§ MR. SERJEANT SIMONasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government and of the Governments of France and Germany soon to recognise, or whether they have recognised, the independence of Roumania; if so, whether and how the stipulations of the Treaty of Berlin are to be carried out, 1187 requiring, as a condition precedent to such recognition, that all Roumanian subjects shall, without regard to race or religious profession, be placed upon equal footing in respect of civil and political rights; whether it is the fact that out of a Jewish population of about 250,000, of whom about 200,000 are natives, a vast number being descendants of those who settled in the country four centuries ago, the Act of Emancipation passed by the Roumanian Legislature as a fulfilment of the Berlin Treaty, restricts emancipation to individual applications in categories numbering altogether not more than 1,500 or 2,000, while it leaves the rest as hitherto, without civil rights, and, in defiance of public law, aliens in the land of their birth, and that being Jews, without a country of their own according to Roumanian law judicially declared, without even the protection extended by civilized nations to other aliens; whether Her Majesty's Government will accept, or have accepted, such a measure as a fulfilment of the stipulations of the Berlin Treaty; or, whether they have required and have received assurances from the Roumanian Government that they will extend emancipation to the rest of the Jewish subjects?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, the Roumanian Legislature have made a change in the Constitution of their country, in conformity with the 44th Article of the Treaty of Berlin. In fact, they have imported into their Constitution substantially the language of the Treaty. The three Powers have, therefore, in pursuance of the Treaty, recognized the independence of Roumania. We trust that in future the change that has been made in the Constitution in favour of religious freedom will be executed in a loyal and liberal spirit, and we have received assurances from the Roumanian Government which we think justify the anticipation. Papers will shortly be presented on the subject.