§ MR. O'DONNELLI wish to ask the noble Lord the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs a Question of some importance—Whether it is true that the Tekke Turcoman tribes of Merv have made their submission to the Russian Government; and whether Merv is to be incorporated in the Russian Empire?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEYes, Sir; that is a very important Question, and I think I must ask for Notice.
§ MR. O'DONNELLasked whether it was not within the knowledge of the 896 noble Lord that the statement of fact to which he alluded appeared in the Russian newspapers published in St. Petersburg last week?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI cannot read the Russian language, and am not able, therefore, to answer the Question.
§ MR. O'DONNELLIs the noble Lord aware that there are also papers published in German and French at St. Petersburg, and that the news of the surrender of Merv was contained in all those papers? I would also ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether on a future occasion he would include in the Estimates the sums required to provide the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs with the necessary staff of interpreters of foreign languages.
§ MR. SPEAKERI must point out to the hon. Member for Dungarvan that in putting such Questions he is trifling with the House.
§ MR. O'DONNELLAllow me to respectfully point out to you, Sir, that the noble Lord told me, not in a very respectful manner, in reply to a serious Question on an important matter, that he did not know Russian—hence my Question.