§ MR. C. E. SCHWANNI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the widespread anxiety as to the treatment of Christians in Turkey, whether he will lay upon the Table of the House, at an early date, the Reports of Her Majesty's Consular Officers in Asiatic Turkey, dealing with the condition of the Armenian population, which had been received by the Foreign Office between June, 1890, and September, 1894, and which had been withheld from Parliament?
§ SIR E. GREYHer Majesty's Government have hitherto declined to produce these Papers because they considered that the publication of them would not tend to the advantage of the Armenians nor promote the combined action of the European Powers, which is so desirable and essential to produce any good results. For the same reasons I am not able in present circumstances to give any promise that the Papers in question will be laid upon the Table.
§ MR. SCHWANNasked whether the Reports were withheld because they were so terrible as not to be fit for publication?
§ SIR E. GREYNo, Sir; but I will tell my hon. Friend frankly, the information which has been received up to this point about what is known as the Sasun incident is very much more grave and serious than anything contained in previous Papers.
§ MR. F. S. STEVENSON (Suffolk, Eye)I beg to ask the Under Secretary whether he can give unqualified contradiction to the report that the Turkish Government had obtained from the British Government an assurance that no Parliamentary Papers will be issued for the present relating to the Armenian question? and whether he can state that the British Government has not tied its hands by any promise made on this subject to the Turkish Government?
§ SIR E. GREYNo, Sir; there is no foundation whatever for that report, and no promise of the kind has been made.