§ MR. CHANNING (Northamptonshire, E.)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether Her Majesty's Government have received any confirmation of the statement in the Press that the Kurdish Chief, Mussa Bey, has seized and burned alive some of the notables of an Armenian village. Whether he is aware that the Armenian Patriotic Association have stated that the worst forms of slavery prevail in Armenia, and that there are frequent abductions of Armenian girls, which are connived at by the Moslem judges, and have asked for the appointment of an International Commission to inquire into the state of Armenia; and, whether Her Majesty's Government propose to take steps, and if so, what steps, as to the alleged condition of Armenia?
§ *SIR J. FERGUSSONHer Majesty's Government have not received any confirmation of the statement in the first paragraph. I believe those in the second to be much exaggerated, and indeed, we have received no recent intelligence to support them. Her Majesty's Ambassador will not fail to represent at the Porte any occurrences of this kind which he knows to have taken place, whenever by doing so he can hope to benefit the sufferers.
§ MR. BUCHANAN (Edinburgh, W.)Is it not the fact that the statements contained in the question of my hon. Friend, are vouched for by the Patriarch of Armenia?
§ *SIR J. FERGUSSONWe have not received any corroboration of the statements.