THE EARL OF ROSEBERYMy Lords, I desire to ask the noble Marquess 1311 a question of which I have given him private notice. I understand it is not his intention to make any statement to the House to-day with reference to the Agreement, published in yesterday's papers, which has taken place between this country and Germany in regard to the cession of Heligoland. I understand that he is not in a position to make a complete statement on the subject to-day; and, that being so, I would venture to ask him the question for the purpose of obtaining information. It is this—Has he, before agreeing to the cession of Heligoland, consulted the Military and Naval Authorities in regard to the expediency of such cession? I would further ask him if any steps have been taken, or are in contemplation, to ascertain the wishes of the Heligolanders themselves with regard to that transfer? I would also ask, though I have not given the noble Marquess notice of the question and therefore he will deal with it as he thinks best, when and where the Heligoland Transfer Bill will be introduced, and when we may expect to have further Papers on the subject?
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Marquess of SALISBURY)My Lords, with respect to the first of the questions of the noble Earl, I have to reply that before coming to the decision which we have communicated to your Lordships we made ourselves acquainted with the opinions of those professional advisers who were in a position to give us advice upon the subject. The matter is more naval I should say than military. There are certain military points, but the naval question is the predominant one. With respect to the second question of the noble Earl, my answer must be in the negative. The plébiscite is not among the traditions of this country. We have not taken a plébiscite, and I see no necessity for doing so. At the same time, we have good ground for believing that if there has been expressed in past times any objection on the part of any of the inhabitants of Heligoland to this transfer, it has been mainly connected with the fear of a conscription; and if the noble Earl will read the Despatch which has been laid upon the Table he will observe that we have taken the precaution to stipulate that no person alive at the time of the cession shall be subject 1312 to obligatory military or naval service. With regard to the third question of the noble Earl as to the introduction of the Bill, I thought it would have been introduced into the House of Commons, but I see no objection to introducing it into this House. I doubt whether it can be laid on the Table until the Convention is signed, because naturally the Bill must refer to that. The Bill is necessarily a short one. With respect to Papers, I do not know what Papers the noble Earl speaks of; but, of course, any papers that we are able to lay before the House we shall be happy to place upon the Table. I presume the Convention is the principal Paper.