HC Deb 11 February 1876 vol 227 cc226-7
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer (in the absence of the Prime Minister), Whether he will lay upon the Table of the House the Instructions to Mr. Cave in regard to his mission to Egypt, and any Correspondence between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the Khedive on the subject of that mission? Perhaps, the right hon. Gentleman will allow me to put another Question on the same subject to him which he may possibly be able to answer. He will, I suppose, have a very important statement to make on Monday next respecting the financial bearings of the purchase by Her Majesty's Government of the interest possessed by the Khedive in the shares of the Suez Canal; and I therefore wish to ask him, Whether it is the intention of the Government to ask the House on Monday evening to proceed to take the Vote which he will lay upon the Table of the House; or, whether the Government will, in accordance with what I conceive to be the convenience of hon. Members, as well as with our ordinary practice, give the House another opportunity of considering the statement which the right hon. Gentleman will have to make?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

As to the first Question, Sir, of the noble Lord, the mission of Mr. Cave is not yet completed; but there will be no objection to lay upon the Table of the House the Correspondence between the Government and the Khedive which led to the appointment of that mission and the instructions to Mr. Cave. Those Papers shall be printed in the course of this evening, and will, I hope, be in the hands of hon. Members before the discussion comes on on this subject on Monday night. In reply to the noble Lord's second Question, I may say that, as he did not give me Notice of it, I have not had an opportunity of consulting the right hon. Gentleman at the head of the Government in reference to it; but I am quite sure that there will be every disposition on the part of the Government to consult what may appear to be the wishes of the House on this matter. With reference to the Question which was put to me last night without Notice by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Bradford (Mr. W. E. Forster), I may take this opportunity of stating that the Papers of which he spoke, relating to the Concessions of the Company and to the Firmans by which those Concessions were granted, will be prepared and laid before the House, although I am afraid that it will take some time before that can be done. For the convenience of hon. Members who wish to know the nature of those Concessions, I may state that they are all contained in Volumes 55 and 56 of Hertslet's State Papers, which are in the Library. They will, however, be separately printed for the convenience of the House.

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

I wish to explain, Sir, that although I did not give the right hon. Gentleman Notice of my intention to put a Question to him on this subject this evening, I had reason to believe that my right hon. Friend the Member for Kinross (Mr. Adam) had asked the Secretary to the Treasury privately yesterday whether it was the intention of the Government to ask the House to take the Vote in question on Monday. I thought, therefore, that the matter had been brought under the notice of the right hon. Gentleman.

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

It was not mentioned to me.