MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the attention of His Majesty's Government has been drawn to the statements in the Liberal and the Correspondencia Militar relative to proposals for erecting fortifications on the Spanish territory encircling Gibraltar, and to the relations of 907 Spain with England, in connection with General Weyler's forthcoming inspection of Mediterranean coasts; can he state whether there are any, and if so what, outstanding questions with Spain as to the Mediterranean, and especially whether His Majesty's Government are prepared to entertain or initiate proposals to come to any such friendly understanding with reference to Gibraltar as would provide, on the one hand, against the erection of fortresses over against Gibraltar by Spain, and, on the other hand, against contingencies involving the defence of Gibraltar by British military operations on the adjacent Spanish territories.
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Lord CRANBORNE,) RochesterHis Majesty's Government are aware of the newspaper articles referred to. There are no outstanding questions with Spain as to the Mediterranean. I venture to think that it is not for the public interest that such subjects as those to which the concluding part of the hon. Member's question refers should be discussed by means of questions and answers in the House of Commons.