HC Deb 06 July 1899 vol 74 c37
MR. SAMUEL SMITH (Flintshire)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether in view of the recent recommendation of Professor Westlake to leave the questions at issue between this country and the Transvaal to jurists chosen by the parties and an umpire named by those jurists, the Government would, in the event of failure of the present negotiations, propose this form of arbitration before proceeding to extremities.

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.

The question of the hon. Member refers to a case which has not yet arisen, and I do not think this is an appropriate time to make a statement of policy on such a hypothetical case.