In the Lords Lord Lansdowne, who was sincerely welcomed back
after his illness, stated that though be and Mr. Boner Law had been shown many confidential communications freer the Foreign Office and Sir John French, there had been nothing in the nature of "preliminary consultation." The Opposition could not altogether abandon the right of criticism, though they would use it with scrupulous care. An obvious condition of the truce was that the Government should refrain from taking advantage of it in the interests of their party. The Government had seemed to depart from that understanding last Session. Lord Crewe said that so far as they could see ahead the Government did not propose to introduce any contentious legislation. It should be remem- bered. that, apart from the communications made to the leaders of the Opposition, Mr. Balfour was a member of the Imperial Defence Committee, and therefore in the confidence of the responsible authorities.
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