§ MR. WOOTTON ISAACSONI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will lay upon the Table of the House all Papers, Correspondence, &c, between the Peruvian Bondholders Committee and the Foreign Office in relation to a settlement of the external debt of Peru, such Papers to include Despatches to Ministers and 305 Consuls, whether in Chile or Peru, who represent the British Government?
§ SIR E. GREYThe correspondence on this subject is extremely voluminous, extending over the last 10 years. The claims of the British bondholders have been satisfied by an arrangement with the Governments of Chile and Peru which is in course of execution. The disposal of a sum of money which was deposited in the Bank of England by the Chilean Government for distribution among the creditors of Peru whose claims are secured upon guano, and to a share in which the bondholders may be entitled, is about to be submitted to arbitration by the Swiss Federal Court. Under the circumstances, it does not appear that any useful purpose would be served by presenting the Papers to Parliament.
§ MR. WOOTTON ISAACSONinquired if the right hon. Gentleman was aware that the second moiety which should have been paid to the bondholders has, in consequence of some protest by Peru, not been handed over to the bondholders, who unfortunately in this country had lost something like £8,000,000. Would he not in their interests take some action to expedite matters.
§ SIR E. GREYI cannot say more low, as the question is to go before the Arbitrators.