§ MR. PARKER SMITH (Lanark, Partick)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the British engineers formerly in the employment of the Mala Real Portugueza Company have not yet been paid the wages amounting to several hundreds of pounds due to them at the time of the bankruptcy of that company more than three years ago; and that the late Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs stated nearly a year ago that he had received from the company's assets money for this purpose; and, if so, why the money has not yet been paid; what step the Government propose to take in the matter; and whether they will be willing to lay upon the Table the correspondence on the subject?
MR. CURZONThe answer to the first two Questions is in the affirmative. Her Majesty's Minister at Lisbon has continued to urge the settlement of this case on the Portuguese Government, and a Dispatch, dated the 2nd instant, has been received from him stating that three weeks ago the Portuguese Government renewed this formal engagement that the money due should be paid without delay. Her Majesty's Government cannot doubt that this assurance will be carried out, and Sir H. MacDonell will of course not lose sight of 614 the matter. There would be no objection to laying the correspondence before the House, but it is hoped that the promised arrangement may render this unnecessary.