§ MR. DISRAELISir I wish to make an inquiry of the Government respecting the present relations between Austria and the Porte. I observe in a public journal of great authority that an ultimatum has been presented by Austria to the Porte, containing nine requirements. I have them here, but I shall not trouble the House with them, except to say that they are all requirements painful in their nature and perilous, I think, to the independence of the Porte. Two of them, however, I must notice. One of them requires the immediate evacuation of Montenegro by the army of the Porte; the second requisition is that Kleck and Sultorina, the only two ports of the Adriatic to which British commerce, at the low rate of the Turkish tariff, can pour its cargoes and goods into that part of the world, shall be now closed to our enterprize. This journal also states that unfortunately the ultimatum has not only been presented but accepted. I wish to know, therefore, from the noble Lord if the Government have received any official intelligence of those circumstances; also I would inquire of the noble Lord whether—if the discussions between Austria and the Sublime Porte are concluded—Her Majesty's Government have received official information to the effect stated in the journal to which I have referred; and if the noble Lord is prepared to lay upon the table all such papers as may illustrate our relations both with regard to Austria and the Porte in reference to those proceedings?
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLSir, Her Ma- 154 jesty's Government have received official information from Constantinople as to the final arrangement of the differences between Austria and the Sublime Porte, and that the demands made by Count Leiningen on the part of Austria had been agreed to by the Porte. I will, however, only refer to the two that the right hon. Gentleman has referred to. It was demanded on the part of Austria that the former status should be re-established in Montenegro, and that it should be evacuated by the Turkish troops, Count Leiningen undertaking that the Turkish troops should not be molested in their march. Another demand was, that the status of the two ports of Kleck and Sutorina as it had existed for some years should not be disturbed; and that likewise was acceded to on the part of the Porte. On the subject of this last condition a communication had been made by Colonel Rose, Her Majesty's Chargéd'Affaires at Constantinople, the effect of which was, that nothing should be done with reference to those important territories, Kleck and Sutorina, without the knowledge of Her Majesty's Government. With respect to other conditions of the treaty concerning the refugees now holding service in the Turkish army, it is supposed that Austria desired that those persons should be confined to the interior; but the demand was modified, and Austria now seems to be satisfied by the removal of the Turkish army from Montenegro. There was an important question with regard to the protection of the Christians of Bosnia, with respect to which the first demand was modified. As to the demand for injuries inflicted on Austrian subjects, it has been satisfied by the condition of paying a certain sum of money. As to laying the papers on the table, I beg to say, in the first place, that I believe it is not usual, when there has been a negotiation between two foreign Powers, in which this country is not directly and immediately concerned, and when these negotiations have ended satisfactorily, and have not resulted in hostilities, to lay the papers on the table. In the next place, I cannot think that the public interest can be served by laying such papers on the table, for, in the course of a negotiation of this kind, demands are put forward which afterwards are modified on representations being made, and the laying of papers on the table might occasion difficulties in the attempt to come to the satisfactory settlement of such a question.
§ MR. DISRAELIDo I understand the 155 noble Lord to say that the ports of Kleck and Sutorina are closed?
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLThat was the former condition of those ports, and I suppose for the present they do remain closed.