§ MR. W. F. LAWRENCE (Liverpool, Abercromby)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, When the owners of the Mary Mark, may expect the payment to them of the compensation awarded by the arbitrators seven months ago for the destruction of their vessel by the Spanish man-of-war some four years since?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JAMES FERGUSSON) (Manchester, N.E.)I am not surprised that dissatisfaction is felt on account of the delay in the payment of the compensation in this case. Her Majesty's Government have done what they could to hasten it; and on the 4th of this month they heard that the money was in the hands of the Spanish Minister of Marine. Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires was at once instructed by telegraph to receive and transmit it, and I think that it may be expected to arrive immediately.