§ * SIR ELLIS ASHMEAD-BARTLETTI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have yet received an authoritative report of the proceedings connected with the execution of the English trader Stokes on the Upper Congo; what was the nature of the charges against Stokes; whether he was tried by a court-martial upon which two Belgian commissioned officers declined to serve, their places being supplied by noncommissioned officers; and, whether a Belgian officer present protested against the execution of Stokes, and declined to go further with Major Lothaire's expedition?
* MR. CURZONThe documents, which are of a somewhat voluminous nature, were only received yesterday. Until they have been thoroughly examined, it is impossible to give an answer to the three last paragraphs of the hon. Member's Question.
§ * SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTCan the hon. Member hold out any hope of giving the House any information on these points before its rising this week?
* MR. CURZONI am afraid it may be difficult to do so. It will take some little time to examine the papers and put them into print. Probably they must go to the Secretary of State, who is abroad, before I can make any announcement upon them.