HC Deb 11 June 1883 vol 280 cc218-20
MR. BOURKE

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, What Department of the Foreign Office will be charged with making and keeping for the purposes of transmission, a record of Mr. Errington's proceedings during his protracted and repeated visits to Rome?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

No Department of the Foreign Office will be charged with making and keeping the record of any Correspondence with Mr. Errington. The record of it will eventually be placed in the archives of the Office for the information of successive Secretaries of State.

SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF

Is there no record to be kept now, or is it only to be made when Lord Granville retires from Office?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

That was what was stated at the time by the Prime Minister—"For the information of succeeding Secretaries of State."

SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF

The right hon. Gentleman at the head of the Government said the Correspondence would be placed on record at once, and not when the Government left Office. I do not think the present arrangement a fair fulfilment of that promise. The noble Lord has not signified in what Department the record will be kept.

MR. GLADSTONE

My intention was to signify that the record should be kept from time to time as convenience dictated.

MR. DAWSON

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether his attention has been called to the following resolution unanimously adopted by the Town Commissioners of Longford on last Wednesday, viz.— That we no longer desire to offer to Mr. Errington advice or suggestion, and only wish to make known to all whom it may concern that in anything said or done by him during the last three years, he is not to be understood as speaking for, or in any way representing, the people of Longford, who are of almost one mind in resenting the part which it is believed Mr. Errington has taken in influencing His Holiness the Pope to issue a circular letter to the Bishops condemnatory of Mr. Parnell and his policy; and, whether, after such declaration, Her Majesty's Government will retain him as a confidential medium of communication upon Irish affairs with the Holy See?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

Notwithstanding the respect which is due to the Town Commissioners of Longford by Her Majesty's Government, it is not intended by Lord Granville to make any variation in his relations with Mr. Errington.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

May I ask the noble Lord whether he accepts the definition contained in the Question as to the Government retaining Mr. Errington as a "confidential medium of communication upon Irish affairs with the Holy See?"

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

No, Sir; I carefully avoided doing so.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

Is Mr. Errington still at Rome making communications with the Pope? I will ask that Question to-morrow.