§ MR. JOHN LOCKEsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether Her Majesty's Government are in possession of any intelligence whatever to the effect that Russia has concentrated a considerable Army on the Pruth, and that the Ottoman Government has assembled a corps d'armée at Widdin; and whether Her Majesty's Government have been advised or in any way informed that Prince Gortschakoff had assembled the Representatives of all the Powers except Turkey, and had stated that the condition of the Christians in the Turkish dominions was every day becoming less supportable, and that his Government hoped to obtain the concurrence of the other Powers, and would make a strong remonstrance to Turkey upon the subject?
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLSir, in answer to the first question put by the hon. Gentleman I have to state that Her Majesty's Government are not in possession of any intelligence to the effect that Russia has concentrated a considerable army on the Pruth, or that the Ottoman Government has assembled a corps d'armée at Widdin. But, with respect to the second question, I have to state that I received yesterday a despatch from Sir John Crampton, Her Majesty's Minister at St. Petersburg, which is very much to the effect stated by the hon. Gentleman. I may add that I have also received a despatch from Her Majesty's Ambassador at Paris, stating that he had had a conversation with M. Thouvenel, who spoke to him on the subject, and said that if any action was to take place he was of opinion that it should not be an action by Russia alone, or by Russia and France united, but a combined action of the five great Powers.