§ LORD EUSTACE CECILasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is true, as reported in a telegram yesterday, that the Russian Government were about to rebuild the forts, barracks, and dockyards of Sebastopol; and, whether the building of some of the forts and docks has not already been commenced?
§ VISCOUNT ENFIELDSir, the only information possessed on this subject by the Foreign Office is contained in an extract from a Russian newspaper, under date February 20, a translation of which has been sent home from Odesa by the Consul General there, Mr. Abbott; it is as follows—
Some time since we gave a statement of the journal, Rousski Mir, that a Special Commission, consisting of several statesmen, was appointed to resolve the question—what is to be done with Sebastopol? Was it to be made a military or commercial post, or was it to be made a fortress or to be kept without fortifications? By information of the same paper the Commission came to the opinion that Sebastopol should be both a military and commercial port, and form a separate town with a Governor, intrusted to a Naval Officer of the rank of Admiral. The whole naval constructions of the Black Sea fleet to remain as before at Nicolaieff. Sebastopol will not be made a fortress. For the defence of the town from an unexpected assault and attack it is proposed to build several temporary fortifications at the entrance of the bay, and also at Eupatoria and Balaclava. It is said that there are proposals to make Sebastopol a free port.