§ MR. KENNAWAYasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he will take measures of the same character to acquaint the people of this metropolis and the country generally with the gracious letter of Her Majesty written to himself on Thursday last, as were adopted for the information of the people during the illness of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales?
MR. GLADSTONESir, I have made inquiry, but I have not been able to find that the announcements made during the illness of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, by affixing telegrams at certain points, were measures taken by the Government. At Marlborough House such telegrams were put up; but I do not know that it was done by any authority of the Government. As to the general question, independently of the question by whom it was done, I need hardly point out that these telegrams were put up from hour to hour almost for the purpose of anticipating the intelligence of the newspapers, for which, at such a time, it was, of course, not desirable to wait. They were not used as means of record, but simply in anticipation of the public journals, and I cannot arrive at the opinion that any advantage would be gained in a case of this kind, where the public journals have already so widely disseminated the letter of Her Majesty.