§ Mr. HOPWOODasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether Mr. Ffrench, the British Charge d'Affaires at Vienna, did in compliance with the Despatch of the Earl of Derby (p. 5, Turkey, No. 2, 1876,) make a "friendly representation" to Count Andrassy to induce the Cabinet of Vienna to take measures on the frontier to assist the Turkish Government in quelling the insurrection in Herzegovina; and, what, if any, was the reply of Count Andrassy; whether Ljubibratich, a leader of the insurgents, was not afterwards captured with others by the Austrian troops, as they alleged, but ho denied, upon the Austrian frontier; whether Luka Petcovich, also an insurgent, was not taken from his sick bed in the hospital at Ragusa; and whether these and other insurgents similarly captured are still kept prisoners in Austria; and, if so, whether Her Majesty's Government would be disposed to make a friendly 730 representation on their behalf for their release?
§ MR. BOURKESir, in answer to the first part of the Question, I have to point out that the instructions given to our Chargé d'Affaires at Vienna are not quite the same as the Question would seem to imply. Mr. Ffrench was directed to say to Count Andrassy "that Her Majesty's Government would be glad to learn that the Government of Austro-Hungary had taken steps to secure the peace of the frontier and to prevent the disturbances in Herzegovina from receiving support or encouragement from Austrian territory." It appears that Mr. Ffrench was unfortunately ill at the time and unable to leave the Embassy for 10 days, and there is nothing to show that he executed the instructions, though no doubt he did so. No reply from Count Andrassy is reported. Ljubibratich, and several others, were arrested by the Austrian troops on the 10th of March of the following year, 1876, and taken to Trieste. Afterwards, I believe, they were sent into the interior. An account of this is given in the Blue Book. No further official reports have been received repecting them, and no report respecting Luka Petcovich having been taken from a hospital. Her Majesty's Government do not intend to interfere in the matter, or to make any representations respecting it.