Lord Crewe, replying for the Government, dwelt on the good
results of the Duke of Connaught's mission to South Africa, and maintained there was some improvement in Persia. As for the payment of members, he stated that it was undoubtedly the Government's intention to deal with that question as well as with the situation created by the Osborne judgment. Coming to the Parliament Bill, he main- tained, as against Lord Lansdovrne's view, that its principle itad already been fully discussed in both Houses. They had taken the only possible course, that of asking the opinion of the country, and they had got it. He strongly demurred to Lord Lansdowne's statement that the Imperial tie would be strengthened by Preference. He had unbounded belief in the loyalty of the Dominions of the Crown, and did not think that anything in the Reciprocity Agreement, supposing it came into force, would have any effect, now or in the long run, in weakening the ties which bound us to Canada.
