HC Deb 14 December 1900 vol 88 c821
MR. COURTENAY WARNER (Staffordshire, Lichfield)

With reference to the speech which the Colonial Secretary made in the House and in which he said that a mistake had been made in coding the telegram and the words "sold to the Boers" had been substituted for "gained by the Boers," may I ask the right lion. Gentleman if his attention has been called to a statement in the Civil Service Times as follows—

* MR. SPEAKER

Order, order ! The hon. Member cannot read the paper.

MR. COURTENAY WARNER

The statement is that the right hon. Gentleman's memory had failed him. [Cries of "Order !"]

* MR. SPEAKER

The hon. Member must not put such a statement forward on the authority of a newspaper.

MR. COURTENAY WARNER

Is the statement true?

MR. J. CHAMBERLAIN

I shall be glad to have an opportunity of replying to the question which the hon. Gentleman wished to put to me, because it evidently is calculated to cause misapprehension. Whatever may have been said outside the House to a contrary effect is certainly the result of misinformation. The statement I made was that I applied to the postmaster, and the postmaster admitted that a, mistake had been made in the office, and no doubt the orginal telegram was in the office. That is the fact. A mistake was made in the office. If I had had notice I would have brought down the letter of the postmaster and read it to the House.