§ MR. HANBURYasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he can without public inconvenience inform the House whether, as Sir Henry Elliot is stated to have left Constantinople for the purpose of advising the Government at home, it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to continue, during the present critical state of affairs in Constantinople, to be represented there by a chargé d'affaires; or, whether it is proposed to entrust the charge of British interests in that capital to Sir Henry Elliot, or some other diplomatic functionary of high rank and experience?
§ MR. BOURNEIn reply to my hon. Friend I have to state that Her Majesty's Government have full confidence in the capacity of Mr. Jocelyn, who is now performing the duties of Chargé d'Affaires at Constantinople. Ho is fully competent to perform those duties; but, at the same time, Her Majesty's Government are perfectly alive to the inconvenience that may be caused to British interests by the fact of an Ambassador not being at Constantinople. It is by no means the intention of Her Majesty's Government that that state of things should continuo for any length of time.