§ MR. OTWAYsaid, he wished to ask a Question of the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, of which he had given him private Notice, with respect to Tunis. There had been published what purported to be a Decree of the Bey of Tunis, and that had been followed by a Notification from the Representative of France in Tunis, addressed to the Representatives of the other Powers, to the effect that the Bey of Tunis had appointed him as intermediary for the communication of all public matters between the Representatives of Foreign Governments and the Government of Tunis. The Question he wished to ask was this—first of all, Whether the Decree and Notification are authentic, and also, if so, what is the present state of our relations with the Bey of Tunis; and, whether the relations which have subsisted between the two Governments for 240 years are at an end; whether, in consequence of this Decree, the equality which was established between British and French Representatives on the Financial Commission is altered; and, whether Her Majesty's Government understand that all communications and all requests made by them, or by British subjects, as hitherto, to the Government of Tunis, are henceforth not to be addressed to the Bey and his Government, but to the French Representative?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, I received private Notice of the intention of my hon. Friend to put a Question on the subject of Tunis; but I had no Notice of the terms of the Question, and I will answer, therefore, only in general words at present, and ask him to place 354 on the Paper any further Question, if he likes, relating to the financial side of the matter, or to any further point he may desire to elucidate. The Decree to which my hon. Friend refers has been issued by the Bey of Tunis, and Lord Lyons has been informed that the French Government have approved of M. Roustan's accepting the nomination. It does not affect the position which Her Majesty's Government have taken with regard to the present state of affairs in Tunis, nor does it in any way weaken their Treaty rights, the obligation to observe which has been recognized by the French Government.
§ MR. MONTAGUE GUESTMay I ask whether Her Majesty's Government still consider Tunis to be an integral part of the Ottoman Empire?
§ No answer being returned to the Question—
§ MR. MONTAGUE GUESTrepeated it; also asking, whether the hon. Baronet would lay on the Table the Instructions that had been given by Her Majesty's Government to the Consul General with respect to the Decree?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, the Instructions were written on Saturday, and have not yet been despatched. The reason I did not answer the Question of my hon. Friend is, because the present state of things can only be dealt with in the form of a speech; but I may point out generally that the affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina are administered by Austria-Hungary, and those of Cyprus by Great Britain, although both these countries form integral parts of the Ottoman Empire.
§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFThe hon. Baronet says Bosnia and Herzegovina are administered by Austria. I should like to ask, whether that is not done in virtue of a European Treaty, which is not the case with regard to Tunis?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEThe affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina are administered under the Treaty of Berlin by Austria; but the affairs of Cyprus are administered by Great Britain without any Treaty at all.
§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFMight I ask the hon. Baronet, whether the affairs of Cyprus are not administered by virtue of a Treaty between this country and the Supreme Power over Cyprus-Turkey?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEYes, Sir; but the whole of the Powers have avoided recognizing our right to administer these affairs; they have always avoided recognizing it, and expressing any opinion on it.
§ MR. O'DONNELLMay I ask, whether Her Majesty's Government have avoided any recognition of the right of France with regard to the affairs of Tunis?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEWe have simply expressed up to the present time our opinion, which will be found in the Papers, the whole of which are in the possession of the House.