THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (VISCOUNT CRANBORNE) (Lord Cecil)My Lords, I beg to move that the sitting of the House to consider the Motion of the noble Earl, Lord Mansfield, be in Secret Session. I should tell the House that, in accordance with the assurance that I gave to your Lordships, I have consulted the War Cabinet on the matter of this Motion, and they are firmly convinced that it could not possibly be taken in public.
§ Moved, That the sitting of the House to consider the Motion of the Earl of Mansfield be in Secret Session.—(Viscount Cranborne.)
THE EARL OF MANSFIELDMy Lords, if that is the view of the War Cabinet, of course, no exception can be taken to it. But I must say that I feel regret that we should have once again a Secret Session, particularly in view of the fact that at most of the Secret Sessions that I have attended nothing has been said in the course of the debate which could not well have been proclaimed from the housetops.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to, and ordered accordingly.