Lord Harrington asked Mr. Disraeli on Monday,—evidently by pre-arrangement,—whether Her
Majesty's Government have advised Her Majesty to make any representation to the Govern- ments of France and Germany on the subject of the relations existing between those States; whether they could give the nature of the replies received, and whether the correspondence would be laid on the table of the House. Mr. Disraeli replied :— 4, It is a fact, Sir, that Her Majesty's Government advised Her Majesty to make a representation to the Govern- ment of the German Emperor respecting the existing re- lations between Germany and France. The nature of that representation was to correct misconceptions and to secure peace. And to that representation we have received a satisfactory reply. With regard to placing the papers at present on the fible of the House, I think it would not be for the public eonvenience that it should be done." However, till it is done, we .shall not know how far the " representation " was made in form only, or with authority. It has been conjectured that the import- ance assigned on the Continent to our intervention is, as regards Germany at least, a ruse to withdraw attention from the rebuff which the more potent Russian intervention has really given to the German diplomacy,—a possible, though somewhat elaborate hypothesis. More probably the motive is, by insisting on the 'concession made to England now, to run up a score of obliga- tion against us, a demand for the repayment of which may be urged, if ever or whenever France actually moves at last.
