In the House of Lords the secrecy of the Session
had already been arranged by the Lord Great Chamberlain, even to the point of searching the vaults. This fact led to protests from Lord Salisbury and Lord Parmoor, in which they offered no opposition to the secrecy, but desired to vindicate the right of the Peers to be masters in their own House. Incidentally they both criticized the Government's lack of confidence in the nation. Lord Lincoln- shire defended his action as having been only his duty under the Order in Council. Lord Crewe, in moving that the Session should be secret, explained that the cleavage of opinion in the Cabinet was due to the fact that all "did not agree as to the number of men or the kind of men who are available for service in the Navy and the Army, nor did they agree as to the proper means of securing those who are available." Lord Lansdowne replied to the protests?. accepting on behalf of the Government all responsibility for the decision to sit in secret, and pleading the urgency of the ease. No report of the subsequent speeches was issued.
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