§ MR. BUCHANANI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he will issue a Memorandum containing those parts of his speeches which embody the present authoritative fiscal policy of the Government.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.I am not quite sure as to the exact nature of the request made by the right hon. Gentleman. I do not know whether he wants me to make excerpts of my speeches to be laid on the Table as a Parliamentary Paper. If so, I am afraid that no precedent exists for such a course, and I certainly could not initiate it. If he wants me to publish on my own responsibility elegant extracts, again I think the task of selection would be quite unnecessary. But as I know the industry hon. Gentlemen put into the search for material for votes of censure, I think it might be a convenience, perhaps, if I were to publish all my speeches on the fiscal question, and though the volume would certainly be tedious, and, I fear, bulky, the study of it for the ulterior object I have suggested might incidentally have the advantage of giving some information to hon. Gentlemen opposite on a subject on which they appear to be very curious.
§ MR. DALZIEL (Kirkcaldy Burghs)Would the right hon. Gentleman have any objection to the Tariff Reform League publishing the volume?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not object.
§ MR. PIRIE (Aberdeen, N.)Could the right hon. Gentleman's free-trade and protectionist views be published in parallel columns?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe hon. Gentleman or any other hon. Gentleman of ingenious mind, when he has studied those documents, may see whether he could produce them in parallel columns.