§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir W. HARCOURT,) DerbyI desire, Sir, to make a personal explanation. I understand that a sentence I am reported to have used in the Debate on December 19, that the
Professional advisers of the Admiralty considered the existing condition of things with respect to the state of the Navy was satisfactory,is capable of a wider interpretation than I intended to give it. My intention, as the context of my speech will show, was to confine that statement to the relative force of the various countries at the present moment in respect of first-class battleships completed in the present financial year, with which alone I professed to deal in speaking of our actual condition, that having been advanced in the Debate as the test of present naval supremacy. I had no intention to refer in that sentence to further provisions or any other matters than those I have mentioned.
§ * SIR M. HICKS-BEACH (Bristol, W.)Are we to understand from the right hon. Gentleman's explanation that the professional advisers of the present. Board of Admiralty are not satisfied in respect of the future?
§ SIR W. HARCOURTI have made no statement on that subject, and should not be authorised to do so. All I wished to make clear to the House was that I only spoke of the present state of things and the first-class battleships. I did not wish that anything I had said should be capable of misapprehension.