§ MR. SHAW LEFEVRE (Bradford, Central)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether Her Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople has recently, by direction of the late Government, made representations to the Sultan of Turkey on the continued misgovernment of Armenia, and the entire neglect of reforms on the carrying out of which the obligations of this Country in respect of Armenia are based; and, whether he will lay any Papers on this subject before the House?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY (Sir JAMES FERGUSSON) (Manchester, N.E.)The late Government directed Sir Edward Thornton to take an opportunity at his discretion of pointing out to the Sublime Porte the delay in carrying out the needful reforms in Armenia, and the importance in the interest of the Turkish Empire of removing causes of complaint. Sir Edward Thornton, on the 16th August, placed in the hands of the Foreign Minister a Memorandum on the subject. Her Majesty's Government take the same view as was expressed by their Predecessors on the 7th June, that the publication of the Correspondence is at present undesirable.