HC Deb 10 May 1905 vol 145 cc1478-9
MR. LYELL (Dorsetshire, E.)

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to inform the House of the terms of the treaty recently concluded with the Mullah.

THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Earl PERCY,) Kensington, S.

The provisional agreement signed at Berbera was, in substance, of the same character as that concluded by Monsieur Pestalozza, the provisions of which were announced by Signor Tittoni in the Chamber of Deputies, and correctly reported in The Times of April 15th. In so far as that treaty concerns this country, there are a few small points which still require elucidation and with regard to which we are in communication with the Italian Government.

SIR WILFRID LAWSON (Cornwall, Camborne)

Can the noble Lord state where the Mullah now is?

EARL PERCY

He is in Italian territory.

MR. GIBSON BOWLES

asked when the House might expect to have copies of the agreement.

EARL PERCY

The agreement will be laid on the Table as soon as the explanations are received from the Italian Government.

MR. GIBSON BOWLES

Then has not the treaty been concluded in consequence of the lack of explanations?

EARL PERCY

The provisional treaty has been concluded.

MR. GIBSON BOWLES

Can we have that?

EARL PERCY

There can be no object inlaying the provisional agreement. It is merely the Italian agreement in a short form.