HC Deb 20 July 1883 vol 282 cc40-1
MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether any ships of war have lately been ordered to the Mauritius or to Madagascar; and, if so, whether he can state their names and size; and, whether he can give the number and strength of the French fleet now at the Island of Madagascar?

Mr. CAMPBELL - BANNERMAN

Sir, I told the hon. Member yesterday that no additional ships of war have been sent to Madagascar. The fuller information he now asks for I must, with all respect to the House, decline to give; and I venture to appeal to the House whether some mischief may not even be done by such a Question being put on the Paper?

MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT

I beg to state that I put the Question at the request of the hon. Member yesterday. If the Question had been answered when I first put it on the Paper four days ago, it would have saved a great deal of the time of the House.

MR. CAMPBELL - BANNERMAN

Sir, the Question the hon. Member put to me yesterday was, whether certain ships had been sent to the Mauritius? But now he puts a Question, asking the size and names of the ships; and, also, in juxtaposition, an inquiry as to the strength of the French force in those seas. It is because that juxtaposition brings out apparently the motive of the Question that I declined to answer it.

MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT

I will withdraw the last paragraph of the Question, as the hon. Member puts that construction upon it; and I beg now to ask him, if he will state whether any British ships of war have been sent to the Mauritins?

MR. CAMPBELL - BANNERMAN

Sir, the evil, such as it is, which I anticipated from the Question has been already done; and, under those circumstances, I must decline to answer the Question altogether.

MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT

I beg to give Notice that, on going into Committee of Supply, I shall call attention to the evasive answers on this subject by the noble Lord, the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the hon. Gentleman the Secretary to the Admiralty; and, moreover, to the terror displayed by Her Majesty's Government to state what they have done in these matters.