THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he can confirm the statements made in Nos. 129. and 132. of the "Central Asia Correspondence (No. 1)," with reference to the submission or annexation of Merv to Persia; whether Merv is now generally recognized as Persian territory; and whether he can give any further information on the subject; also to ask whether the whole of the territory known as Bokhara has been formally incorporated in the Russian Empire?
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYThe noble Earl asks me if I can confirm certain statements made in certain Papers of the Central Asia Correspondence. All I can answer is that the noble Earl himself possesses in the Papers all the information we have on the subject; and therefore I am not in a position either to confirm or contradict any of the statements. Merv, I may say, however, is not generally recognized as Persian territory; and I do not believe that submission or annexation to Persia is recognized by the inhabitants of Merv itself. No doubt the noble Earl will be able to gather further information on the point in the course of the debates. In reference to Bokhara, I am happy to say that it has not been "formally incorporated in the Russian Empire."