§ LORD LAMINGTONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, on private notice, whether he had called the attention of the French Government to their continued occupation of the port and town of Chantaboon despite their assurance that they would leave that place as soon as the trial consequent on the murder of M. Grosgurin had been completed; whether the independence of Siam was not thereby imperilled; whether he could give any assurance that the lives and property of British subjects would remain secure; and whether he could state when the Commission for the demarcation of the limits of the "buffer-State" would begin its labours, and who would be the British Commissioner?
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Earl of KIMBERLEY)My Lords, I am not able to give the noble Lord much information in answer to his questions. With regard to Chantaboon, there have been no very recent communications with the French Government; but the noble Lord will see by the Papers, which will, I hope, shortly be presented on the subject, the exact position which Her Majesty's Government have taken in regard to that matter. As to the safety and independence of Siam being secure, I do not wish to express any apprehension or opinion that it is in danger; but these are all matters of opinion, and the noble Lord is probably as well able to judge of them as myself. As to the Commission for tracing out the frontier of what is termed the buffer-State, some time ago the French Government pointed out to us that owing to the climate of the locality where this investigation was to take place it was not possible that the Commission for the delimitation of the neutral zone between the French and British possessions could proceed with safety to the spot until the autumn, and Her Majesty's Government assented. Arrangements are being made for the constitution of the Commission and for its proceeding in due time to the place for the purpose of determining the limits of the buffer-State.
§ LORD LAMINGTONasked whether the Commissioners had not yet been named?