§ MR. M'ARTHURasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, as he proposes that this House should vote a sum of money to Ex-Governor Eyre, he will also recommend that compensation be made to Mrs. G. W. Gordon for the heavy losses she has sustained in consequence of the execution of her husband and the destruction of her property?
MR. GLADSTONESir, my hon. Friend, in the terms of his Question, perceives a connection and parallelism between the two cases which we do not perceive. The case of ex-Governor Eyre, as it presents itself to us, is this. We found from correspondence, and communications in the Office, which had been going on that a virtual pledge or honourable engagement had been entered into by our predecessors that a certain Estimate should be presented to Parliament to reimburse certain expenses incurred by ex-Governor Eyre, and we deem it our duty to recognize that engagement in the way I described on a former day. Now, there is nothing parallel to that in the case of Mrs. Gordon. The case of Mrs. Gordon was brought before the Government in 1870, 1526 and was then examined, the conclusion to which we came—not at all considering it in connection with Mr. Eyre's case—being that it would not be right to submit any Estimate to the House of Commons upon that subject. Moreover, I ought to point out another difference. The claim of ex-Governor Eyre, if any, is a claim manifestly suitable to be dealt with by this House, he having been a servant of the Crown; but the claim of Mrs. Gordon, if any, was clearly one to be entertained, if at all, by the Government of Jamaica.