HC Deb 01 April 1895 vol 32 c593
MR. L. P. HAYDEN

On behalf of the hon. Member for North Galway (Colonel J. P. NOLAN) I bag to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if our Ambassador at Constantinople has demanded, or will be instructed to demand, from the Porte, a nominal roll of all officers and men who were stationed at or near the scene of the alleged butcheries of the Armenian women and children; and if the Porte will be requested to take steps to prevent the escape of such officers and men until their individual responsibility can be more fully investigated?

MR. C. E. SCHWANN (Manchester, N.)

Before answering the question, may I ask the hon. Baronet whether the Government will not instruct our Ambassador at Constantinople, and also our Delegate with the Sassoon Commission to searchingly inquire whether the instructions sent to the officers who directed and controlled the horrible occurrences referred to in the question did riot emanate direct from the Porte, as the correspondents in Armenia of various well-informed journals appear to assert no later than, to-day?

SIR EDWARD GREY

I have not received the statement to which my hon. Friend refers, nor did I know he was going to ask a question. I must ask him to put the question on the Paper. In answer to the question on the Paper, I have to say that the Ambassadors at Constantinople are kept constantly informed of the proceedings of the Commission, and I can only repeat that they will spare no effort to secure, through the delegates, that the inquiry is effective and the results of it satisfactory.