§ MR. CHILDERSasked, Why No. 4 of the Papers on the Eastern question was not among those which had been circulated that morning, although it was several times referred to in those Papers?
§ MR. BOURKE, in reply, said, that the reason Paper No. 4 had not been presented along with the others was that it had not been found possible to prepare it sooner, and his noble Friend the Secretary for Foreign Affairs was anxious that there should be no delay in laying the other Papers relating to Turkish affairs before the House. He believed that Paper No. 4, which related to the Salonica Outrage, would be presented to-morrow or next day. He assured the right hon. Gentleman that no public servants could have worked harder than had the officials of the Foreign Office during the last three weeks in the preparation of these documents.
Subsequently—
§ MR. DISRAELIWith reference to the Question of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Pontefract, I beg to state that I have received a note from my noble Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, informing me that the Salonica Papers will be laid on the Table to-day.
§ MR. MITCHELL HENRYsaid, that in the Turkish Papers, Part 3, there were nine despatches from Lord Derby to the Ambassador at Constantinople, extending over a period of three months—that was, from the end of January to the 10th of May. On the 10th of May the Fleet was telegraphed for by the Ambassador, and he wished to ask the Prime Minister, Whether those nine despatches were the whole of the despatches which passed between the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Ambassador at Constantinople during those three months, or whether there were others which had not been produced?
§ MR. DISRAELISir, the nine despatches referred to by the hon. Gentle- 1821 man are not the only ones which passed between the Secretary of State and the Ambassador during the interval of three months that he mentions. So far as I can ascertain, the number is about 200, beside the nine; but those despatches did not refer to the matters respecting which the Papers are now laid before Parliament. With regard to the Fleet in Besika Bay, in the new Papers which are to be laid on the Table to-day relating to the murders at Salonica, there will be despatches which have some reference to the sending of the ships to Besika Bay.
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONI should like to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he is in a position to state what day he proposes to fix for the discussion of the Papers which have just been presented? They have only been, as the right hon. Gentleman is aware, in the hands of the House a very short time; but so far as I am able to express an opinion from a cursory perusal, it will not be necessary for me or any of my hon. Friends to ask the hon. Member for Portsmouth to forego the precedence to which he is entitled in consequence of his having given Notice of his intention to discuss the question. I shall presume, however, that it is the intention of the right hon. Gentleman to afford the hon. Member for Portsmouth, or any other hon. Member, an early opportunity of discussing the Papers, and I wish to know whether he is now able to fix a day for that discussion?
§ MR. DISRAELIThe Government have no wish but to consider the convenience of the House in this matter. Until I heard from the noble Lord what were his views and the views of those with whom he immediately acts, of course, I could make no arrangement. Inferring, as I now do, that the noble Lord and his Friends have no intention of proposing any Motion, I, of course, am willing to recognize the position which my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth has taken in regard to this subject, and I shall be happy to give him any day that the House may consider convenient. If the House thinks this day week convenient, that day shall be placed at the service of my hon. Friend and the House.
MR. BRUCEAfter what has been said by the Prime Minister, I am entirely in the hands of the House in this 1822 matter. I waited until the noble Lord opposite had expressed his intention not to bring forward a Motion on the subject. I can only say that I am myself anxious to bring my Motion forward, and I am willing to do so on any day that may suit the convenience of the House. The Papers have been in the hands of hon. Members only to-day, or at least I have only seen them this morning, and other Papers have been mentioned which may bear very materially on the subject, and which are to be presented to-day. Under these circumstances I am entirely in the hands of the House, and I think it would not be desirable to bring forward the matter this week, and I doubt whether next Monday would give sufficient time to hon. Members to consider the Papers.
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERsaid, that the hon. Member for Portsmouth had given Notice that he would call attention to the Papers and move a Resolution. It would be convenient that the House should at the earliest period know the terms of the Resolution.
MR. BRUCEsaid, he could not put the terms of his Resolution on the Notice Paper until the Papers were laid upon the Table, and until the noble Marquess had announced his intention not to take the precedence to which he was justly entitled. He should take care to put his Resolution upon the Paper to-morrow.
§ MR. DISRAELIConsidering the period of the Session, I think it is not unreasonable that the House should be able to discuss this question on Monday.