§ MR. NEWDEGATEasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the Government intend to complete the Return, presented on the 4th of this month, in answer to the Address of 27th of July 1874, with respect to the Laws of Foreign States relating to Monastic and Conventual Institutions, by adopting the suggestions made by Herrvon Bülow, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the German Empire, in his letter to Mr. Adams, dated June 11th, 1874, and given on page 12 of the Return, by applying for the required information to the proper officers of the Prussian Government, and to those of the Governments of the other German 79 States, or by otherwise procuring copies of the Laws of the above States which have been published and relate to the subject-matter of the Address; whether the Government will procure and furnish the extract from "the work of Rönne (Das Staatesrecht der Preusseschen Monarchie)," especially mentioned by Herr von Bülow as containing valuable information; whether any communication has been made to the representative of Her Majesty's Government in Brazil, urging him to obtain published copies of the Laws in that Empire relating to the subject-matter of the Address, should the Brazilian Government further delay furnishing such information; and, when any further Papers in completion of those presented on the 4th of this month are likely to be furnished to Members of this House?
§ MR. BOURKESir, in accordance with the Order of the House, we applied to the German Government for all the laws, ordinances, and precepts affecting the Convents and Monastic Institutions at present in force in the German Empire. We received the letter upon the subject from Herr von Bülow which is mentioned in the Question; but I do not gather from that letter that there is any suggestion of the nature alluded to by my hon. Friend. That letter points out, among other things, that Church affairs do not fall within the competence of the Imperial authority, and that no Imperial law has been issued on the subject; but that the laws of the several Federal States affecting the Roman Catholic Convents are very various, and that many disputes have arisen as to their effect upon Convents recently established; and Herr von Bülow mentions a work by a gentleman of the name of Rönne, in which a detailed examination of those laws is set forth. That work is said to be a very learned one, and I would recommend my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire, if he wishes for further information, to procure a copy of the work for himself. That is the state of the case. Under those circumstances, I am afraid Her Majesty's Government cannot undertake the task proposed to them by my hon. Friend—by applying to the officers of the various German States for copies of the laws in question. And with regard to the excellent work of Herr Rönne, Her Majesty's Government 80 do not think that the House would expect them to place it on the Table in the form of a Parliamentary Paper. With regard to Brazil, Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Rio has stated that he had been promised copies of all the laws and ordinances relating to these Institutions, and he hoped to be able to send them by the mail of the 24th of January. In a further despatch, Mr. Drummond reported that he had not up to that time succeeded in obtaining those documents, but he hoped to do so in a few days. I am not prepared to lay on the Table any other Papers upon this subject.
§ MR. NEWDEGATEasked, whether Her Majesty's Government objected to apply to the Governments of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, and other German States for information on the subject-matter of the Address voted last July?
§ MR. BOURKEI think I can best answer my hon. Friend's Question, by reading an extract from Herr Von Billow's letter—
A most lengthy correspondence would be necessary to obtain the required materials from all the Prussian Provinces and from the 24 other Federal States, which materials would have to be submitted to a scientific elucidation and criticism before they would be serviceable to the British Government—a task which the Foreign Office, with the most earnest wish to make these explanations clear and useful, scarcely feels itself capable of undertaking.
§ MR. NEWDEGATEsaid, the hon. Gentleman had not answered the Question. What he had asked was, whether Her Majesty's Government objected to apply to the Government of Prussia, to the Government of Bavaria, to the Government of Saxony, and to the other German States, for the information required by this House under the Return ordered on the 27th July, 1874?
§ MR. BOURKEI have, Sir, already informed my hon. Friend that we have done our best to get the information from the Imperial Government of Germany, the proper authority to apply to both as to Prussia and Saxony.
§ MR. NEWDEGATEsaid, the Government of this Country had been informed——["Question!"]
§ MR. SPEAKERpointed out that the hon. Member was not at liberty to raise a debate on the question.
§ MR. NEWDEGATEsaid, he would repeat his Question on Tuesday next.