§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the fact that Egypt is under British control, will he state why the English language is not used in the international tribunals.
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Lord CRANBORNE,) RochesterThe international tribunals were constituted by an Agreement to which 308 fourteen Powers were parties, and no change can be made in the arrangements under that Agreement without the consent of all the signatory Powers, some of which would have to obtain the assent of their legislatures. In practice, however, it is understood that little inconvenience is caused by the fact that English is not one of the languages officially sanctioned, arid that translations of English documents are rarely required.
§ LORD CRANBORNEI am afraid I cannot answer that off-hand.