OCR Text |
Show Lord Derby Explnln ICassia-ai Jloveuienli ou C'oustnu Lino-It Lino-It lo. London, 7. In ihe house of lords, Lord Derby, jn reply to a question about this morning's rumors, said he received yesterday afternoon a telegram tele-gram from Layard, dated February 5. At that lime, notwithstanding the armistice, the Russians were pushing towards Constantinople. The Turkish troops had been compelled to evacuate evacu-ate a port on the sea of Marmora, notwithstanding the protest of the Turkish commander, which the Russian Rus-sian general refined lo receive. The Russian general declared that according accord-ing to bis orders, it was necessary he should occupy Tschft Taldka that day. The porte is in great alarm and cannot can-not understand the Russian proceedings. proceed-ings. Representations have been made to Grand Duke Nicholua. It was a I eo stated that the 'Servians have destroyed a place called Unmj and are advancing on the railway towards Salonica. Fue days have elapsed Bince the signature of tho armiatioo and the preliminaries of peace and the protocol have not yet reached the porte, which is in ig-nurauce ig-nurauce of some of the terms. Another An-other telegram, dated yesterday, received last uight, plates that the Russian government had requested that the Chekmadje lines Bhall be abandoned, which wdl leave Constantinople Constan-tinople undefended. The Russians had occupied, in cousiderabio force, Tchalaldja, which is part of the Turkish lines of defence, extending across the peninsula and loss than thirty miles from Constantinople. May be the steps now being taken by Russia are iu pursuance of the conditions of tho armistice, because we do not know the conditions; but it appears tho porle is equally in ignorance, and Is perplexed as lo the meaning of theae movements. By telegram lo-day we have asked Russia to give us Borne explanation on the subject, aud we have called atleutiou to the declaration made by the emperor em-peror to Colonel Wellesley, in July last, that he would not occupy Constantinople Con-stantinople for the sake of military honor, but only if rundered necessary by the march ol events. Considering that the Turkish resistance has ended, uituuo AUIK.1B11 reaiaiance tms enUeo, it doea uot appear to h r niHjesty's government that thore can be any uocessily for the advance oi the Russian Rus-sian troops. ijord Derby added that it was possible the instructions had not been given the Russian troops at the time Layard 'a teleijrm was dis patched, and that the various steps which were taking place were not in contraveulion ol the proviaions ol tb armistice, the exact terms of which her mnjeaty's government did not k uow. |