§ MR. E. JENKINSasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he can lay upon the Table of the House an authentic Copy of the Czar's Address to the Bulgarian people; whether Her Majesty's Government has any information confirming the statement of the "Times" correspondent at Berlin, a distinguished philologist, to the following effect:—
That Prince Tcherkasski's design for the reorganisation of Bulgaria includes the introduction of the Russian language in the Army and Civil Service, and the immediate transfer of all the landed property to the Christians —the introduction of the Russian language involving the appointment of Russian civil and military officers, no Bulgarian being able to read a line of Russian unless he has studied the language or acquired it in Russia;and, if this be true, whether Her Majesty's Government will not protest against a proceeding inconsistent with the solemn assurances of the Czar and of the Russian Government at and before the commencement of the war? He might add, in explanation of the Question, that three different translations, each varying from the other, of the Czar's proclamation had already appeared.
§ MR. BOURKESir, Her Majesty's Government have received a copy of the Czar's proclamation in Bulgaria, and there will be no objection to lay it on the Table. With regard to Prince Tcherkasski, we have also beard from Bucharest that he is charged with the re-organization of Bulgaria, and is accompanied by 400 civil employés. As to the other parts of the hon. Member's Question, we have not received any official information, and therefore I need say nothing respecting it.