§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGE (Carnarvon Boroughs)I desire to ask the First Lord of the Treasury a Question as to which I have communicated with him privately—whether his attention has been called to the statement made last night by the Patronage Secretary to the Treasury, in reply to a Question put by an hon. Member on this side of the House as to the Retaliation Resolution passed by the House last week, that he had communicated to the Prime Minister what passed, and whether the right hon. Gentleman wishes in any way to, modify or withdraw the statement he made in the House last week that the sole knowledge he had of that Resolution was derived from the Question put to him by the hon. Member for Oldham on the subject.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have asked my right hon. friend the Patronage Secretary what passed last night, and I think the hon. Gentleman opposite may be under some misapprehension. The Question of the hon. Member for Oldham related to the terms of the Resolution and what passed in regard to it. [OPPOSITION cries of "No."] I was not acquainted with its terms, and my right hon. friend did not inform me of its terms. He was not himself aware of the fact that the Resolution was passed nemine contradicente, and therefore he could not give me information which was not in his possession. He did tell
† See (4) Debates, cxli., 780.475 me that there had been a debate, and he also informed me that my conduct had been the subject of animadversion in a conversation that arose after twelve o'clock at night. He did not tell me what had been said about me, because he knows I have no interest in that subject.
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGEMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he still adheres to his statement that his sole knowledge as to what appeared to have taken place was derived from the Question of the hon. Member for Oldham?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt was the sole knowledge relative to the Question of the hon. Member for Oldham. I have told the House what my right hon. friend the Patronage Secretary did give me information about. If the House thinks that that was relative to the Question of the hon. Member, then I misled the House; but I do not think it was relative to it.
§ CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.)Does the right hon. Gentleman live up in a balloon?
§ MR. BRYCE (Aberdeen, S.)Will the right hon. Gentleman tell us, as he says he did not know the terms of the Resolution, whether it is not his habit to read the Order-book of the House?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI did not know the terms of the Resolution, because there was really no reason why I should make myself acquainted with them.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLThere was.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThere was not. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman, if he had been Leader of the House, would have made himself acquainted with them. I did what I thought was necessary in the circumstances in which I was placed. And what were those circumstances? They were these, that I had explained, at great length, to the House that in my judgment these continued Motions on one question brought our proceeding into some ridicule and that I meant to have no more to do with them. That being the case, what was there blameworthy in my conduct?
§ MR. BRYCEIf I may venture to say so, I will not trouble the right hon. Gentleman with any further Question, being quite satisfied with things as they stand.