§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether his attention has been called to the report of a speech delivered in the Reichstag by Prince Bismarck, as reported in The Times of the 4th March, in which he says, in reference to Egypt—
I therefore did not advise England 'to take it,' but, on the contrary, dissuaded her from annexing it as urgently as was possible in my disinterested position;and, how far Her Majesty's Government can reconcile this declaration with a statement made elsewhere by Lord Granville, to the effect that—The policy of the Government has never yet been in accord with the advice with regard to Egypt which he (Prince Bismarck) gave to the late Government and ourselves, namely to take it?
MR. GLADSTONEThe hon. Gentleman asks me to reconcile a statement made by Earl Granville with a speech of Prince Bismarck reported yesterday, they appearing not to be in harmony one with the other. My impressions upon the matter had been the same as those of my noble Friend; but I think my hon. Friend will agree with me I had better not enter upon the subject at present, as I do not think any public advantage will arise from it, and I have reason to believe that my noble Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs will, in his place in the other House, make a statement upon the subject shortly.