THE MARQUESS OF CREWEMy Lords, I think it possible that the House, or at any rate some member of it, might have anticipated that I should make a statement on the grave situation with which your Lordships are acquainted through the ordinary channels of information. In ordinary circumstances I should have desired to do so out of respect to your Lordships' House. I have, however, had an opportunity of speaking to the noble Marquess who leads the Opposition, and I find that he is in general agreement with me, in view of the statement which has just been made by my right hon. friend the Foreign Secretary in another place, that I should be doing more wisely to abstain from making a statement which could either only be a precise repetition of that made by my right hon. friend, or in so far as it extended to general comments of a critical character on what has passed could only lead to a debate which at this particular moment of extreme crisis would not, I think, be helpful to any of the real interests of the country, and might possibly have a diametrically opposite effect. I can assure your Lordships that it is from no lack of respect to your Lordships' House, of whom so many are competent to express opinions from fruits of experience on these grave questions, that I will ask you to permit me to confine myself simply to drawing the attention of the House to the statement of the Foreign Secretary in another place, heard possibly by some who are now in this House, and to pardon me for the moment at any rate, more especially as some of us are urgently called elsewhere, from making any further statement now on this subject.
§ *THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, I am sure those who listened to the noble Marquess's short statement will realise the position in which he finds himself this evening, and will recognise that, while on the one hand a full debate upon the foreign policy of His Majesty's Government might be extremely undesirable at this moment, a mere repetition by the noble Marquess of the speech delivered two or three hours ago in another place by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs would really not serve any useful purpose. The noble Marquess referred to the fact that some of your Lordships had had the privilege of listening to that speech. I was one of them, and perhaps I may be permitted to express not only the great interest but the great pleasure 319 with which I listened to it. The Prime Minister a few days ago expressed his earnest desire that at this moment of suspense and tension this country might present a united front to the nations of the world. My Lords, the statement made by the Foreign Secretary appeared to me to be a statement upon which such a united front might well be based. It appeared to me to be a statement of rare courage and much dignity, and one which showed that in this great crisis we need have no fear that any action will be taken by His Majesty's Government likely to jeopardise either the security or the reputation of this country.
§ LORD COURTNEY OF PENWITH, who rose amid murmurs of disapproval, said: My Lords, I really cannot allow a situation of this kind to pass without one word of comment. No Motion is before the House, and I am not aware that any Motion is about to be made. If one were made it would be competent for us to speak upon it. But before committing itself to approval of any action or policy this House ought surely to be acquainted with the motives for bringing such a Motion forward.
THE MARQUESS OF CREWEAs far as I am aware the only Motion that is likely to be made is the Motion which I propose to make at the earliest possible moment—namely, the Motion for the adjournment of the House. (Cheers, and cries of "Move," "move.")
§ LORD COURTNEY OF PENWITHI wish to ask whether it would not be possible to speak upon that Motion.
THE MARQUESS OF CREWEIt would, of course, be in order to do so, but I feel bound to address a strong personal appeal to my noble friend to refrain from speaking upon it (Opposition cheers) in the circumstances in which we are now placed.
§ LORD COURTNEY OF PENWITHIs the noble Marquess going to move the adjournment?
THE MARQUESS OF CREWEThe House only adjourns during pleasure, and a Royal Commission is to sit in a few minutes from now to give the Royal Assent to the Bill which we have just passed. Therefore no formal Motion for the adjournment is necessary at the moment.
§ LORD COURTNEY OF PENWITHMy Lords, will you allow me to utter a sentence? I do not propose to engage in any debate, but I think one sentence must be uttered. We have had from the noble Marquess opposite the statement that he heard a speech elsewhere of which he spoke with great respect and admiration. But some of us have not heard that speech. Seeing from the morning papers that the House was to meet at 6 o'clock and that there might be a statement, I came up from the country to hear it. No statement has been made, however, and I rise to utter a protest against this House so far abdicating its duty and functions as to commit itself to be bound in any way without having a statement as to the reasons why it should be so bound.