HC Deb 16 July 1885 vol 299 cc907-8
SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOT

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the following statement in The Standard newspaper of the 13th July is correct:— Consul Finn's clerk has been liberated, after being flogged with the 'cat,' threatened with death and otherwise cruelly treated, and forced to hard labour. The reason for this treatment was that he would not make certain statements which the Russian used every effort to extract from him; and, if so, what course the Government are taking with regard to so serious a circumstance?

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. BOURSE)

In reply to my hon. and gallant Friend, I have to state that, from information which has reached Her Majesty's Government, the circumstances of the case seem to be as follows: — Mr. Consul Finn was proceeding to Sarakhs, and on his journey one of his mules strayed across the frontier. It was traced to a place called Kara Chacha, and he sent his Native Secretary with a guide and a note to the Russian authorities, to make inquiries in order to get back the mule. The Secretary and the guide who went with him were arrested by the Russian authorities, and by them they were sent first to Askabad and, after being kept there for some time, they were sent under escort to Meshed. When the Native Secretary returned, he said that he had been flogged by the Russian authorities during his captivity. Her Majesty's Government have made representations upon the subject to the Russian Government, and they have asked for a full inquiry into the treatment of persons in the employment of a British Consular officer, who were said to have been so used by the Russian authorities. The Russian Government have replied that they will institute an inquiry into the subject; but General Komaroff has stated that the Native Secretary did not tell the Russian authorities that he was in the service of an Englishman; but, on the contrary, the Russian authorities had reason to believe that they were suspicious persons, and had consequently sent them under escort to Meshed.