THE BISHOP OF OXFORDdesired to ask his noble Friend the Lord President of the Council, Whether the attention of the Government had been called to statements which had appeared in the public papers, and which had created considerable excitement in the public mind, as to an epidemic which was said to be raging in some parts of Russia, and to be rapidly advancing towards this country? This epidemic was represented as being of a most mysterious character, and seemed to be somewhat analogous in its fatality to the visitation of the cholera which had occurred within the lifetime of most of those present, and was represented as coming in almost a straight line from the Ural Mountains to this country. It had reached St. Petersburg, where its ravages were so great that the number of deaths was no longer officially stated, and had broken out in some parts of Prussia. He wished to know whether the Government had taken any steps in this matter?
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, that his noble Friend the Foreign Secretary had already given orders to the Consuls and our Ambassador in Russia to furnish all the information they could procure on the subject; and on that very day he had sent suggested questions to the Foreign Office in order that they might be telegraphed to our representatives not only in Russia but in the Baltic ports, and that replies might be received as soon as possible.