§ MR. STEVENSON (Suffolk, Eye)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what progress has been made by Her Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople in obtaining payment of the claims of British merchants at Stamboul, Pera, Galata, and Haskeni, for compensation in respect of losses of property which were suffered by them during the disturbances of August, 1896, and which have already been made the subject of repeated representations by the British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey.
§ * VISCOUNT CRANBORNEI regret to state that these claims have not yet been settled. Her Majesty's Ambassador has made frequent verbal representations to the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs on the subject, and Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires was directed towards the end of last month to address a fresh Note to 499 the Porte pressing for an early settlement.