THE EARL OF ROSEBERYasked the noble Earl the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Whether and when it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to lay before the House such further Papers relative to the Greek Massacres of last year as may show the progress, if any, of the judicial proceedings which were then instituted, and the present position of Mr. F. Noel with regard to that inquiry? He had no wish, he said, to raise debate upon that horrible occurrence, knowing that other noble Lords equally interested in the matter were far more competent to do so; but he was anxious that such further information might be given as would enable the House to discuss the question fully at some future time. It would not be fair 263 to the English Government, to that body which was inaccurately called the Greek Government, or to the other persons concerned, to enter into a discussion on the partial information at present published. His judgment might possibly, of course, be modified by the additional Papers; but as far as the Blue Book of last year went, he could see nothing to cast suspicion on Mr. Noel. It was incredible, indeed, that a gentleman to whom some at least of the relatives of the victims felt a debt of gratitude, should have had any complicity in so horrible a crime.
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, the Government had no objection to produce the Papers, and believed they would be laid on the Table before the end of the week.
THE EARL OF CARNARVONsaid, he was glad to hear the noble Earl's answer, and thanked the noble Earl (the Earl of Rosebery) for the manner in which he had brought the matter forward. It was clearly desirable to postpone a discussion until the House had the whole case before it. He was sure the noble Earl (Earl Granville) would do everything in his power to obtain a satisfactory solution of the matter; but he felt bound to express his great dissatisfaction with the judicial proceedings at Athens as far as they had yet proceeded. Those proceedings tended rather to confuse than to explain the matter, and, while exculpating every Greek functionary who might be supposed to have been a party to the massacre, to throw the whole blame on an Englishman—he being the Englishman who above all those on the spot concerned in the affair seemed to him to have shown special energy, courage, and good sense.