From a letter by British governor Sir Walter Sendall to the Marquis of Ripon, K G, Downing Street:
A deputation of Turkish gentlemen, headed by the Mufti of Cyprus, waited upon me yesterday, to complain of the publication, in a Greek newspaper, the ‘Phone tis Kyprou’, of certain letters written by two English members of Parliament bearing upon the political future of Cyprus. The correspondence in question consist of letters which have passed between Sir Charles Dilke and Mr. George Shakalli, a member of the Legislative Council of Cyprus, and letters purporting to have been addressed by Mr. Labouchere, M.P., to a correspondent in Ireland of the name of Harvey. In these letters it appears (amongst other things) to be suggested, that, as England cannot relieve Cyprus of the payment of the annual tribute to Turkey which is secured to the latter under the convention of 1878, except by reworking this instrument, and restoring Cyprus to the Turks, the best course for the Greek Community of Cyprus will be to work in the direction of a cession in the island by Turkey to Greece, in return for a payment in ready money; and that England might possibly be willing to guarantee a loan for this purpose.