§ VISCOUNT STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFEasked Her Majesty's Govern- 202 ment, 1. Whether the treaty between Persia and Turkey, concluded under the mediation of England and Russia, is now in force; 2. whether the frontier between the two Mahomedan countries, as settled by that treaty, had been practically laid down; 3. what had been done with the map which was framed by the two mediating Powers for the more exact and perpetual delineation of the frontier in question? Nearly 30 years ago Turkey and Persia were on the point of going to war, the question of frontier being one of the most important subjects in dispute. Turkey very unwillingly admitted the mediation of England and Russia, and negotiations ensued occupying several years, and resulting in a treaty. A map was framed with the greatest care by the two mediating Powers, and he had hoped to hear by this time that it had been used for the purpose of fixing a line of demarcation. He was ignorant what use had been made of it; but he had heard on good authority that it had been much lost sight of, and that while Persia was anxious to come to terms with the Porte, the same desire did not exist on the other side. It was very desirable that the frontier should be laid down, for there was a tract of country occupied by nomadic tribes, who frequently changed their position, being at one time subjects of one Power, and at another time of another, and this led to constant squabbles as regarded taxation and other questions.
§ EARL GRANVILLE, said, the desire of the noble Viscount to obtain information on this subject was very natural considering the important part he took in the question at the time it arose. The Treaty to which the noble Viscount's Question referred was certainly still in force. The map referred to was communicated to the Turkish and Persian Governments by the mediating Powers, with the intimation that the boundary line would be found within the district marked; but, unfortunately, no clear and definite demarcation of frontier could be laid down, the consequence being that questions of a serious character, at times threatening serious results, had arisen. Ten copies were made of the map, Russia having five and England five. The English Government sent one copy to Turkey, another to Persia, another to the British Embassy, and one was de- 203 posited at the Foreign Office. A proposal had recently been made that a joint Commission of the four Powers should be appointed to draw up a line of frontier, and that in the meanwhile, to prevent collisions, the status quo should be observed till the line had been settled and marked out by the Commission. England and Russia were perfectly agreed on these proposals, and he had every reason to believe that the question would be settled. This would remove all serious difficulties between two countries whose interest it obviously was to maintain the most friendly relations, and such relations were important, not only to themselves, but to European Powers.