HC Deb 30 May 1881 vol 261 cc1653-4
MR. LABOUCHERE

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he will instruct Mr. Lascelles, Her Majesty's Representative in Bulgaria, to obtain from M. Zancoff and the friends of the late Bulgarian Constitution their case in regard to the arbitrary suppression of that Constitution by Prince Alexander, in order that this House may have the case of the Constitutionalists as well as that of the Potentate in regard to recent occurrences; and, whether Her Majesty's Government has any objection to express its sympathy with the Constitutionalists of Bulgaria, and its earnest hope that the country will not condone the violation of his Constitutional oath by the Prince?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

Her Majesty's Government have received despatches from Mr. Lascelles containing the views expressed at Sofia with regard to the action recently taken by the Prince of Bulgaria; but they are unable to lay any of the Correspondence upon the Table without consultation with Mr. Lascelles. Her Majesty's Government are not prepared at present to express any opinion as to the course pursued by the Prince of Bulgaria.