§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he could explain why the grave discrepancies in the reported conversation between Earl Granville and M. Challemel-Lacour, printed in Des- 933 patch 44, page 58, of the Yellow Book on the Affairs of Egypt, presented to the French Chamber, and which, as reported, were calculated to convey a totally erroneous impression of the Egyptian policy of Her Majesty's Government, were allowed to go uncontradicted until the attention of Her Majesty's Government was specially directed to the alleged utterances of Earl Granville by a question in Parliament, although some time had elapsed since the presentation of the Yellow Book to the French Chamber, and the publication of the above-mentioned Despatch in the press in England and on the Continent?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, before replying to the hon. Member, I must first protest against Questions of this kind, which serve no public interest, which take up considerable time of the House and of the Department concerned, and which impede the proper conduct of foreign affairs. Having said thus much, I may state that the hon. Member is mistaken in every one of the implications stated in his Question. The first copy of the Yellow Book on Egyptian Affairs reached the Foreign Office on Monday morning last, the 26th, having been despatched by Lord Lyons on Sunday, his Lordship stating at that time he was quite unable to obtain more than one copy. It was looked through in the ordinary course by the heads of the French and Turkish Departments, Lord Tenterden and myself, and then by Lord Granville; and, on the following afternoon, immediately after reading it, Lord Granville gave orders for the drafting of the despatch to Lord Lyons which I mentioned yesterday. The draft was written out on Tuesday afternoon, approved by Lord Granville on the same day; the despatch was written out on Wednesday, and forwarded to Lord Lyons on Wednesday night.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSI should like to ask the hon. Baronet, Whether, when he had that information in his possession, it would not have been more in accordance with courtesy if he had given me that answer when I asked him before?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEThe hon. Member, so far as I am aware, never put this Question before. He simply asked whether any answer had been made to the French Government, and I said it had immediately.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSsaid, he asked whether these statements were correct or not; and, of course, if the hon. Baronet was in possession of information that they were incorrect, he ought to have stated it. Moreover, he might say, although the official Papers were not in possession of the Foreign Office, they were printed in the French Figaro on Sunday. [Cries of "Order!"]
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEI really must protest against the idea that the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs derives his impression of French official Correspondence from extracts printed in The Figaro newspaper, and if it were necessary to add a single word to that protest, it would be that nothing but mere extracts did appear, and that the whole documents were, of course, necessary to any consideration of the subject. Moreover, it would have been utterly without precedent, and entirely contrary to all proper conduct of foreign affairs, if any representation on that subject had been made until the official documents themselves had been received. They were forwarded at the earliest possible moment, and when the hon. Member says he has already put a Question on a former occasion regarding the incorrectness of these statements, I answered that Question as to their incorrectness fully yesterday.
§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked whether a conversation between Lord Granville and M. Challemel-Lacour was recorded in a despatch to Lord Lyons, in accordance with the invariable custom; and, if so, whether that despatch would be included in the Papers to be laid on the Table?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKE, in reply, said, there was a record of a conversation, but a very short one. There were three different conversations between Lord Granville and M. Challemel-Lacour within a few days of each other. The particular one referred to was not recorded at any length; but if his hon. Friend would give Notice of the Question he would answer it in detail.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether there is any objection to lay on the Table of the House the Despatch containing the view taken by Lord Granville of the report of the conversation between Lord Granville and. M. Challemel-Lacour?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKE, in reply, said, that the Papers would be laid before Parliament, and he would ask his noble Friend (Earl Granville) whether the despatch in question could or would not be produced as a separate document?