§ MR. LABOUCHEREI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will now lay upon the Table of the House any Correspondence that has taken place between Her Majesty's Government and Foreign Powers with respect to the position of this country in regard to the Triple Alliance that was entered into in 1887 between Austria, Germany, and Italy, and particularly in regard to any declarations made to Italy which might have induced her to enter into that alliance; and whether any pledges or assurances were given directly or indirectly by the late Government, in any official Correspondence now in existence, implying that in case of Italy being involved in a war with France, owing to her having joined the Triple Alliance, Italy may expect any interference on the part of this country to save her from the possible consequences of defeat?
§ *SIR E. GREYIt would not be in the public interest to publish any Correspondence that may have taken place in previous years with reference to the Triple Alliance. In answer to the second paragraph, I can assure the hon. Member 1739 that no pledge unknown to the House has been given as to the employment of the Naval or Military Forces of the Crown. The actual position of affairs seems to have been very fairly explained by the right hon. Baronet the Member for North-East Manchester in an answer given in the House on June 4, 1891; and there has been no change nor any Correspondence since then.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREThen I understand there was a Correspondence, which the hon. Baronet declines to give?
§ *SIR E. GREYI said it would not be in the public interest to publish any Correspondence that may have taken place. That is exactly what was said in previous years by my Predecessor in reply to similar questions.