HC Deb 21 February 1890 vol 341 cc891-3
MR. COBB (Warwick, S. E., Rugby)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Government propose to take any step as to the Report of the Special Commission, after the decision of the House has been taken upon the Resolution of which he has given notice?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. H. SMITH, Strand, Westminster)

I can only tell the hon. Member that the question has neither been raised nor considered by Her Majesty's Government.

MR. LABOUCHERE

I beg to ask the right hon. Gentleman, has the Treasury asked for, and been furnished with, a list of the witnesses, or of any of the witnesses, before the late Special Commission; and, if so, with what object; and whether, before any Vote for the expenses of these witnesses is asked for, he will give an assurance that Members will be furnished with a list of the witnesses in regard to whom moneys are to be paid?

THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. JACKSON, Leeds, N.)

No application has been made to the Treasury for the payment of the expenses of the witnesses. The Treasury has no information on the subject.

MR. LABOUCHERE

Perhaps the First Lord of the Treasury will answer the second part of the question?

MR. W. H. SMITH

I can hardly undertake to give an assurance that Members will be furnished with a list of witnesses in regard to matters on which we have no information directly or indirectly.

MR. LABOUCHERE

What I want to know is this. Does the right hon. Gentleman, or do the Government, con- template paying for any witnesses who came before the Special Commission?

MR. W. H. SMITH

We certainly do not contemplate making any expenditure, or asking the House to incur any expenditure, when we have not been asked to do so.

MR. WALLACE (Edinburgh, E.)

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the officials of the Library have no information as to the Report of the evidence given before the Special Commission to which lie referred yesterday, and which the right hon. Gentleman described as being different from that given in the daily newspapers, and can the right hon. Gentleman state in what manner access to that Report can be obtained?

MR. W. H. SMITH

I was led yesterday into a mis-statement in saying that the evidence taken before the Royal Commission was in the Library. I was under that impression when the right hon. Gentleman opposite requested that it should be furnished. I regret that I was led into a mis-statement. The evidence I referred to is the evidence which has been printed by order of the Royal Commission, consisting of 11 volumes. There is no other evidence or Report. That evidence will be placed in the Library with as little delay as possible, and I regret that it has not already been placed there. I am asked a question as to furnishing the evidence to Members who desire to have it; every exertion will be made by the Stationery Office to place it within the reach of hon. Members as soon as it can be furnished.

MR. WALLACE

Does the right hon. Gentleman intend that his Motion with regard to the Special Commission shall be postponed until the evidence has been a reasonable time in the Library, or has been furnished to Members?

MR. W. H. SMITH

I anticipated that some questions would be asked by hon. Gentlemen opposite on this subject, and I intended to say that, as I find it probable that the discussion on the Address will not be entirely concluded this evening, the Government will not ask the House to consider the Resolution of which I gave notice on Monday. And further, communications have been made to me that it would be inconvenient, under the circumstances of the case, to hon. Gentlemen below the Gangway that the debate should be entered upon at an early day next week. The circumstances of the case are, in my humble judgment, urgent; and therefore I propose to come to some understanding in the course of the evening as to the day on which the debate will be taken, and to make a statement on the subject before the adjournment of the House to-night. I should hope that it will be possible to tike the Supplementary Estimates in the course of next week, and in that event I should have to give notice of a request to the House to give facilities for that purpose; and if the day were a convenient one for the consideration of the Motion of which I have given notice I should probably fix it for Monday, the 3rd of March. But I desire to make that arrangement so as to meet as far as possible the convenience of Members in all parts of the House.

MR. M. HEALY

Is the House to conclude that the Chief Secretary will introduce his Bill before the debate on the Report of the Commission?

MR. W. H. SMITH

That must depend on the course of public business. I have stated that it is absolutely necessary that we should have a certain amount of Supply before the end of the financial year; and I should not be justified in allowing next week to pass without taking some Supply, if we are not able to take the whole.

MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)

Will the speech of the Attorney General be included in the volumes?

MR. W. H. SMITH

I am informed that it is included in the volumes.