§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERI will take this opportunity of making an appeal to the hon. Member for Gloucester (Mr. Monk) who has given Notice of an Amendment on the third reading of the Consolidated Fund Bill, with reference to the delay which occurred in presenting to Parliament the despatches of Colonel Wellesley to the Earl of Derby, dated the 20th July and the 7th August, 1877. I will venture to ask the hon. Gentleman not to proceed with this Motion at the present time, as it might give rise to a debate which I think might be inconvenient to the public service. With regard to the point of time to which the hon. Gentleman calls attention, and to which no doubt his own attention is exclusively directed, I may state that the reason for not presenting these despatches earlier, was that they were of a strictly confidential character, and it would not have been possible to make them public at that time, as their publication would have been objected to by the Emperor of Russia. I hope there will be no discussion at the present time.
§ MR. MONKSir, I wish to disclaim any intention of raising a discussion on the general policy of the Government in reference to the war in the East, by placing this Motion on the Paper. That is a question which will, I hope, be raised at a proper time by those who, according to Parliamentary and Constitutional practice, are entitled to do so. I certainly had hoped to be able to bring forward this Question on the present occasion. The Answer which the right hon. Gentleman has given me in anticipation is not, I must remark, entirely satisfactory. It may account for the non-production of the despatches in July; but it does not account for Ministerial statements in November. But I feel it would be impossible for a private Member to oppose his judgment at a crisis like the present to that of the responsible Ministers of the Crown, and, therefore, I will yield to the appeal made to me, and not proceed at present with my Amendment.