THE EARL OF ROSEBERYrose to ask the noble Earl the Secretary for Foreign Affairs a Question of which he had given him private Notice. He wished to ask the noble Earl, "Whether Her Majesty's Government were prepared to lay on the Table the Papers and Instructions relative to the mission of Mr. Cave? That mission had excited, not only in the United Kingdom, but in other countries, a great deal of interest, which the explanation given by the noble Earl on Tuesday evening had not tended to allay. That explanation was either more than was wanting, or it was something less. The noble Earl stated——
THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDONrose to Order. The noble Earl was acting in contravention of the recognized practice of their Lordships' House in making a speech while putting a Question under the circumstances of this particular case. The noble Earl had given private Notice of his Question to his noble Friend the Foreign Secretary, and, taking advantage of that Notice, was proceeding to make a speech on a matter of considerable importance.
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, it certainly was a Rule of their Lordships' House that no Question on which a discussion was likely to arise should be put without Notice in the ordinary way; but he apprehended that the Rule did not apply to observations made merely in explanation of a Question of which private Notice had been given.
THE EARL OF ROSEBERYsaid, he was quite in the hands of the House, and he would be very glad not to make any further observations if the noble Earl said he would produce the Papers.
§ THE EARL OF DERBYsaid, he was prepared to lay on the Table the Instructions given to Mr. Cave previous to his departure, and some other Papers connected with the subject. Those Instructions and Papers would be laid immediately; but as to any despatches which had passed between the Government and Mr. Cave after that Gentleman went to Egypt, it would be better to wait until his return before those despatches were published.