§ MR. DIXON-HARTLANDasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is true that the Delegates of the Bulgarian Government have broken off negotiations on the subject of the Varna Railway, upon which they have been engaged for six months, and are leaving the country to-morrow, without making any arrangement to carry out the 10th Article of the Treaty of Berlin; and, if so, what course Her Majesty's Government propose to take to insist upon its performance?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICESir, the Bulgarian Delegates have not left the country. Although their present proposals have not been accepted by the Company, a reasonable time must be allowed to elapse for the further consideration by them of the counter-proposals of the Company. These negotiations are without prejudice to the proposal for arbitration by the Ambassadors, in the event of the negotiations failing; a proposal which, in principle, has been accepted by the Bulgarian Government.
§ MR. DIXON - HARTLANDThe noble Lord has not answered the last part of my Question.
LORD EDMOND -FITZMAURICEI informed the hon. Member the other day that if these negotiations failed, then Her Majesty's Government would naturally revert to the proposal to submit the matter to arbitration.
§ MR. DIXON-HARTLANDDoes the noble Lord mean that they will take no further steps than they have taken for six years past?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI can only inform the hon. Member that Papers containing a full account of what has passed on this matter will shortly be laid before the House.