§ MR. BAYLEY (Derbyshire, Chesterfield)I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether, before any Government guarantee is given of any portion of the railway proposed by Mr. Cecil Rhodes to connect the Cape with Cairo, or of any other proposed new railway in Africa, the Government will take the opinion of this House on such guarantee?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERNo, Sir. Such a course would not be in accordance with constitutional practice. Any agreement into which the Government might enter in a matter of this kind must be subject to confirmation by Parliament, and would have to be submitted to Parliament for that purpose.