§ MR. SERJEANT SIMONasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is true, according to the statement which has appeared in a leading daily paper, that Servia has expressed her determination not to agree to the proposal made by Turkey, as one of the conditions of peace, for Servia to admit the Armenian Christians and the Jews to the same equal rights as the rest of her subjects; and, if so, whether Her Majesty's Government have made any representations to the Servian Government on the subject?
§ MR. BOURKESir, Her Majesty's Government have no precise information on the subject; but they have been informed by telegram from the Chargé de Affaires at Constantinople that one of the bases proposed by Turkey to Servia was that the Jews and Armenians should receive equal religious and civil liberty with the Natives of Servia. Mr. White, Her Majesty's Agent at Belgrade, has been told to use his best endeavours to bring about an understanding between Turkey and Servia, and he reported on the 14th inst. that Servia had accepted certain of the Turkish proposals, and had replied on this particular point that the position of the Jews should depend on future Servian legislation. We have heard since that the Servian Assembly is about to meet; and therefore the condition of the Jews in the future of Servia will depend upon the legislation that will be carried out by that Assembly. Her Majesty's Government, I need not remind my hon. and learned Friend, have at all times done their best to procure justice for the Jews both of Servia and Roumania, and the House and my hon. and learned Friend may be quite assured that Her Majesty's Government will lose no opportunity of pressing their views on that subject upon the Servian Government.