§ MR. SCHWANNI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the statement in the Daily News of 2nd August, by telegram from Erivan, that a fortnight ago Kurds attempted to carry off a newly-married Armenian woman from the village of Vartenis, near Moosh, and a struggle ensued, in which two Armenians and six Kurds were killed; whether he will make inquires as to the facts of the case, and generally impress on the Porte the necessity of protecting its Christian Armenian subjects from the attacks of wild Kurds; and of the further statement that, in the district of Alashgerd, the condition of the Armenian peasants is miserable beyond description, as the 1764 petty Turkish officials urge the Kurds to attack the villagers and harry them?
§ * SIR J. FERGUSSONHer Majesty's Government have received reports that the country is in a disturbed state, but have no knowledge of the particular outrages referred to. The district of Alashgird is one in which the inhabitants are specially liable to insecurity. It is a frontier district, bounded on the north by the Russian Frontier, which the Kurds are continually crossing and re-crossing. Many of the Kurds are said to-be now Russian subjects.
§ MR. SCHWANNIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a telegram received to-day states that Martini-Henry rifles have been distributed amongst the Kurds at several places in America?
§ * SIR J. FERGUSSONI cannot undertake to receive telegrams in newspapers when they arrive as well-founded. No doubt, if they are well-founded, we shall hear of it in due course.
§ MR. SCHWANNI would ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to a statement in the Daily News of 2nd August (from Reuter's Agency, Constantinople, dated 31st July), that the mixed council, i.e., civil and religious councils combined, held on Tuesday last, at the Armenian Patriarchate in Constantinople, to discuss the late message or Takrir, from the Secretary to the Sultan, Sureya Pasha to Monsignor Achikian, declared that the recent demonstration was not directed against the Patriarch personally, but was the outcome of the feeling of despair prevailing amongst the Armenian population, and of the failure of the Porte to reply to any of the numerous memorials addressed to it by the Patriarch, respecting the deplorable state of the Armenian population; and whether, in view of there being approximately some 250,000 Armenians in Constantinople, many of them refugees from Armenia, he will make representations to the Porte of the very serious risk it runs by postponing remedial measures of a conciliatory character in Armenia?
§ * SIR J. FERGUSSONWe have not received as yet any official information as to this meeting. The Porte is well aware that Her Majesty's Government are in favour of a conciliatory policy towards the Armenians; but without 1765 further particulars, I am unable to say whether this would be a favourable opportunity for pressing our views.
§ MR. BRYCEI wish to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the attention of Her Majesty's Government has been called to the recent grave disturbances among the Armenian subjects of the Sultan at Constantinople, as well as in Erzeroum, and at Moush, arising from the outrages of the Kurds, the oppression of the officials, and the impossibility of obtaining justice upon Mussulman offenders; and whether, having regard to the risk that an insurrection or occupation by some other Power may be provoked by further attempts at repression and denials of justice, Her Majesty's Government are advising, or will advise, the Sultan to adopt a more conciliatory policy, and will inform him that they regard the Anglo-Turkish Convention of 1878 as having lapsed, owing to the neglect of Turkey to introduce the reforms undertaken by that Instrument?
§ * SIR J. FERGUSSON(1) Her Majesty's Representatives lose no opportunity of bringing well-authenticated cases of hardship and ill-treatment to the notice of the Turkish Authorities. (2) It would not be expedient for me to make any statement in regard to communications which Her Majesty's Government may think it their duty to make to the Porte on the subject.
§ * MR. BRYCEI would ask whether, seeing the extreme urgency of the matter, the Government will make any representations? These disturbances at Erzeroum and Constantinople have been of a most serious character, and portend danger.
§ * SIR J. FERGUSSONI have already-stated what has been done. Her Majesty's Government will make representations if they think they will be attended with good effect. I am not prepared to say whether the Government is making any special representations on this subject at this moment. I wish to remind the House that we are not yet fully informed as to the facts.
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEI do not desire to press the right hon. Gentleman unduly, but I wish to remind him that in this particular case, if our remonstrances are not attended to, we can give full notice to the Porte that we have power under 1766 our Treaty with the Porte and the guarantee given against the intervention of a Foreign Power, to take certain steps in case of the misgovernment of the country being continued.
§ * SIR J. FERGUSSONI can assure the right hon. Gentleman that the events referred to are of a character that undoubtedly requires great consideration, and I am sure the right hon. Gentleman will see that a premature answer would be most inconvenient.
§ MR. A. O'CONNORThe right hon. Gentleman informed me that the Report of Mr. Clifford Lloyd would not be laid on the Table before the end of the Session. I would ask him whether, whatever the length of the Session, we are not to be made acquainted at least with the substance of that Report?
§ * SIR J. FERGUSSONI should be happy to give the best information in our possession; but since I last made a statement on this subject, the Government have received no further information.