MR. H. R. BRANDI beg to ask the right hon. Gentleman the First Lord of the Treasury a Question of which I have not given private Notice; but which I will postpone till another occasion if it is more convenient. It has reference to the very inconvenient practice which has sprung up of the publication of State Papers before they are presented to Members of both Houses. I make special reference to the publication of the secret Correspondence between the Russian Government and the late Ameer. The full text of that Correspondence appears in the "Standard" newspaper to-day; and I wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he will say how it is that these documents have been published in the "Standard" before they have been presented to this House?
MR. GLADSTONESir, with regard to the particular Papers which have appeared in The Standard this morning, I have not had time to examine them minutely, and I wish not to be understood as affirming that the text of those Papers is accurate. I do not know—I wish it to be understood that I do not affirm— that the text is correct. What I understand my hon. Friend expects from me is not an explanation of the manner in which this particular publication came about, but a statement upon the general question. I am of opinion that it is indecorous, to say the least of it, and highly disparaging to Members of this House that the publication of documents appertaining to the public interest, and intended for the cognizance of Parliament, should be made in the journals of the day before those Papers are in the hands of Members of this House. It is not always, as my hon. Friend knows, easy to counteract the extreme and, in a certain sense, laudable ingenuity which is continually at work to purvey news for the public; but I can assure my hon. Friend, both on principle and in consequence of the notice which the matter has justly attracted in this House, I will take care that, so far as Papers of this nature under the control of the Treasury 435 are concerned, the strictest injunctions shall be given upon the subject, and I fully anticipate that the heads of the various departments will take a similar course, so as to give to Parliament, so far as priority is concerned, all the satisfaction of which the matter admits.