HC Deb 28 April 1884 vol 287 cc756-7
BARON HENRY DE WORMS

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he will explain his assertion, as given in The République Française, that correspondence of a strictly confidential character has taken place with the French Government on the subject of Tonquin, seeing that, since M. Challemel-Lacour was French Minister in London, no communication has passed on that subject?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

The hon. Member has made a mistake in taking the account from The République Française, and not from The Times newspaper. If he had referred to The Times he would have seen I never used the expression "confidential correspondence." I said that certain confidential communications had taken place, and that was perfectly correct.