§ MR.LABOUCHEREasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether there is any truth in the statement contained in the public journals that Prince Alexander of Battenburg has instituted courts martial throughout Bulgaria composed of officers, with 468 power to execute, or otherwise punish, those Bulgarians who oppose his endeavour to subvert the Constitution; and whether, if so, Her Majesty's Government has conveyed to Prince Alexander its disapproval of this proceeding; and, whether it is true that M. Zancoff has been arrested for publishing a statement in which he asserts that Prince Alexander has violated the Constitution?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, Her Majesty's Government have been informed that two Decrees were issued by the Prince of Bulgaria on the 7th instant, appointing special military tribunals with power to pronounce sentence of death, and also giving extraordinary powers to the Minister of the Interior to deal with offences of the Press. As, however, the Court of Cassation has since decided that the Turkish law on the Press is still in force, in so far as it is not contray to any existing Bulgarian law, General Ernroth has given up the powers granted to him by the latter Decree. Her Majesty's Government is in communication with the Bulgarian Government on the subject. Her Majesty's Government have received no confirmation of the report of M. Zancoff's arrest.