Lords Sitting of 19 February 1877

ROUMANIA—TREATY OF COMMERCE.

  QUESTION.
  LORD CAMPBELLrose to put a Question, of which he had given private Notice, to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. In reply to an inquiry made by him in the latter part of last Session, the noble Earl (the Earl of Derby) said that a diplomatic Correspondence would, when produced, clear up certain inconsistencies in relation to the negotiations for a Treaty of Commerce with Roumania. He wished to know, Why that Correspondence had not been included in the Blue Book on the Eastern Question; and he also wished to ask whether there would be any objection to its production?
  THE EARL OF DERBYsaid, he should be very happy to produce the Correspondence which his noble Friend wished to see. It was not yet in print; but when it was printed he would lay it on the Table, in order that the House might be in possession of all the information on the subject as far as the negotiations at present went. His noble Friend asked why this Correspondence had not been printed in the Blue Book on the Eastern Question. For two reasons—first, it related to an entirely distinct and separate subject; secondly, the Blue Book was already very voluminous, and the Government had not thought it right to increase its bulk by what could be conveniently printed as separate Papers.
  House adjourned at a quarter past Five o'clock, till To-morrow, half-past Ten o'clock.