§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, with regard to his statement relating to Assab Bay, Her Majesty's Government have recommended the Government of Egypt to agree to the demand of Italy with regard to that harbour; and, what is the exact position of the negotiations on the subject of the Italian establishment at Assab, and of the projected Convention between the Italian and Egyptian Governments? The hon. Member further asked if the right hon. Gentleman was aware that a Bill was presented in the Roman Chamber by Signor Mancini, on the 12th of June, with reference to the Italian establishment in Assab Bay, which declared it to be an Italian colony, made it a free port, exempted the natives from taxation for 30 years, 1269 declared that their religion would be respected, and gave the Italian Government the right of making concessions of land and concluding treaties with neighbouring rulers; and, whether, under the circumstances, the right hon. Gentleman still adheres to his previous answer that there has been no recent cession of Assab Bay to the Italians?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, the hon. Member has taken a most extraordinary course. He has asked the Prime Minister a long Question on foreign policy without giving any Notice of it. I must say that anything more remarkable I have never seen in all my experience.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSThe statement to which I referred has only just appeared; but as it was antecedent to the answer of the Prime Minister that no cession had been made of Assab Bay, or that, at all events, the Government were not cognizant of any cession, I thought I was in Order in pointing out a want of knowledge on the part of Her Majesty's Government.
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEThe hon. Gentleman has given no reason whatever for not putting the Question on the Notice Paper. ["Order!"] He has not given any shadow of a reason. [Renewed cries of "Order!"] More extraordinary conduct—
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSI must appeal to you, Sir, whether the hon. Baronet is in Order in using such language?
§ MR. SPEAKERIf I understand the hon. Baronet correctly, he desires that the Question should be put on the Paper. If so, he is within his right.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSI was alluding, not to the Question being put on the Paper, but to the censure which the hon. Baronet made.
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEI not only must maintain that censure, but I must increase it.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSI must appeal to you, Sir.
§ MR. SPEAKERI did not interfere with regard to the Question of the hon. Member for Greenwich, as I did not think it was out of Order; but in so far as he puts a Question which is not on the Paper, the hon. Baronet has a perfect right to complain of that part of the Question which was put without Notice.
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSMy hon. Friend called your attention, Sir, not to the hon. Baronet declining to answer the Question, but to the terms of censure which he used.
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEI have said, Sir, that I have never known anything more extraordinary than the course taken by the hon. Member with regard to this Question; and I was going on to say, when I was interrupted, that I not only maintain the censure which I gave at first—[Loud cries of "Order!"and "Withdraw!"]
§ MR. SPEAKERI am bound to say that if any hon. Member, in putting a Question, which he does entirely within his own right, is subject to censure, that censure should come from the Chair.
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEThe censure, Sir—[Loud cries of "Withdraw!"] In consequence of repeated interruptions, I have never been allowed to finish my sentence. The course adopted by the hon. Member, to which I wish to call attention, began with the Question of which he gave public Notice to the Prime Minister about 10 days ago. The hon. Member wished to ask whether the Prime Minister was aware of the fact that Her Majesty's Government had recently ceded Assab Bay to Italy? These words were struck out at the Table, after public Notice was given; and I am very sorry the Question was so altered, because the Prime Minister would have been able to have made a most indignant reply to the Question in the form in which public Notice was given.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSI rise to Order. I never stated anything of the sort.
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEI am not speaking of the Question which appeared on the Paper, but of the previous Question.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSI have a copy of it here. I was perfectly cognizant of the fact that the British Government could not cede Assab Bay to Italy, as it did not belong to the British Government. The words of my Question were these—"And also in view of the recent cession of Assab Bay to Italy;" but not by Her Majesty's Government.
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEI was speaking, not of the terms of the Question as it was put on the Paper, but of 1271 the terms of the Question as it was originally given by the hon. Member, and as it was first printed.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSI beg to repeat, Sir, that I never said anything of the sort.
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEI will place the Question as originally printed before the hon. Member. With regard to the Question on the Paper, I must ask the hon. Member to reserve his desire for further knowledge of the details until the Papers, which we are now bringing out rapidly, are laid upon the Table. I would remind the hon. Member that three weeks ago I answered the Question as it now stands on the Paper.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSI beg to give Notice, Sir, that in consequence of the answer of the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, I shall, on the earliest opportunity, draw the attention of the House to this subject, and move a Resolution. As I cannot allow these words to go uncontroverted, I may state that the Question which I put today is not in the least degree similar to the one which the hon. Baronet answered last week.
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEThe Question to which I referred was asked by the hon. Member several weeks ago, and led to a discussion across the Table between my right hon. Friend on the Front Bench opposite (Mr. Bourke) and myself. My right hon. Friend said that the Italian flag was not flying at Assab Bay when the late Government left Office. I said it was flying there when the late Government left Office, and that was the case.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSI will repeat my Question on Monday.
§ MR. BOURKEI never suggested that the late Government gave their sanction to the cession of Assab Bay—quite the reverse.
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEThe present Government also have done nothing with regard to the cession of Assab Bay. They proposed an agreement between Turkey, Italy, and Egypt on the subject. That was declined. It fell to the ground, and nothing whatever was done.
§ MR. BOURKEDid not you recommend the Khedive to cede Assab Bay?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEThe Italians were already at Assab Bay at the time when the late Government went out of Office. We recommended that 1272 the position should be "regularized," and that there should be an agreement between the Porte, the Khedive, and the Italian Government on the subject. That agreement was declined. It never came to anything, and nothing whatever was done.
§ MR. BOURKErose, amid cries of "Chair!"and "Order!" to make some further remarks, when—
§ MR. SPEAKERThe House will, perhaps, allow me to say that in Questions of this character Notice should be given.