The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-31 00:00:00

THE AFFAIRS OF TURKEY.

Mr. DISRAELI-1 wish, sir, to put a question to her
Majesty's ministers as to the present state of stain in
Turkey. (Reef, hew.) The house will permit me, with-
set contravening for a moment the regulations that apply
to the asking of questions in this house, to preface that
question by a very brief statement, in which I shall offer
no opinion, but which is necusary, in order that the bona
may fully understand its bearing; gad as the question
mainly depends upon dates, I may be permitted to beg the
attention of the hoes, to the abort prefatory statement
which I feel it my duty to offer. The house is aware that
since, on Friday last, I addressed a question to her Ma-
jesty's government on the subject of our relations with the
Porte, the lionise Ambassador Extraordinary at the
Porte, Prince Menchikoff, the ultimatum he had tendered
to the Turkish government having been refused, has
quitted Constantinople. Now it appears that Prince
Menchikoff quitted Constantinople on the 22nd inst. It
would require to communicate betweseeConstentinople and
St. Petersburg seven days. The news would, therefore,
reach St. Petersburg on the 29th of this month. As-
suming for a moment that the Emperor of Russia might
wish to act instantly and with decision upon Constanti-
nople, we must remember that there is a considerable fieet4
and no inconsiderable military force at Sebastopol—it
would take seven days to communicate between St. Peters-
burg and Sebastopol, so that the order would arrive there
on the •lth of Jane, sad supposing that two days were rte.
(*.say for the fleet to put to sea, and four days for the
passage between Sebastopol and the entrance of the Straits,
that would brirg the dates down to the 11th of June, so
that the evillest period at which it would be possible for the
Russian Beet and force to be at the entrance of the Straits
would be the 11th of June. Assuming further, that there
was no very considerable opposition to their entering
the Straits from the Black Sea, the Russian Meet might an-
chor in the Dardanelles, opposite the Seraglio. on the 11th,
and 21 hours afterwards 'meld be in possession of the es•
trance of the 1) Martell's, end so prevent any fleet entering
from that side of the Straits. Having stated these dates—
which the house will perceive are absolutely necessary to the
proper understanding of the questiurf—l beg to preface also
that if on Saturday last her Majesty's ministers had thought
proper t s give directions to our admiral at Malta to proofed
with the British fleet to the Dardanelles, he could eel
Marseilles, end by the aid of a 'mall steamer which is
waiting at Marseilles especially for the purpose, receive
that instructions on the 2nd of June. It would take seven
diva for Admiral Dendu to proceed from Malta to the
Ditdanelles, and he would arrive there on the 9th, exactly
two days before the Russian armament could make its ap-
pearance. Now the question I wish to put to her Majesty's
government Is this—whether, taking the contingency to
which I have referred into consideration, her Majesty's go-
vernment have issued iostructions to the British admiral at
Malta to proceed with the British fleet to the Dardanell-s ?
r Lord J. RUSSELL—In the present state of the relathos
mein Russia and Turkey, I feel that anything said here
must be considered of the utmost importance. I must,
! therefor, decline ass /eying the question which the right