§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he will telegraph to the British agent at Meshed, in order to ascertain if there is foundation for the report that a Russian force has lately advanced to Sarakhs, i.e., two hundred miles beyond the boundary which he stated last April was to be the limit of their furthest advance?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, if any such advance bad taken place it would undoubtedly have been reported by Her Majesty's Minister at Teheran; and I see no occasion to incur the expense of telegraphing to inquire as to a rumour for which there appears to be no foundation, except as regards the journey of the engineers, as to which I have already given information to the House.
§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTHas the hon. Baronet seen the correction which has appeared in the Russian papers that this story of the advance is six months old?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEI gave the facts as they came to us from Mr. Thompson. Of course, there is a conflict between these two statements.
§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTWhy does not the hon. Baronet answer the Question? I ask him whether he will not reconsider his reply, and send a telegram?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEWe are hearing continually from the Agent at Meshed, through Mr. Thompson, and it is not necessary to telegraph.