HC Deb 08 July 1878 vol 241 cc965-6
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

In the absence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer—and in the cause of his absence we all, I am sure, join in the regret expressed by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Bath (Mr. Hayter)—I beg to put a Question to the Secretary of State for the Home Department. I wish to ask him, Whether he is able to confirm the statement which appeared in one of the papers this morning, to the effect that a defensive Treaty has been concluded between this country and Turkey, by which the Asiatic dominions of the Sultan are guaranteed by this country; and, whether in carrying out this arrangement it is intended that the Island of Cyprus shall be occupied by British troops?

MR. ASSHETON CROSS

Sir, in the view of the retention by Russia of a portion of the Asiatic territories of the Porte, a conditional convention on the 4th of June last was entered into between Her Majesty and the Sultan to the following effect:— If Batoum, Ardahan, Kars, or any of them, shall be retained by Russia, and if any attempt shall be made at any future time by Russia to take possession of any further portion of the Asiatic territories of the Sultan as fixed by the definitive Treaty of Peace, England engages to join the Sultan in defending them by force of arms. In return, the Sultan promises to England to introduce necessary reforms—to be agreed upon between the two Powers—into the government of the Christian and other subjects of the Porte in those territories. And in order to enable England to make the necessary provision for executing her engagement, the Sultan further consents to assign the Island of Cyprus to be occupied and administered by England. If the Government of Russia should at any time surrender to the Porte the territory it acquired in Asia by the recent war, the stipulations in the Convention will cease to operate, and the island will be evacuated. Under this Convention, the condition on which it is founded having now arisen, a Firman has been issued by the Porte authorizing the transfer of Cyprus to England, and possession of the Island will be at once taken, and the Government administered on behalf of Her Majesty. Her Majesty has been pleased to appoint Sir Garnet Wolseley to administer the government of the Island. I have only to add that Papers in reference to the subject will be laid on the Table of the House in the course of the evening.

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

As the right hon. Gentleman has stated that Papers on this subject will be laid on the Table this evening, there is only one further Question I wish to put to him. I wish to ask, Whether this Convention which he has just read has been communicated to the Congress, or to the other European Powers.

MR. ASSHETON CROSS

If the noble Lord will be good enough to put the Question down, I will answer it to-morrow.

MR. GLADSTONE

I take the liberty of asking the right hon. Gentleman a Question, for the purpose of clearing up what does not appear to me to be clear in the language of the document he read, and which I have no doubt he will be able to clear to-morrow or now. In the first part of the document, I think, he spoke of the "consent" of the Sultan, and the "engagement" of the Sultan, as to Cyprus being occupied and administered by England. Those words I do not understand would apply to a transfer of Sovereignty; but in the latter part of the document the expression "transfer of the Island" was used. Perhaps now or to-morrow the right hon. Gentleman will be kind enough to explain, whether there is to be any transfer of Sovereignty, or whether the existing Sovereignty will remain in force.

MR. ASSHETON CROSS

The right hon. Gentleman will see by the Papers exactly how that stands. They will leave no doubt about it whatever.