§ EARL GRANVILLEMy Lords, your Lordships will recollect that the noble Marquess opposite told to your great amusement on Monday a sparkling little anecdote about the answer which the Government Whips had given in "another place" to the Question put to them by the Liberal Members as to how they were to vote. The anecdote was excellent; it had nearly all the merits of a good anecdote. It was very racy in its conception, and very pat in its application. But it had one very little defect, from which even the best of anecdotes are not always exempt. I am authorized by the Gentlemen who are supposed to have given the answer to state that there is absolutely no truth in it.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYWhat Gentlemen?
§ EARL GRANVILLELord Richard Grosvenor and Lord Kensington. The Italians say—"Se non è vero, è ben trovato;" and I agree that, although this anecdote is not true, it was well invented by those who communicated it to the noble Marquess, and I can quite understand that the temptation to repeat it for the amusement of your Lordships' House must have been irresistible.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, the contradiction of the noble Earl is very ingeniously framed; but I never accused Lord Kensington and Lord Richard Grosvenor of having said it, nor did I use the phrase "the two Government Whips;" the Gentlemen to whom I referred were Mr. Cotes and Mr. Duff. I quite accurately described their functions in saying that it was their duty to marshal the forces of the Government; at least, if that is not their duty, I do not know that they have any other. They are Junior Lords of the Treasury, and I am informed, on referring again to those from whom my information conies, that those Gentlemen did undoubtedly say to those who applied to them that it was not a Government question; that they had to go 1857 into the Government Lobby; but they indicated the other Lobby as the one into which the applicants for information should go. Of course, if there was a mistake, I am very sorry for it. But the noble Earl has not contradicted the statement as it came to me, and I can only repeat that it came on good authority. And although the noble Earl's contradiction is, of course, made in perfect good faith, yet he has left the matter exactly where he found it.
§ EARL GRANVILLEIf my memory does not fail me, the noble Marquess did not use the euphemious phrase, "Lords of the Treasury."
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYI used the words "the two Gentlemen whose function it is to marshal the forces of the Government."
§ EARL GRANVILLEI cannot now answer a new charge against two new persons, but I will inquire about it.