§ MR. LEGH (Lancashire, S.W., Newton)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have received any information with reference to the alleged expedition of Colonel Yanoff to the Pamirs for the purpose of obtaining geographical and ethnographical information; whether this fresh expedition has been despatched by the Russian Government, acting in accord with Her Majesty's Government; and whether Her Majesty's Government propose to send a similar expedition?
§ SIR E. GREYWe have received no information with regard to any such expedition. We have been formally assured by the Russian Government that while negotiations were pending no expedition should take place in the Pamirs, and that as regards reports of movements of troops nothing more than a relief had been sent to the Murghabi for the troops who had wintered there. Consequently, Her Majesty's Government have no intention of sending any expedition.
§ MR. LEGHWill the right hon. Gentleman cause inquiries to be made as to the authenticity of the reports? Will he have them specially made in St. Petersburg?
§ SIR E. GREYWe have made inquiries as to the reported movement of troops, and have received assurances in reply that the troops have only been sent by way of relief.
§ SIR E. GREYI do not think the mere statement in the question constitutes reasonable ground on which to found a 1456 special inquiry to the Russian Government: we should want more information first.
MR. J. W. LOWTHER (Cumberland, Penrith)Are negotiations with the Russian Government still pending in regard to sending an expedition to the Pamirs, or have they been completed?
§ SIR E. GREYThe negotiations have proceeded uninterruptedly and are proceeding still.