§ SIR CHARLES FORSTERasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he has received any information to-day respecting the condition of the German Emperor?
§ MR. BOURKESir, we have received a telegram this morning from Lord Odo Russell, in which he says that His Majesty has passed a good night, and that his state was satisfactory this morning. I have also seen a telegram from the German Embassy, to the effect that His Majesty's state was considered satisfactory by the doctors, and that there was much less pain this morning than yesterday.
§ MR. NEWDEGATEWith reference to the suggestion which I ventured to make yesterday to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, I wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman, Whether he has found any precedent which would justify his proposing some Motion or form of Address whereby the House might express its detestation and abhorrence at this second attempt which has been made upon the life of the Emperor of Germany?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, I have been unable to find in any of the recent precedents of this House any case in which a Vote of the character referred to has been proposed to or passed by this House, with the exception of the case of the assassination of President Lincoln. That was a case in which the deed had been completed and in which an Address expressing sympathy with those who had been bereaved, and horror at the crime which had been committed, was adopted by both branches of the Legislature. There is no precedent for an Address in the case of an attempt upon the life of any Sovereign; and I cannot help thinking that there might be inconvenience in introducing a precedent which we might possibly be asked to follow in other case in which it might be less convenient to 1170 adopt such a course than it would be at the present moment in this particular case, on which the feeling of the House would be so unanimous. But, Sir, in the few words which I ventured to say last night, which were echoed so much better by the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition, and which were so emphatically cheered and sympathized with by the whole of the House, I think I expressed the general feeling of the country. I would only further say that my noble Friend the Secretary of State or Foreign Affairs (the Marquess of Salisbury) has already, in the name of England, expressed to the German Government the sense, which he is so well able to express, of the feeling entertained throughout the country in regard to the crime. In these circumstances, I do not think it necessary that any further expression of feeling on the part of the House should be given.