§ SIR JAMES ELPHINSTONEsaid, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether Sir Sidney 1428 Dacres was consulted as to the terms and provisions of the late scheme of retirement while it was under consideration; and, if so, whether he approved of the measure in all its parts and arrangements?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, I think the House will agree with me that the course taken by the hon. Member is a very unusual one, and ought not to form a precedent. I stated, in reply to his former Question, that my gallant Colleague the First Sea Lord (Sir Sidney Dacres) concurred with me in the scheme of retirement which we submitted for Her Majesty's approval; but my hon. Friend now presses me for details as to the extent to which that gallant officer was consulted, and the exact nature of his concurrence. Sir, I, as First Lord of the Admiralty, and in conjunction with my Colleagues in the Cabinet, am responsible for the advice given to Her Majesty as to the government of the Navy; and it is unusual, and would be inconvenient, that I should be thus repeatedly asked to state to what extent any confidential officer, whose duty it may be to advise me on any part of the business of the Department, did or did not concur with me in the recommendation I may have made to Her Majesty. As, however, I answered this Question in general terms before, and in order to avoid any misapprehension, I repeat that my gallant Colleague did concur with me in all the details of the Orders in Council, and that I consulted him throughout their preparation, which occupied us for five or six months.