HOUSE OF LORDS,

Monday, 28th March, 1892.

BEHRING SEA SEAL FISHERY.
QUESTION-OBSERVATIONS.

ORD HERSCHELL: My Lords, before the correspondence appeared which has been made public this morning I had given the noble Marquess, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, notice of my intention to ask him what was the nature and extent of the modifications of the modus vivendi of last Session for regulating the Behring Sea Seal Fishery, now proposed by Her Majesty's Government to the Government of the United States, and whether he can give your Lordships any further information upon the subject without prejudice to the public interest? Probably the correspondence published this morning answers, as fully as the VOL. III. [NEW (FOURTH) SERIES.]

noble Marquess can, the first part of the question; but I would still ask him whether there is any further information beyond that which has appeared which he can give your Lordships. without prejudice to the public interest?

THE PRIME MINISTER AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS(The Marquess of SALISBURY): My Lords, the publication which has been laid upon the Table, and which appeared in the newspapers this morning, contains all the correspondence right to within 24 hours of the date when it appeared, and I have absolutely no information later than that period. I feel that there may seem to be some curtness if I do not answer the noble Lord at length; but I think he will appreciate my view that it is better to let that correspondence speak for itself, and that I should not hazard any commentaries either upon our own productions or upon those of the United States. I do not see that any advantage could arise at this stage from a discussion of the matter. My Lords,

B

I have perhaps deviated from the usual course in making an entire disclosure of the correspondence that has passed, before the negotiation with which it was concerned was concluded; but it became evident that much of it was becoming public property on the other side of the water, and I thought that under those circumstances it was only fair, and tending to promote a due appreciation of the questions at issue, that we should place the whole of it before the Houses of Parliament and before the English public. I really have nothing further to state; but if there is anything that the noble Lord does not understand, or which I can explain to him, I shall be exceedingly glad to do so.

LORD HERSCHELL: My Lords, of course after what the noble Marquess has said, unless it were to ask for information upon some point which appeared obscure, I certainly should not think it desirable to put any question with a view of eliciting any further statement. At present no such question occurs to me; but I have only had time to glance somewhat cursorily at the correspondence as yet, and if anything occurs to me I will trouble the noble Marquess with a further question.

MALTA MILITIA REGIMENT. QUESTIONS. OBSERVATIONS. *EARL DE LA WARR: My Lords, I wish to call the attention of Her Majesty's Government to a statement which, if correct, will seriously affect the present position, and probably the future efficiency, of the Royal Maltese Militia. It is stated on good authority, and it has not I believe been contradicted, that the pay of the officers of the Maltese Militia has recently been considerably reduced. I wish to ask the noble Lord who represents the War Office in this House whether that is the case, and to ask him to what extent that has taken place, and also whether the reason can without inconvenience be stated? My Lords, what seems to increase the weight of the blow which this regiment appears to have received is that this reduction was made some time after the formation of the regiment, without informing those whom it will most seriously affect.

I venture therefore to hope The Marquess of Salisbury

that Her Majesty's Government will state what amount of pay to these officers was agreed upon when the regiment was formed, and what reduction was afterwards made in that pay, and whether it was done without informing the officers. I do not wish to press anything upon Her Majesty's Government which might be inconvenient at this moment to be stated; but I do think that it concerns very much the welfare of this corps that some explanation should be given to them why this reduction was made. It may be in the recollection of your Lordships that not long ago this regiment was inspected by His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief in Malta, and that great commendation was given with regard to the soldierlike bearing of the men and also the efficiency which they had shown. I think therefore, my Lords, it is only due to this corps that some explanation should be given, and some reason stated to them why Her Majesty's Government have thought fit to reduce this pay, and that without their assent and without their knowing the reason why it has been done. I beg therefore to ask the noble Lord who represents the War Office in this House whether any information can be given to your Lordships which will throw light upon the subject.

OF

THE UNDER SECRETARY STATE FOR WAR (Earl BROWNLOW): My Lords, I must preface my reply to the noble Earl by explaining to your Lordships' House that the service rendered by the Royal Malta Militia differs in many respects from the services rendered by any other regiment in Her Majesty's Service. Their services cannot be compared with those of the Militia, because they have never yet been called out for permanent training; their services are more similar to those rendered by the Volunteers. But when one comes to the question of pay it is obvious that, as the Volunteers serve the country for nothing, it is impossible to make any comparison in that respect. I will inform your Lordships what the state of the case is. When it was first proposed to raise the Royal Malta Militia it was supposed that their service would be in every way similar to that of a Militia regiment in this country: