§ MR. CREMER (Shoreditch, Haggerston)I desire to ask the Prime Minister if he will state what amount was expended by this country in the negotiations with the Russian Government, concerning the damage done to the British fishing vessels by the Russian Fleet at the Dogger Bank, and the amount paid by Russia as compensation for damage done to the fishing vessels under the award of the Commissioners; and will he say whether the Commissioners were selected from or appointed by The Hague tribunal, and the total expenses incurred by the tribunal and the Commissioners in settling the dispute, and by whom the expenses were defrayed.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe total expenses incurred by His Majesty's Government in connection with the Commission of Inquiry at Paris wore £8,089 7s. 1d. This sum includes half the cost of the tribunal itself, the other half being paid by the Russian Government. In addition to this the Board of Trade incurred expenditure amounting to £3,134 11s. 3d. in connection with the inquiry at Hull. The amount paid by the Russian Government as compensation was £65,000. The method of selecting the Commissioners, and of paying the expenses of the Commission are clearly laid down in the terms of the Agreement of 25th November, 1904, which the hon. Member will find among the papers, presented to Parliament in Russia No. 2, 1905, pp. 57 and 58, Articles Land VIII. The Commission has no connection with the Tribunal at The Hague, but was constituted on the model of International Commissions of Inquiry provided for by Articles 9 to 14 of the Convention for the pacific settlement of International Disputes signed at The Hague on 29th July, 1899. 1067 The terms of this Convention have also been laid before Parliament.