HC Deb 20 March 1893 vol 10 cc517-9
BARON HENRY DE WORMS (Liverpool, East Toxteth)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that it is admitted by the Secretary of State for War that the Naval and Military Authorities responsible for the defence of the country had not modified their views, and were still decidedly adverse to the proposed Channel Tunnel on strategic and national grounds, and had not advised the Board of Trade to withdraw its opposition to that measure and support it, and having regard to the resolution of the Commission of 1883, which was reported to the House of Commons, and which stated that the majority were of opinion that Parliamentary sanction should not be given to a submarine communication between England and France, he will, following the same course he adopted in 1885, instruct the Board of Trade to move the rejection of the Channel Tunnel Bill?

MR. W. E. GLADSTONE

The right hon. Gentleman has most ingeniously imported a long argument into his question, which I do not subscribe to, and which I will venture to pass by. I will merely say that we do not take part as a Government in this discussion, which we think is one that we ought to leave to the free judgment of hon. Gentlemen in this House; and I may observe, that when my right hon. Friend the Member for West Birmingham did object to the progress of the Bill in a former year, it was on special grounds which he explained at the time, and not on the merits of the particular scheme.

BARON H. DE WORMS

May I ask whether it is not the case that the right hon. Member for West Birmingham, When President of the Board of Trade, opposed the Bill on behalf of the Prime Minister and every Member of the Government? In proof of that I will refer the right hon. Gentleman to Hansard.

MR. W. E. GLADSTONE

I have not contested that at all. Undoubtedly it was on the part of the Government, but it was done on special grounds, and not on the merits of the scheme.

MR. BARTLEY

Can the Prime Minister lay on the Table any correspondence between the Government and the hon. Member for Hythe giving the reasons why the Government have changed their views?

MR. W. E. GLADSTONE

I am not aware that we have changed our views.. The views of the Government at the time were explained with perfect clearness and correctness by my right hon. Friend behind me.

MR. T. H. BOLTON (St. Pancras, N.)

May I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman will communicate with the promoters of the Bill, so that hon. Members may have due notice of the time when the Bill will come on?

SIR W. HARCOURT

That has already been answered twice.

MR. W. E. GLADSTONE

That will be provided for by the Rules of the House, I have no doubt.

BARON H. DE WORMS

Is it not the fact that the Secretary of State for War stated, in answer to a question last Thursday, that the War Office and the Admiralty had not changed their adverse views?

MR. W. E. GLADSTONE

It does not appear to me a convenient practice to call upon one Minister to say whether or not it is a fact that another Minister answered so and so. The documents and records of Parliament give ample information upon the point.

BARON H. DE WORMS

I am sorry to press the right hon. Gentleman, and I would not have pressed him but for the statement of the Secretary for War that he was not speaking on behalf of the Government. If the right hon. Gentleman will refer to the Papers he will see that is so.