§ MR. BRYCE (Aberdeen, S.)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it was the fact that a police officer, giving his name as Inspector W. Melville, of the Criminal Investigation Department, called, on 408 Saturday the 2th instant, at 9, Sutherland Place, Bayswater, the residence of two Armenian gentlemen named Broussali and Sevasly, being the manager and editor respectively of the journal Haiasdan, published in London in the French and Armenian languages, and addressed to the people of the house a number of inquisitorial questions regarding MM. Broussali and Sevasly's habits, movements, and associates, the names and description of persons calling on them, &c., they being at the moment absent, and obtained from their apartments a copy of the Haiasdan; whether this policeman, on being asked what his justification for these inquiries was, answered that he came on behalf of the Turkish Government, and added that the last number of the Haiasdan (which contained reports of the sufferings of the Armenian Christians) had caused great dissatisfaction in Turkish official circles; whether the Turkish Government made any, and what, application to the Home Office on the subject of the journal entitled Haiasdan; and, whether, if the facts are as above suggested, this domiciliary visit took place by the order of the Home Secretary, or of any, and what, official of the Home Department?
§ MR. MATTHEWSIt is a fact that Inspector Melville called at the place named on the day in question. I am informed that it is not true that inquisitorial questions were asked. The inspector's object was simply to ascertain whether the gentlemen resided there and published the newspaper in question. Both gentlemen were in their rooms at the time. The copy of the paper was given to the inspector by the landlady. The inspector informed the landlady that he knew nothing whatever to the prejudice of either gentleman, and he made no reference whatever to the Turkish Government, or to Turkish official circles. The Turkish Ambassador made inquiries as to the publisher and printer of the paper in question. Thereupon the Foreign Office requested the Home Office to ascertain, for their own information, whether the paper was still published in Paris, or, as stated in one of its issues, in London. The Home Office then instructed the police to make the necessary inquiries, and Inspector Melville, with this object, called upon the landlady in the manner stated.
§ MR BRYCEasked whether it was the practice to place the Metropolitan Police at the disposal of a foreign Government?
§ MR. MATTHEWSsaid, the police were in no sense placed at the disposal of foreign Governments. An inquiry was made by the Foreign Office of the Home Office, for their own information.
§ MR. BRYCEThe Turkish Government applied to the Foreign Office, and the Foreign Office applied to the Home Office, which ascertained certain facts.
§ MR. MATTHEWSsaid, the information obtained was for the satisfaction of the Foreign Office. Of what took place between the Foreign Office and the Turkish Ambassador he knew nothing.