He said that the Government! had reached the conclusion that the. present was not a suitable opportunity for "a. statement, of their. views, on the subject, which should: be reserved until after'the Committee had made their report, Mr, Chamberlain said that he could conceive of cases where: information obtained by a member of Parliament could be information of. a. secret character, the disclosure of which might began offence under the Oficial Secrets Act, but. which might never-{theless be used by the member con-Jeerned in' such 9 way as to. be of great benefit to the nation, Old Precedent, Cited On the. other' hand, he could also conceive of cases where such. information' might be, used in. such 0 way as seriously to'affect the: sately lof the realm, 'There might' be a conflict between the privileges of the House—the right lof free speech—on the one hand, and the. safety of the country on' the 'The Premier recalled a' former loceasion in the annals of the: House, nearly a hundred years. ago,-when it was laid down that the privileges of Parliament: might, be used in the service of the Commonwealth, and not to its danger, Mr. Leslie Here-Belisha, Secretary lof State for Wat, who: had not had an opportunity of making'a. personal
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.