§ MR. WALPOLEsaid, he rose to put a Question to the noble Lord at the head of the Government, and to the hon. Member for Liverpool (Mr. Horsfall) who has given notice of a Motion respecting Belligerent Rights at Sea. He (Mr. Walpole) had understood the noble Lord the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to state on the previous evening that questions connected with the Declaration of Paris were under the consideration of the Government, who would officially announce the conclusions at which they arrived as soon as those questions had been determined by them. He would put it to his hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Whether, in the present very delicate and complicated state of affairs it would be for the advantage of his Motion or for the benefit of the public interests that such a discussion should be raised at that moment? If, however, the noble Viscount should be of opinion that the Motion might come on without disadvantage to the public interests, he (Mr. Walpole) did not at all desire to interpose any objection, but if the noble Lord thought otherwise he trusted his hon. Friend would consent to postpone his Motion to a more favourable opportunity.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONSir, I entirely concur in the views of my right hon. Friend as to the inexpediency of discussing to-night the question which the hon. Member for Liverpool intends to bring forward. The House will bear in mind that my noble Friend (Lord John Russell) stated last evening that this question of international rights, as connected with belligerent rights at sea, is of a grave and complicated character, that it is under the consideration of the Government; and until the Government shall be in a condition, after consulting its legal advisers, to make some distinct communication upon the subject it would be inexpedient, and, indeed, impossible for them to enter into any discussion upon the matter. If the hon. Member for Liverpool persists in making his Motion, I can only say it will be impossible for the Government to make any 1654 other statement to this House in the pre sent condition of things, but it must remain wholly silent. I think, with submission, that any discussion upon so delicate a matter in the present state of affairs would be prejudicial to the public interests, and I, therefore, urge the hon. Member to postpone his Motion to some future period.
§ MR. HORSFALLsaid, that his own inclination would lead him to proceed with the Motion of which he had given notice, but, as his own judgment concurred with what had fallen from the noble Lord and the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Walpole), he felt that, under the circumstances, he had no alternative but to postpone his Motion until the views of the Government were before the House.