§ EARL GRANVILLE, before the Order of the Day was read, wished to refer to a personal matter, but one of such a nature as could not excite discussion. In the course of some few observations which he had made last night, in reply to the observations of the noble Lord on the cross-benches (Lord Monteagle), with reference to the civil patronage, he referred, in order to weaken the effect of so great an authority on these matters, to the most competent persons in this country who had taken a different view of the matter. Among these he mentioned Sir James Stephen, formerly the Under Secretary of the Colonial Office. He had that morning received a letter from that gentleman, in which he said:—
I have never written a word on the subject. I have never given an opinion respecting it. I have never been asked for such an opinion, except in an informal and unofficial note from a personal friend of my own, which I have omitted and declined to answer. Nor do I intend to write or to say what I think of the plan, unless I shall be formally and officially required by Her Majesty's Government to do so.On the receipt of this letter he called on the gentleman who had given his authority to use the name of Sir James Stephen, and he stated that he had reason to believe that Sir James Stephen was in favour of this measure; but, on reflection, he considered that he was not authorised to give, as he had done, the authority of his name. In these circumstances he had only to apologise to Sir James Stephen and the House for the unintentional mistake he had committed. At the present moment it appeared that Sir James Stephen could not be quoted on this subject as either for or against the plan of the Government.