§ EARL GRANVILLEI wish to ask my noble Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he is in a position to give your Lordships any further information as to the situation in the East?
§ THE EARL OF DERBYMy Lords, I am glad my noble Friend has put this Question. Within the last two or three hours I have received two telegrams which are of some importance, though I am afraid your Lordships will not consider them of a very satisfactory character. One is from Mr. Layard, who states that the Chargé d'Affaires has received instructions to announce a suspension of diplomatic relations with the Porte; and Mr. Layard adds that he believes the Russian Chargé d'Affaires will leave Constantinople in the evening. The other is from Colonel Mansfield, our Agent at Bucharest, who states under date of 11 o'clock this morning that a small detachment of Russian officers and men had arrived there by railway.