§ MR. SCHWANN (Manchester, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to a telegram in the Daily News of the 24th instant, which states that—
A Memorandum has been presented by the Christian population to the Consuls of Foreign Poweis at Canea, containing a number of complaints. The Consuls of Austria, Hungary, and Italy declared to the deputation which presented the Memorandum that they would use contents as material for private information. The British Consul, Mr. Billiotti refused to receive the Memorandum altogether, saying his own information was sufficient for him to know all the Cretans were in need;whether his attention has been called to a telegram in the Manchester Guardian of 21st June, in which it was stated that the Governor of Crete had determined to re-introduce Courts Martial into the island; and whether he has received information of the existence of such a state of affairs as would warrant the adoption of these measures?
§ SIR J. FERGUSSONThe Memorandum referred to was left at the house of Her Majesty's Consul when he was out, and was sent back to the petitioners by him the next day as not being a document which, in his position of Consul, he could properly receive, seeing that it called for his official intervention in matters on which the petitioners had addressed the Vali, and that his acceptance of it would probably have led the petitioners to believe that Her Majesty's Government would interfere when there was no reason to suppose that the Vali would not give due consideration to their representations. Her Majesty's Govern- 67 ment are not aware of any intention on the part of the Vali to re-establish Courts Martial.