§ MR. CHARLES McARTHUR (Liverpool, Exchange)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury to state if the Government contemplate entering into any arrangement with the Atlantic Shipping Trust, and, if so, whether he will indicate in a general way the purpose and nature of the arrangement.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Government have been engaged in negotiations connected with and arising out of circumstances connected with the formation of the Atlantic shipping combination; but, unfortunately, and through no fault of the Government, I am not really in a position to say anything to the House at the present moment on the subject. As the House is probably aware, the Committee of the Cabinet has had much work to do in relation to other matters, and one of its important members, my right hon. friend the Secretary for the Colonies, has suffered from a severe accident which has been an unavoidable cause of delay; but I confidently hope that as soon as the House meets again we shall be able to take Members into our confidence.
§ MR. CHARLES McARTHURBut if the right hon. Gentleman will indicate 1121 in a general way the nature of the contemplated arrangement, it would avoid the necessity of my having to call the attention of the House to the subject later.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI should be very glad to relieve my hon. friend from the labour and responsibility of addressing the House, but I am really afraid— not from a desire to keep anything secret, but from the nature of the case—that it is impossible to make any statement on the subject. If my hon. friend, in the exercise of his discretion, and as he has a perfect right to do, does address the House on the subject, I am afraid it will not be in the power of the President of the Board of Trade or any member of the Government to deal with it in reply. I am sorry it should be so, but I have indicated the circumstances which have placed us in this position.