§ 3. Sir JOHN RANDLESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how it is that the French Government have been successful in getting the case of the steamer seized during the Italian-Tripoli war before the Arbitration Court at The Hague and the case of the "Oldhamia" cannot be brought before this tribunal; and has he exhausted every effort to induce the Russian Government to assent to the cases of vessels captured or sunk during the Russo-Japanese war being so referred?
§ Sir E. GREYThe answer is that the Italian Government agreed to the French proposal to refer the cases in dispute between them to arbitration instead of sending it to a Prize Court; whilst in the case of the "0ldhamia" the Russian Government has refused to submit the decision of Prize Courts to arbitration. The fullest information respecting the communications which have passed with the Russian Government on this subject has been laid before Parliament.