his (Sir Stafford Northcote's) hon. Friend had stated, and said he was most anxious it should be understood that he had uttered nothing that could be considered disrespectful either to the House or the Government. Mr. Herbert asked his advice, and he recommended him to communicate with his hon. Friend, who might then make a statement to the House; and he added, that if Mr. Herbert could not find his hon. Friend, he would then himself make such a statement. On coming into the House that evening, he did not find his hon. Friend present, and he, therefore, said what he did. He had apologized to his hon. Friend for not having given him notice, but he had fully understood that Mr. Herbert would do so. He had since heard that Mr. Herbert did see his hon. Friend, and it was arranged between them that nothing should be said on the subject; but as Mr. Herbert did not let him (Sir Stafford Northcote) know this, he had heard nothing about the matter. He had had a full account of the conversation which had taken place between his hon. Friend and Mr. Herbert, and though he would not trouble the House with the details of the conversation, he might say, and 516 Mr. Herbert himself admitted, that the inference drawn by his hon. Friend from what passed was not an unnatural one, and that his hon. Friend might consider he was fairly justified in stating what he did. Mr. Herbert, however, positively maintained that nothing was further from his thought than to appear to dictate terms to the Government or the House. All he meant to say was, that it would be impossible for him to continue his work in the House unless he received such a remuneration as would justify him in doing so.
§ MR. CAVENDISH BENTINCKsaid, it was unnecessary for him after the explanation just made to assert that he had, as he thought, sufficient authority for the statement which he had addressed to the House on Thursday, and that he had not absented himself on the Friday from any wish to evade responsibility. Not only did he feel a great admiration for Mr. Herbert as an artist, but he entertained a sincere regard for him as a friend, and he would not, therefore, have said anything which he thought likely to distress him or prejudice his interest. At the same time, after the statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he considered it his duty to express his view as strongly as he could that Mr. Herbert was entitled to £5,000, not as a matter of justice, but of right.