§ MR. LABOUCHERE (Northampton)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he will lay upon the Table of the House copies of all official 83 documents, and all written communications exchanged between the War Office and officials and officers in South Africa, and all such written communications exchanged between the Colonial Office and the War Office, and between the Colonial Office and any of the authorities in British South Africa, with regard to sales and refunds to contractors in South Africa.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD or THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.The documents to which the hon. Gentleman refers will be laid before the Commission, but not before the House of Commons. Why should they?
§ MR. LABOUCHEREWill all the documents be laid before the Commission as soon as it sits.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOUROf course every effort will be made to supply the Commission with all information of every sort, kind, or description which will aid them in their inquiry.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREWill the documents be published?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThey will be laid before the Commission, and I suppose the Commission will publish what it chooses. I am not at this moment able to do more than say that I should think if they are thought relevant they will be placed in the volume of evidence.