§ MR. W. E. FORSTERwished to ask a Question of the Chancellor of the Exchequer of which he had given him private Notice. He begged to ask, Whether the Government had received any information as to the issuing by Turkey of an amnesty to the individuals implicated in the recent events at Philippopolis, and whether Achmet Aga, Toussoon Bey, and Chefket Pasha have not been included in it? His reason for asking the Question was that he had heard from Constantinople that it was reported there that the amnesty did include the perpetrators, but not any of the innocent victims of the atrocities.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, in consequence of the Notice I received of the right hon. Gentleman's Question, in the course of the day I ascertained from the Foreign Office that Her Majesty's Government had received two lists of reforms from the Turkish Government; one list enumerating reforms to be put into execution immediately, and another list containing reforms to be submitted to the Ottoman Parliament. Among the former was the "amnesty for individuals 505 implicated in the recent events at Philippopolis." Lord Derby pointed out that this might be taken to include the persons convicted of being implicated in the atrocities. The Porte has since asked what the opinion of Her Majesty's Government with regard to an amnesty is, and Lord Derby has replied that his suggestion is that a large number of those imprisoned for having taken part in the insurrection should be amnestied as political offenders, but that the amnesty should not be extended to any persons convicted of the Bulgarian massacres. With regard to the three individuals whose names have been mentioned by the right hon. Gentleman, I can say that Achmet Aga has not been amnestied, but is now under sentence of death; Toussoon Bey has been tried and acquitted, and Chefket Pasha has not yet been put upon his trial, although there has been an inquiry into the events with which he is supposed to have been implicated.
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERinquired whether any reply had been received to Lord Derby's definition of an amnesty?