§ LORD CLINTONMy Lords, before your Lordships adjourn, I should like to ask the noble Earl who is leading the House in the absence of the noble Marquess, Lord Salisbury, the following Question of which I have given private Notice:—I beg to ask His Majesty's Government why a statement of such national importance as that relating to Russia which was made in another place last night was not communicated simultaneously to your Lordships' House?
§ THE EARL OF BALFOURMy Lords, the explanation is a very simple one. I need hardly say that the last thing that the Government desired was to inflict any slur upon your Lordships' House or not to provide your Lordships with any information that you desired to have, but no appeal was made from the Opposition Benches or from any quarter of the House that any statement should be made by the Government, whereas in the House of Commons, as the House is aware, the Leader of the Opposition made an appeal to the Government to which the Prime Minister responded. I should be very sorry if there were any body of opinion in this House which felt for a moment that we desired to withdraw from the attention of the House any subject that should properly come before either House in relation to public affairs. I 526 hope that my noble friend will accept that explanation, and will at all events not suggest for a moment that we desired to keep from your Lordships any information that we gave in another place.
§ LORD PARMOORMy Lords, may I suggest to the noble Earl a manner in which I think this matter might perhaps be dealt with satisfactorily? Could he tell us when the Government is willing to make a communication to this House—for instance, next Monday, after there has been a debate in the House of Commons? That would provide an opportunity of discussing the matter in this House, where undoubtedly a matter of this importance ought to be discussed as well as in the other House.
§ THE EARL OF BALFOURMy Lords, that, of course, is a wholly different point from that which was raised by my noble friend behind me. If noble Lords opposite desire a debate upon this question, of course they can have it; but it is idle to suppose that at this time of day we have any information to give in this House that is not already public property, has not been commented upon by every newspaper in the country and has not become common knowledge to everybody who is in the least interested in public affairs. In those circumstances, while I am quite ready to give every opportunity, so far as the Government is concerned, for discussing this or any other question of foreign affairs, I do not think that the noble Lord's suggestion has any relation to the question of my noble friend, who complained that at the time when information was being given to the House of Commons it was not being given to your Lordships. I do not criticise the Bench opposite or the noble and learned Lord who sits upon it, but if there has been any omission on the Government's part it is surely because no information was asked for by those who adopt a critical attitude towards Government policy and are supposed to have it specially in charge to insist on bringing before your Lordships' House any subject of public interest that ought to be debated.
§ House adjourned at half-past seven o'clock.