§ 4. Mr. BILLINGasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any details regarding the cause of the death of the late Sir Cecil Spring-Rice; and whether a post-mortem examination was held?
§ Lord R. CECILAccording to a telegram from the Governor-General of Canada Sir Cecil Spring-Rice died at Government House suddenly of heart failure 889 on the 14th instant. In these circumstances there was evidently no reason why n post-mortem examination should be held.
My right hon. Friend, who is at this moment attending the memorial service to Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, has asked me to take this opportunity of expressing to the House his deep sense of the loss which the country has suffered in the death of that very distinguished and brilliant public servant. No Ambassador has ever had to discharge duties of greater delicacy or more far-reaching importance than those which fell to the lot of Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, nor has any Ambassador ever fulfilled his task with more unwearied diligence or more conspicuous; ability and ultimate success.
§ Mr. BILLINGIs the Noble Lord aware that it is customary, in the cases of sudden death, to hold a post-mortem examination? And as to the peculiar circumstances of the death of Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, is it not a fact that he had in his possession information upon which the recent Bolo trial was initiated, and also information involving many men in this country, and in those circumstances is it not the duty of this Government to advise the Canadian Government to take the necessary steps to confirm the cause of death?
§ Lord R. CECILSo far as I know, the suggestions in the supplementary question are entirely without foundation, and I should not like to think that any hon. Member, except the hon. Member who asked it, would have thought it right to make such suggestions.
§ Mr. BILLINGWill the Noble Lord request the Canadian Government to hold a post-mortem examination?