MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can explain why there is no trace in the Foreign Office of any assurances given previous to the late war between the United States and Spain by the British Government to the Government of the United States as to the conduct or policy of Great Britain in reference to that war; and whether such assurances, if any, were given by word of mouth or were embodied in any official despatch.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURA great many Questions have been put and answered on 1554 this subject, and I think with nothing but ill results. I should deprecate any continuance of what I may almost describe as discussion by the method of Question and answer in connection with a subject which now has only a historical interest, and which I think had better be allowed to rest.