§ MR. NORMAN (Wolverhampton, S.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His 306 Majesty's Government has taken any steps, in view of the appointment of a Russian consul general to Bombay, to secure British consular representation at any point in the Russian Empire east of Batoum.
§ VISCOUNT CRANBORNEThe Russian Government agreed in 1892 to the extension of the authority of the British Consul at Batoum to the Governments of Baku, Elizabetpol, Erivan, Tiflis, Kutais, and Tchernomoria, and it is understood that no objection would be raised by them to the appointment of a consular officer to reside at Tiflis should His Majesty's Government at any time find it desirable to make such an appointment. A British vice-consul has been appointed at Baku.
§ MR. BRYCE (Aberdeen, S.)Is it intended to appoint a consular officer for Tiflis?
§ VISCOUNT CRANBORNEasked for notice.