§ MR. AMBROSE (Middlesex, Harrow)asked the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs a question of which he had given him private notice—namely, whether there was any treaty obligation on Great Britain (as distinguished from a mere discretionary right) to interfere in the 773 affairs of Armenia by making war upon or otherwise coercing the Porte with respect to reforms demanded by the ultimatum lately delivered to the Porte by England, Russia, and France, and if there were such a treaty obligation whether he would specify the treaty or the particular article or articles creating such obligation, and lay a copy of such article or articles on the Table of the House for the use of Members.
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir E. GREY, Northumberland, Berwick)I can only answer by referring to the Treaty of Berlin, laid before Parliament (No. 44, 1878).
§ MR. T. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)asked whether it was not a fact that by that Treaty there was no such obligation, and that the only obligation was that the Sublime Porte should undertake to carry out certain reforms according to local requirements and make them known to the Powers.
§ MR. AMBROSEsaid, that if the Treaty of Berlin was the only Treaty, well and good; but he wished the hon. Baronet to specify the articles relied upon, so that the House might form a judgment on the matter.
§ * MR. SPEAKERThat is a matter of which the hon. Member should give notice on the Paper in the usual way.