362 



GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 



of the new Sultan. On the 22d of June Mr. 

 Disraeli advised a postponement of debate 

 and action on Turkish affairs, till the result 

 of the action of the Turkish Government 

 should be known, basing his recommenda- 

 tion on the ground that debate at that time 

 might excite unreasonable expectations and 

 lead to delusive hopes. June 26th, attention 

 being called, in the House of Lords, to reports 

 of massacres in Bulgaria by Bashi-Bazouks 

 and Turkish troops, Lord Derby said that the 

 statements were not borne out by official ad- 

 vices. He thought they were exaggerated, but 

 admitted that the situation in Servia was criti- 

 cal. On the 3d of July the Government waa 

 sharply questioned, in the House of Commons, 

 to make known what its policy was. Mr. 

 Jenkins said the country had a right to be 

 taken into confidence before it was committed 

 to a policy of which it might not approve. 

 Tlie Government would be supported by pub- 

 lic opinion in endeavoring to preserve peace, 

 or in a policy of neutrality ; but it would not 



be supported in a policy of maintaining the 

 integrity of Turkey and of repressing the 

 struggles of its Christian subjects for liberty 

 by the sacrifice of British blood and treasure. 

 Mr. Fawcett said that the House of Commons 

 ought to be consulted on this subject, as well 

 as foreign powers. Mr. Disraeli said that the 

 papers explaining the action of the Govern- 

 ment would be laid on the table as speedily as 

 possible, and added, by way of further explana- 

 tion of the delay in submitting them, that in 

 negotiations of this kind there were always 

 confidential documents which it had never 

 been the custom to publish without the con- 

 sent of the Government from which they pro- 

 ceeded. July 10th it was reported that no an- 

 swer had been received to the inquiries which 

 Lord Derby had instituted in regard to the out- 

 rages in Bulgaria; whereupon the Government 

 was urged to press its inquiries with energy, 

 Mr. Forster saying "it was humiliating and 

 revolting to the conscience of the nation that 

 it should be supposed to be supporting a gov- 



BIBMINGHAM, ENGLAND. 



ernment which could be capable of these 

 atrocities." Lord Denbigh gave notice, in the 

 House of Lords, July 17th, of a motion in- 

 structing the Government to withdraw from 

 the Declaration of Paris regarding belligerent 

 rights. Lord Derby said that the treaty of 

 Paris, although it had not been formally rati- 

 fied, was yet binding, and could not well be 

 departed from. In the House of Commons 

 Mr. Disraeli read dispatches from Sir Henry 

 Elliot, British minister at Constantinople, say- 

 ing that there had been outrages committed in 

 Bulgaria, but that the worst stories told of 

 them were regarded as fictions. 



On the 31st of July Lord Stratheden moved 



in the House of Lords a resolution that the 

 House was ready to support the measures 

 which might become necessary for uphold- 

 ing the Paris treaties of the 30th of March 

 and 15th of April, 1856. Earl Granville and 

 Lord Derby both admitted that the state of 

 affairs in the East was critical, and the Turk- 

 ish administration bad. The fleet, it was ex- 

 plained, had been sent to Besika Bay, for the 

 protection of the Christian subjects of the 

 Porte. On the same day, a resolution was 

 moved in the House of Commons, declaring it 

 the opinion of the Honse that the Govern- 

 ment, while maintaining the respect due to ex- 

 isting treaties, should exercise all their influence 



