§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONasked the Secretary of State for India, Why the Papers, distributed to both Houses of Parliament on April 1st, but relating to the advance of the Russians in Central Asia, and giving for the first time the Russian official interpretation of the repeated personal assurances given by the late Czar that Merv should not be occupied by his forces, were kept back until after the conclusion of the Debate upon the evacuation of Candahar, considering that with the exception of one telegram they all bear a date permitting of their publication three weeks back?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, perhaps I may be allowed to answer the Question of the noble Lord. There was no intention of keeping back the Papers; but, according to the practice of the Foreign Office, Lord Dufferin's despatches were referred to him in order to ascertain whether he had any objection to their publication. The last Paper but one in the volume is a despatch received on the 14th of March, and the delay in making the reference and correcting the Papers for the Press does not appear to have been excessive or unusual.