§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether any steps will be taken by Her Majesty's Government with regard 564 to the case of Mr. L. Lewisohn, a highly respectable London merchant, who, though provided with a British passport, duly viséd by the Russian Consul General in London, was expelled from St. Petersburg, to which place he had proceeded on business in September last, on the ground that he was a Jew; whether it is not true that no cause of complaint, political or otherwise, was alleged against him; and, whether, with reference to Lord Tenterden's better to Mr. Lewisohn of the 2nd ultimo, informing him that the Russian authorities decline to permit him to revisit Russia, it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to withdraw their protection from British subjects abroad who may belong to the Jewish faith?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, Mr. Lewisohn, a naturalized British subject and the bearer of a Foreign Office passport, wrote on the 26th of November, to complain that on account of his being a Jew he bad been required to leave St. Petersburg at 24 hours' notice. Her Majesty's Chargéd'Affaires who was instructed to furnish a Report on the subject, stated that the notice was in accordance with Russian law, and that other foreign Representatives had at various time remonstrated unsuccessfully against similar treatment of subjects of their Governments. Notwithstanding the personal application of Lord Dufferin, the Russian authorities have declined to modify their decision in Mr. Lewisohn's case. There is no ground for the inquiry made in the last paragraph of the hon. Member's Question, which I have read with much regret.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSasked, whether no British subject of the Jewish faith could remain in Russia?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEI believe, Sir, that no foreign Jews are allowed to remain in St. Petersburg.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSsaid, that he would take an early opportunity of bringing the matter before the House and moving a Resolution. He would also ask, Whether Her Majesty's Government have made any representations to the Government at St. Petersburg with regard to the atrocious outrages committed upon the Jewish population in Southern Russia; and, whether they contemplate taking similar steps in the matter to those which were adopted by the late Government in the case of 565 the Jewish massacres in Roumania, and the atrocities of the Bashi-Bazouks in Bulgaria?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, Her Majesty's Government have not addressed representations to the Russian Government with regard to the outrages on Jews and students in Southern Russia; but that Government has already of themselves taken steps to quell these disorders. I may add that the cases of the Roumanian massacres and the atrocities in Bulgaria are not parallel with the disturbances in Russia; as in one case the remonstrances of Her Majesty's Government were directed against the laws in force respecting the Jews, and in the other against the conduct of troops employed by the Porte itself.
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSwished to know, whether it was not the duty of Her Majesty's Government as a civilized Government to remonstrate against the atrocities to which he had drawn attention? Remonstrances had been addressed to the Roumanian Government in similar circumstances.
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEexplained that in the case of Roumania the protest was made in conjunction with other Powers. The Government had received no invitation from foreign Governments to interfere in the present question.