§ MR. MONKasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether any agreement has been entered into between Her Majesty's Government and the Sultan with respect to the future Government of Crete; and, if so, whether he will inform the House as to the nature of the reforms proposed to be introduced into the Government of that island, and state what guarantee will be given that those reforms will be effectually carried out?
§ MR. BOURKEI think, Sir, I had better remind the hon. Member and the House of the paragraph in the Treaty of Berlin which refers to this Question of the reforms in Crete, as I think the House might be misled by the question of the hon. Member, for he mentions the word "agreement." It does not follow from that paragraph that any agreement should be come to between the Porte and Her Majesty's Government 2021 on the subject. The words of the paragraph in the Treaty are—
The Sublime Porte undertakes scrupulously to apply in the Island of Crete the organic law of 1868, whilst introducing into it the modifications that may be considered equitable.That is the undertaking on the part of the Sublime Porte, and therefore there is no agreement between Her Majesty's Government and the Porte on the subject. We have, however, received information from Sir Austen Layard that he has had several conversations with the Grand Vizier on the subject, who had shown himself disposed to give full and fair consideration to the representation of the Cretan Assembly on the affairs of Crete.