HC Deb 20 February 1871 vol 204 cc494-5
LORD JOHN MANNERS

said, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he will lay upon the Table the Despatches to which Sir Andrew Buchanan refers (page 13 of Correspondence respecting the Treaty of March 30, 1856) in the following sentence:— I have long foreseen that a proposal on the part of Russia for the revision of the Treaty would not be long delayed; and I have frequently expressed this opinion to your Lordship and to the late Earl of Clarendon?

MR. GLADSTONE

It is quite true, Sir, that the noble Lord has quoted correctly from Sir Andrew Buchanan's expressions on this question, and it is also quite true that despatches have been received from time to time from Sir Andrew Buchanan intimating his expectation that, in all likelihood, Russia would, within a limited period, ask for the revision of the Treaty. But those have been confidential despatches; they were expressive of the surmises and anticipations of Sir Andrew Buchanan, and we do not think it would be desirable to produce them. It is fair to say that those anticipations of Sir Andrew Buchanan did not apparently refer to any proceedings such as were taken last autumn; they were anticipations of a proceeding which would have been, to all appearance, a perfectly legitimate and regular one — namely, an application to the Powers for the reconsideration of some parts of the Treaty.