THE EARL OF CARNARVONsaid, he ventured to ask the noble Earl opposite the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs a Question, the urgency of which justified his putting it without Notice. The day before yesterday the Prime Minister was reported to have stated in the House of Commons that he was not informed of the existence of any secret treaty between Prussia and Russia, either immediately previous to or during the continuance of the late war. The question had been raised whether the words "not informed" referred merely to official information. This morning a very specific statement appeared in one of the London morning papers, asserting the existence of a secret treaty or engagement, concluded between the two Powers named just prior to the outbreak of the war, and with reference to certain contingencies to which the war might give rise. Now, inasmuch as to-morrow was appointed for the last meeting of the Conference, when a certain portion of the public law of Europe would come under revision, he hoped it was not too much for him to inquire 1604 whether his noble Friend was, directly or indirectly, officially or otherwise, aware of any such treaty, convention, or understanding between the two Powers in question?
§ EARL GRANVILLEIt would have been more convenient if the noble Earl had given me a longer Notice of the Question he proposed to ask me. His Question relates to the truth of a statement which appears in The Morning Post of this morning. I have no knowledge of any such treaty as that referred to by The Morning Post. As to rumours on the subject, I have heard rumours of every sort and description, some of the most contradictory character; but I have no knowledge of the existence of anything of the kind. Perhaps, as the noble Earl has put a Question to me, he will allow me to ask whether the treaty described by The Morning Post is the treaty of which Members of the Opposition seem to have some knowledge?