§ EARL SPENCERMy Lords, I have given private notice to the noble Marquess the Leader of the House of a Question which I wish to put to him before the ordinary business begins. As a rule, by the custom of this country, the duty of the Opposition is to criticise generally the acts of the Government. It is not often that an Opposition can give unstinted congratulation on any action it may take. I rejoice to think there are exceptions to this rule, and the present is an occasion when we may offer this congratulation, because I believe your Lordships will all rejoice to accept as a great achievement what the noble Marquess has lately done in certain very important negotiations. In my speech on the opening night of the session I was able to congratulate His Majesty's Government on the passing of a Convention as to arbitration between this country and France, and, speaking on that occasion, the noble Marquess the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs used these words—
I do not think you will find either here or in Fiance that too much credit is taken to themselves by the diplomatists of either country for this happy condition of things. It is due, no doubt, partly to those courtesies which have recently been exchanged, and to which reference has been made; but I believe it to be due mainly to a deep-seated conviction on the part of the peoples or the two countries that there is no real divergence between our interests, that the greatest of our common interests is peace, and that there is no greater security for the peace of Europe than that it should be desired both by France and Great Britain.We heartily concurred in those sentiments, and are glad that the noble Marquess has followed that up by further action in the interests of friendship between the two neighbouring countries. 486 It is a matter of the utmost importance to us to have friendly relations with France. It is the best pledge of peace for this country. One of the noblest aims of any statesman is to put peace on a profound and good security. We all know and appreciate the beneficent and admirable influence which the action of His Majesty the King has had with regard to this matter. His visit to Paris and the return visit to London of the President of the Republic had most excellent results. The noble Marquess has carried these results further, and has secured, by his negotiations, a Convention of the greatest possible importance. We thank him on this side of the House, and if I I may be allowed to speak not only for those I represent on this Bench, but for the whole House, all your Lordships thank him for what he has done in the interests of peace and conciliation. I cannot help hoping that the same success which has marked his negotiations with France may in the future attend further negotiations with other countries with which we have differences. He has removed many differences which have been causes of trouble, irritation, and even of danger between the two countries | in Asia, America, and in Africa. I beg to ask whether he proposes to present any further Papers on the recent negotiations, and whether any Resolution or Bill relating to the Convention will be brought before Parliament.
§ * THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Marquess of LANSDOWNE)My Lords, before I attempt to answer the Question of which I the noble Earl has given me private notice, I must be allowed to offer him the thanks of His Majesty's Government. and I hope I may add those who support His Majesty's Government, for the manner in which he has referred to the Agreements we have recently concluded with the French Republic. I am using no idle phrase when I say that there is no one in or out of this House whose commendation we would on an occasion like this sooner receive than that of the noble Earl opposite. In the conduct of foreign affairs the Government of the day always has this advantage, at any rate, that they may look forward to the transaction of their business with a certainty that they are not 487 likely to be impeded or obstructed by anything like captious criticism or opposition on the part of those who sit on the other side of the House. That is an honourable tradition always respected in this House, and one which, I trust, will never cease to be followed. But upon this occasion we can say rather more than this. For throughout the long months during which these negotiations have been continued, we had the absolute certainty that we had behind us the general public feeling of this country, and that that public feeling would be grievously disappointed if we had had to bring those negotiations to a close without finding a friendly and satisfactory solution of these international questions.
And now that the Agreements have been concluded we have no occasion to be disappointed, for their reception has certainly been, so far as their general principle is concerned, all that we could possibly have expected or desired. The documents are in your Lordships' hands, and we have published with them a despatch, in which we have endeavoured to explain both the nature of the Agreements themselves and also some of the considerations which weighed with us in concluding them. I do not, therefore, think it necessary upon this occasion to add any further explanations, but I will make this one observation only. Because these Agreements have been well received at the outset, we shall not for an instant allow ourselves to run away with the idea that they are likely to escape criticism. They cover a very extensive ground, they deal with interests of the most complicated description, and it will not surprise us if, upon close examination, we should be told that we might have made a better bargain for this country, or that we have left certain weak points, which we had not at first detected; but we may, at any rate, say this, that the general principle which underlies these Agreements does find favour with the people of this country; and when I speak of the general principle which underlies these Agreements I mean the principle that it is good for two great nations to examine frankly and fully all points of difference that exist between them, and to endeavour to dispose of these points upon a basis of mutual consideration and mutual appreciation of 488 each other's aspirations. May I add that if this principle is a sound one in regard to our foreign relations generally, it is in my belief especially sound when it is applied to our relations with the French Republic? I only add that I desire to echo what was said by the noble Earl at the close of his observations, and to express the hope, which I share with him, that the arrangement come to in this case may form a precedent which may be usefully followed in our dealings with other Powers.
Answering the two Questions which the noble Earl has put to me I have to say that, as at present advised, we have no intention of laying further Papers. As to his other inquiry, we have come to the conclusion that part, at any rate, of the arrangement which has been effected between this country and France cannot be properly carried out except by means of legislation. We shall therefore introduce a Bill dealing with the subject, and when that Bill comes before your Lordships, your Lordships will certainly have an opportunity of discussing the question. That, of course, does not preclude any Member of this House from raising points connected with the Agreements at any convenient moment. It remains for me to thank the noble Earl once more for the tenor of his remarks, and in particular. if I may say so, for the personal friendliness towards myself, by which those remarks were characterised. If I do not deserve all he said of me, I shall none the less cherish for a long time to come the remembrance of the kind words which he has used with reference to me.