§ MR. PHILIP STANHOPE (Burnley)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been directed to the statements recently current with respect to the financial schemes of the Imperial Ottoman Bank for raising a new Turkish Loan, and the reported proposal of a guarantee in connection therewith by the European Powers; and, whether Her Majesty's Government will give an assurance that it will not undertake any further financial guarantee or liability whatever for the Government of the Sultan of Turkey?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.The matter has not yet come before Her Majesty's Government in an official shape. If it should do so it must be considered by them in concert with the Governments of the other Great Powers. They cannot, therefore, at present express any opinion or give any assurance with regard to the matter.