§ MR. ORR-EWING (Ayr Burghs)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Transvaal Republic became subsequently an acceding party to the Declaration signed at St. Petersburg on 11th December, 1868, between Great Britain, Austria, Bavaria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, Prussia and the North German Confederation, Russia, Sweden and Norway, Switzerland, Turkey, and Würtemberg, by which the contracting parties engaged to renounce in case of war among themselves the employment 23 by their troops of explosive bullets; and, if not, whether, considering Great Britain has adhered to the above engagement, and that such Declaration is by its terms not binding in a war with a non-acceding Power, any protest can be made by the other signatories of the Declaration against the employment of explosive bullets by the Boers as officially reported.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.I have to say, in answer to my hon. friend, that Her Majesty's Government are not aware of the Transvaal Government having acceded to the Declaration of St. Petersburg, signed in 1868, on the subject of the use of explosive bullets in war. The Declaration does not provide for any protest on the part of the signatory Powers in the event referred to by my hon. friend.