§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can with safety to the public interest give the communication between the Government and Lord Roberts as to the precise date to be fixed for the termination of the war.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR, Manchester, E.)I am not quite sure that I understand exactly what correspondence 34 the hon. Member refers to, but certainly no correspondence which answers to the description could with advantage to the public interest be laid on the Table of the House.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLMay I take it, then, that when the Government announced the dissolution one day and Lord Roberts announced that the war was over the next, it was a happy coincidence?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, the hon. Member must not take it so.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLOh, but we will, though.