§ SIR MANCHERJEE BHOWNAGGREE (Bethnal Green, N.E.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have any information, official or otherwise, confirmatory of the statement that the Governor of Bandar Abbas had received a letter from Teheran, intimating that that port was to be ceded to or otherwise placed in possession of Russia; whether the island of Karagh, or Karak, 30 miles north-west of Bushire, which was once under British occupation, is still in our possession; and whether the British Government retains any lien on the port of Bassadore, formerly a station of the Indian Navy, situate at the northwest extremity of the Island of Kishin, near Ormuz.
§ * THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, Guildford(1) The answer is in the negative. (2) British troops were withdrawn from the Island of Karak after the conclusion with Persia of the Treaty of Paris of 4th March, 1857. (3) Since the withdrawal in 1883 of the 440 Indian troops stationed at Bassadore, the Indian Government's buildings at that station have been maintained under the charge of a British Indian subject paid by the Government of India.