§ SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury what was the date of the opening of the latest African conference at Paris by Sir Edmund Monson and M. Hanotaux; whether it is still sitting; when Her Majesty's Government expect to be able to make any statement with regard to it; and whether it will be consistent with the interests of the public service that any discussion of the subject of recent territorial occupations in the back country of Lagos shall take place on the Colonial Office Vote?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYThe first meeting of the present conference was held on October 28th last. It is still sitting. It is not as yet possible to say when any statement can be made. Inasmuch as the accidents mentioned in the last paragraph are among the subjects under discussion at Paris, the public interest would clearly not be served by their being debated at the present time.