§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYSeeing the noble Earl the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in his place, I 1420 wish to ask him, Whether he has any information to give to the House in respect to the state of the negotiations between the Prince of Bulgaria and the Porte on the one hand, and the Powers on the other; and whether he has any intimation as to the result of the recent negotiations?
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Earl of ROSEBERY)My Lords, I have to state, in answer to the noble Marquess, that on April 5 there was signed at Constantinople by the Representatives of all the Great Powers a Protocol embodying what is called, though erroneously, the Tsanow proposal. The effect of that is that the Government of Eastern Roumelia should be confided to the Prince of Bulgaria under the terms of Article 17 of the Treaty of Berlin. We have heard to-day from Sofia that Prince Alexander, while still maintaining his objections to the condition which makes his appointment as Governor General of Eastern Roumelia subject to renewal at the end of five years with the assent of the Powers, has announced to the Grand Vizier of the Turkish Government that, in view of the unanimous decision of the Powers, he is ready to defer to the authority of the International Act signed by their Representatives, and to nominate at once the Bulgarian Members of the different Commissions specified in the arrangement.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYWill Papers be laid on the Table of the House?