§ MR. LABOUCHEREI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the speech made by the Secretary of State for the Colonies in Birmingham to the Liberal Unionist Association of that town on Friday last represents the policy of the Cabinet with regard to the Far East, and especially as to the necessity of our forming an alliance with some great military Power, if the future of China is not to be decided without reference to our wishes and in defiance of our interests; whether it is intended to offer our alliance to some great military Power; and, if so, could he state to what Power; whether the proposed alliance is to be offensive and defensive, and to embrace all the territories of the two allies; and whether any representations have been made to Her Majesty's Government by Russia in consequence of the statements of the Colonial Secretary?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (for the FIRST LORD of the TREASURY)Any answer to this Question will require a general survey of all our foreign relations, which, I am sure, my right honourable Friend, if he were here, would not be disposed to undertake in answer to a Question, and I must respectfully decline to undertake the task.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREThen I shall afford some Gentleman on that bench an opportunity of giving that survey on the adjournment of the House.