§ MR FRANCIS STEVENSON (Suffolk, Eye)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether he is now able to give further information with respect to the question of the instructions given by the Porte to close certain orphanages founded and supported by British and American contributions for the benefit of Armenians; the delay in the payment of compensation due to British merchants at Constantinople in connection with the massacre of August, 1896; and the willingness of the British Government to use its good offices with the Government of H.I.M. the Czar for the purpose of securing a mitigation of the edict of May, 1898, enforcing within 12 months the repatriation of Armenians who have taken refuge in Trans-Caucasia, and have not become naturalised Russian subjects.
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. ST. JOHN BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordI fear that I have nothing to add to the answers already returned by me to questions on 636 all the three subjects mentioned, on February 27th, March 16th, and March 20th.