MR. GOLDSMIDasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, considering that the American Case had been presented to the Senate by the 870 United States Government, he would now present it to the House?
MR. GLADSTONEI stated to my hon. Friend on a former occasion that we were not authorized, in consequence of the presentation of the American Case to the Senate, to present it to the Houses of Parliament, because a presentation to the Senate is a presentation to a co-ordinate body, and it is, therefore, a confidential and not a public presentation. But, at the same time, the circumstances of this case are very peculiar, because that kind of publicity, or half publicity, which has been given to it, seemed to render it desirable, with the permission of the American Government, that we should make it known to both Houses of Parliament in a regular manner. Application has been made to ascertain whether the Government of the United States have any objection to the presentation of the American Case to the two Houses of Parliament, and the American Minister has very courteously replied that no objection is entertained. If my hon. Friend moves for the production of this volume—it is already in type, in consequence of what has taken place in the Foreign Office—it will be produced as an unopposed Return, and I am in hopes it will be distributed almost immediately.