§ SIR JOSHUA WALMSLEYsaid, that the expressed desire of the Government to sustain the independence of Turkey against either Russian or Austrian aggression—a desire which he believed to be generally felt by the people of this country—would, he hoped, justify the questions he was about to put to the noble Lord the Member for London, and of which he had given him notice. He wished to ask the noble Lord whether he could communicate to the House any information with respect to the violation of the Turkish territory by the captain of an Austrian ship of war, who is reported to have seized an Hungarian refugee, resident at Smyrna, and to have carried him on board the Austrian vessel without the concurrence of the Turkish authorities? And also whether it is true, as reported, that the Austrian Government has demanded the expulsion of all Hungarian refugees from Turkey?
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLWith regard to the first of the questions asked by the hon. Member, I have to say that it appears that, when the Austrian Government claimed the surrender, some two or three years ago, of certain Hungarian refugees who were then residing in Turkey, there was amongst those persons one named Kosta. The Turkish Government did not consent to surrender those refugees, but agreed to send them out of the territory of Turkey. Amongst the persons who accordingly quitted the territory of Turkey was this Kosta. He was understood to have gone to the United States of America, but he lately returned to Constantinople, and was afterwards at Smyrna. It appears, further, that the Austrian Consul, instead of applying to the Turkish authorities to take measures for the removal of this person, according to the agreement between the Austrian and Turkish Governments, took steps for seizing him and conveying him on board an Austrian ship of war. But, at the same time, it is, as I understand, stated that this was done with the consent of the Turkish Government at Smyrna. On this point, however, we have no positive information; but the concurrence which is said to have taken place is, that certain persons, engaged by the Austrian Consul, seized this man and placed 381 him on board a ship of war. With regard to the second question, whether it is true that the Austrian Government had demanded the expulsion of all Hungarian refugees from Turkey, I can only say that Her Majesty's Government have received no intelligence whatever on the subject.