HC Deb 03 March 1890 vol 341 cc1652-4
MR. E. ROBERTSON (Dundee)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty a question of which I have given him private notice, namely, whether he is correctly reported in the Times this morning as having said at St. Pancras on Saturday evening, referring to a speech delivered in Committee of the House by the senior Member for Northampton (Mr. Labouchere), that— He himself listened with amazement to Mr. Labouchere as he sat there deliberately concocting and fabricating his tale, and endeavouring to associate Her Majesty's Government with this offence by charging them with a criminal conspiracy for the purpose of condoning the offence by enabling those who participated in it to escape from justice. I wish to ask the noble Lord whether he used those words or any words to a like effect?

LORD G. HAMILTON

Sir, the substance of the sentence read by the hon. and learned Gentleman, though I believe not verbally correct, accurately represents the sense of what I said. To be literally accurate, I believe the sentence should read as follows:— He himself listened with amazement to Mr. Labouchere as he sat there deliberately concocting and fabricating the tale by which he endeavoured to associate Her Majesty's Government &c.

MR. E. ROBERTSON

Mr. Speaker, if I am in order. Sir, I wish to ask you whether the words admitted by the noble Lord to have been used by him on that occasion constitute in themselves a breach of the privileges of this House?

MR. SPEAKER

I am not the judge of what constitutes a breach of privilege outside of this House. These words wore used outside; had they been used within it I should have considered them a breach of Parliamentary etiquette. I am aware that several speeches have been made outside the House which I should regret if they had been made inside.

MR. E. ROBERTSON

I now wish to address a question to the right hon. Gentleman the First Lord of the Treasury—in his capacity of leader of the House and the guardian of its privileges—whether he is prepared to consider the propriety of taking steps to deal with language which, on the face of it, appears to be a breach of the privileges of this House?

MR. W. H. SMITH

I think, Sir, that my task would be a very serious one if I were called upon to deal with language used by Members outside of this House. I do not wish in the slightest degree to extend my responsibility, which is already sufficiently great. I am not, therefore, in reply to the hon. and learned Gentleman, able to give him the assurance he desires.

MR. E. ROBERTSON

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he accepts or disclaims, according to old Parliamentary usage, responsibility for the language used by a Colleague of his own in the Cabinet?

MR. W. H. SMITH

I hardly know, Sir, whether it is fitting I should be addressed with regard to the conduct of a Colleague of my own outside this House, and not in the discharge of any official duty. I say, again, that I think it is unreasonable on the part of the hon. and learned Gentleman that he should ask mo to express an opinion on a question of this kind.