§ MR. LABOUCHEREasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he would state what was the date of the first intimation that Her Majesty's Government received that the Coronation of the Czar would take place this year?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEA despatch was received on the 10th ultimo from Her Majesty's Ambassador at St. Petersburg, which enclosed the text of a Manifesto issued by the Czar announcing that the Coronation would be celebrated in May; and on the 22nd ultimo, Her Majesty's Government received from His Excellency a copy of a Note from the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs, inviting a Representative of Her Majesty to attend the ceremony. With regard to the expenses of the Special Embassy, it is proposed, as I indicated the other day, to follow the precedent of Lord Beaconsfield's Embassy to Berlin, and lay the Supplementary Estimate on the Table when the amount is clearly ascertained, so that it may be voted during the present Session. I may add that the Estimates for the financial year are prepared early in January, and that it would have caused considerable inconvenience to add to them the cost of this Embassy, which was not decided upon until the end of February.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREWill it be laid upon the Table before His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh goes to Moscow?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI cannot answer that Question to-day; because, if my hon. Friend would follow what I have stated, he will see that I have made the presentation of the Estimate contingent on an accurate knowledge of the probable amount of the expenditure.
§ MR. LABOUCHERECan the noble Lord not make a general Estimate of what the expenditure is likely to be? That can be done now.
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI shall present the Estimate as soon as I possibly can.
§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFIs it not possible for the noble Lord to lay on the Table an approximate Estimate?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI think that Question is practically the same as that which I answered just now.