§ MR. LOCKEsaid, he wished to inquire, Whether the Government would lay on the table the statistics referred to by the noble Viscount (Viscount Cranbourne) as having been laid before the Cabinet a fortnight since?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERNo papers have been before the Cabinet which have not been laid on the table of the House. I believe that the House is in possession of all the information the Cabinet have. I have, however, given instructions that for the convenience of Members certain new information shall be prepared and printed, but I regret that it is not yet ready. I am unable to account for the delay, but I will make inquiry as to the reason.
§ MR. HORSMANWe understood from the noble Lord the Member for Stamford (Viscount Cranbourne) that certain figures were given to him and other Members of the Cabinet on which they were to found their opinion as to the measure that was to be proposed. The noble Lord said that those figures at first sight appeared to be favourable to the proposal, but on a closer examination did not. It is desirable that the House should see what were the figures before the noble Lord and the other seceding Members of the Cabinet on which they were to come to a conclusion. 1649 I wish to make my Question intelligible, so I will conclude with a Motion. As we are approaching very near to the time when we shall have to consider the measure of the Government, surely we ought to have before us the best information they can give us. My hon. Friend has asked for what I think we are entitled to receive—namely, the figures which were supplied to the noble Lord and his late Colleagues to enable them to judge of the real bearing and effect of the measure that was to be introduced by the Government. It is obvious that out of the information laid on the table certain figures were extracted, embodied in some form or other, and submitted to the noble Lord. It is desirable that the House also should have that information before it. I beg to move the adjournment of the House.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House do now adjourn."—(Mr. Horsman.)
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERI do not think a Reform discussion would be very convenient to the House at this moment. Whatever information may come before the Cabinet shall be placed before the House. I believe, however, that in that information there is likely to be nothing very novel. At the same time, it is possible that some further information may be furnished to the House, and I undertake that it shall be in the hands of the Members very shortly.
VISCOUNT CRANBOURNEAs I alluded to this subject on a former occasion, it is necessary, in order to make my own statement clear, that I should say that I understood, when certain figures were laid before the Cabinet, that they were figures which had been obtained from the Departments for that purpose, and that they were new. So I understood them; but, of course, in that I may have been mistaken. They were exceedingly scanty and few in number, and the investigation of which I spoke was mainly directed to comparing these figures which were sums total with the more detailed information contained in the voluminous Returns laid before the House last year.
§ Motion, by leave, withdrawn.