§ MR. LABOUCHEREI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will lay upon the Table of the House all Correspondence that has taken place between Her Majesty's Government and the Directors of the Tobacco Concession Company in Persia, between Her Majesty's Government and Her Majesty's Representative at Teheran, and between Her Majesty's Representative at Teheran and the Persian Government, in regard to the indemnity to be paid to the Company in consequence of the abrogation of the concession; whether he is in a position to state who were the persons who obtained the tobacco concession, and what they paid for it; whether they sold this concession to the Company now claiming compensation for £300,000; and whether this £300,000 is included in the amount of compensation which Her Majesty's Representative at Teheran urged the Persian Government to pay to the Company on abrogating the concession?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. J. W. LOWTHER, Cumberland, Penrith)The Papers referred to are being prepared, and will be laid when the communications, which are now passing with the Persian Government, are closed. The concession was obtained, as Her Majesty's Government were informed, from the Persian Government by Major Talbot, but 1391 without the intervention of Her Majesty's Government, or their knowledge. They have no information as to the amount paid for it. Her Majesty's Government are informed that it was transferred to the Imperial Tobacco Corporation of Persia for the sum of £300,000. The Papers, when presented, will show the action taken by Her Majesty's Representative at Teheran, which has been directed to an attempt to bring about an amicable solution of the difficulty.
§ MR. BRYCE (Aberdeen, S.)Can the hon. Gentleman say when we may expect these Papers?
MR. J. W. LOWTHERI have said they will be laid on the Table as soon as negotiations now passing between Her Majesty's Government and the Persian Government have arrived at a definite result, but when that will be I cannot say; very shortly, I think.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREAre we to understand that the presentation of these Papers is to be deferred until the Persian Government have paid this sum of money?
MR. J. W. LOWTHERNo, I did not say that, I said until the negotiations have arrived at some definite issue.