§ MR. HENRY SAMUELSONasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he has any objection to supplement the Papers on Turkey already issued by laying upon the Table Consul Freeman's Despatch to Lord Derby, dated as early as March 17th 1876, mentioned by Sir Henry Elliot in his Despatch to Lord Derby of November 23rd 1876, which Sir Henry Elliot, according to that Despatch, upon April 3rd 1876, instructed Mr. Sandison to communicate to Raschid Pasha, with the remark that—
When authentic accounts of such abominations were received in Europe, they must excite the indignation of the civilized world, and no surprise need be felt if public sympathy were upon the side of those who struggled to free themselves from a Government under which they were exposed to treatment such as described.The hon. Member also asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to explain why that Despatch, having been received very early in the Spring of 1876, had not been included in the Blue Book just issued?
§ MR. BOURKE, in reply, said, that there was no objection under ordinary circumstances to lay these despatches on the Table of the House. The despatch would have been laid before the House last year, but that it was thought right at that time to withhold it, until the Turkish Government had had an opportunity of giving such explanation as they could with regard to the alleged atrocious outrages. When the Blue Books were being prepared this year, amongst the mass of Papers before the gentlemen who prepared them, this despatch, which related altogether to a different series, was omitted by mistake.