§ MR. CHANNINGI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any, and, if so, what steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government to obtain the release, or, failing that, a fair and open trial of the Armenians, several of them teachers of schools, who were exiled, without trial, 1347 to Tripoli so long ago as 14th March, 1888?
§ * SIR J. FERGUSSONIt is somewhat difficult to identify the particular case to which the hon. Member refers; but he probably alludes to a case mentioned at page 85 of Turkey, No. 1 (1889), where Her Majesty's Consul at Van reports that the Vali was said to be about to request that certain exiles should be allowed to return home, and three of these exiles are stated to be at Tripoli. As regards the intervention of Her Majesty's Government, Her Majesty's Ambassador is authorised to make representations to the Porte whenever, in his judgment, he can do so with advantage to those concerned; but Her Majesty's Government have no control over the action of the Turkish Government in reference to the administration of the law regarding Turkish subjects.