§ MR. WATKIN WILLIAMSgave Notice that on Monday he would ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether, having regard to the stipulations of the Treaties of London of 1841, of Paris 1856, and of London 1871, relating to the Straits of the Dardanelles, in these words:—
Treaty of London, 1841, renewed by Treaty of Paris, 1856.—"The Sultan, on the one part, declares that he is firmly resolved to maintain in 1395 future the principle invariably established as the ancient rule of his Empire, and in virtue of which it has at all times been prohibited for ships of war of Foreign Powers to enter the Straits of the Dardanelles and of the Bosphorus, and that so long as the Porto is at peace His Highness will admit no foreign ship of war in the said Straits. And their Majesties the Queen, & c, on the other part, engage to respect the determination of the Sultan, and to conform themselves to the principles above declared.Treaty of London, 1871.—"The principle of closing the Straits is maintained, with power to the Sultan to open the Straits in time of peace to the vessels of war of friendly and allied Powers, in case the Sublime Porte should judge it necessary in order to secure the execution of the stipulations of the Treaty of Paris 1856;the continued presence of the British Meet, under existing circumstances, in the neighbourhood of Constantinople is not at variance with the Treaties; or, whether anything has taken place that prevents such presence constituting an infraction of the Treaties?