§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign 374 Affairs, Whether Despatches intervening between the three following can be given, in explanation of their apparent inconsistency, viz.
(1). That from Lord Derby (January 4th, No. 16):"It is clearly indispensable that the conditions on which it (the armistice) is to he granted, should he discussed between the two (belligerent) Governments, and not merely between Generals…The armistice may well be arranged between the immediate belligerents, "but the" other Powers also are interested in the conditions of peace:(2). That from Lord Derby (January 8th, No. 22):"Under these circumstances (the supposition that the Russian Commanders have received the instructions) Her Majesty's Government consider that the conditions which appeared to them essential, in order to give effect to Prince Gortchakow's suggestion for an armistice, have been practically fulfilled:And (3). The Statement of the Imperial Commander in Chief (January 10th, No. 32):"The negotiations can only take place directly with me. There cannot, however, be any question of an armistice at this moment without bases of peace.
§ MR. BOURKESir, there are no intervening despatches; but in the despatch of the 11th of January, which has been already laid before Parliament, Lord Derby stated that he was unable to reconcile the terms in which the reply of the Grand Duke Nicholas was couched with those of the message they communicated to Her Majesty's Government, on the authority of Prince Gortchakoff, from St. Petersburg.
§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether any Despatch was written and reply received in explanation of the two conditions, on negotiations for peace, imposed by the Russian Government (January 9th, No. 28): namely,
That the Russian Army should advance, and that the Turks should be convinced that they would receive no aid from England?
§ MR. BOURKESir, no despatch was written.