§ MR. LABOUCHERE (Northampton)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Persian Tobacco Corporation gives up all its property to the Persian Government in consideration of receiving £500,000 for the £350,000 alleged by the Corporation to have been spent by it; whether he can state in what that 1904 property consists; and whether any estimate has been submitted to Her Majesty's Government as to its actual value?
*MR. J. W. LOWTHERThe Corporation is to hand over to the Persian Government its stock of tobacco, house property, furniture and machinery. These assets must be proved to the satisfaction of the Persian Government to have cost £139,000. The amount stated by the Company to have been expended in Persia on account of installation, travelling, salaries, rents, printing, telegrams and postage is £55,000. This is in addition to the Company's expenditure in London.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREThen how does the right hon. Gentleman make up the difference between the amount that he stated and £350,000?
*MR. J. W. LOWTHERI think the hon. Member is under a misapprehension. It is not part and never has been any part of the duty of the Government to make up anything in the matter. The claim was made by the Corporation who asked for arbitration. The Persian Government were not prepared to enter into arbitration in this matter and preferred to make an arrangement with the Corporation. That arrangement was made, and that is the arrangement of which the hon. Gentleman complains, and as to which the Government acted as mediators between the two parties concerned.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREDo I understand that when they acted as mediators between the two parties, the Government did not express the opinion that the amount of £500,000 was a fair and legitimate demand?
*MR. J. W. LOWTHERYes, Sir, Her Majesty's Government expressed the opinion that they thought it was a fair demand to make. The Corporation had first of all demanded £650,000. The Persian Government did not feel themselves at liberty to meet that demand, and offered a lower sum. Eventually a compromise was arrived at for £500,000, a compromise which Her Majesty's Representative in all the circumstances of the case considered a fair amount.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREI would ask the hon. Gentleman upon what data Her Majesty's Representative proceeded in stating that this was a fair and legitimate sum?
*MR. J. W. LOWTHERIf the hon. Member will have a little patience and wait a few days until the Papers are produced, he will then see exactly the course which Her Majesty's Representative at Teheran took in this matter.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREDoes the hon. Gentleman guarantee that I shall have an opportunity before the end of the present Parliament of dealing with this question, if I do not raise it on the Vote on Account?