LORD KINNAIRD, after presenting a petition from Forfarshire, for a total repeal of all laws imposing duties on human food, said, that in pursuance of the Notice he had given some days ago, he would take that opportunity of putting a question, and stating his reasons for putting that question, to the noble Lord the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. He would first state his reasons for putting the question, and then the question itself. Looking to Her Majesty's Speech, he found it stated that the interference which we had made in the Rio de la Plata, was on account of our trade being interrupted, and acts of barbarity had been committed there which were unknown to the hostilities of civilized nations—at all events, he would say, greater barbarities than could be committed in any of the civilized states of Europe. Although he admitted it was questionable how far any country was justified in interfering in the domestic government or policy of any other State; yet as circumstances had arisen to call for our interference, and as that interference had been against a comparatively weak State—he conceived that Her Majesty's Government might be justified in using all peaceable means in remonstrating against the commission of such cruelties as those which had taken place not long since in Lithuania, which was part of the dominions of a monarch with whom 635 we were upon peaceable terms. The accounts were almost incredible, and therefore he had great hesitation in believing them; but he had taken pains to come at the truth of the facts, and considering the state of that country, he thought that he had good authority for stating that the accounts were but too true; and all he had previously heard upon the subject had been literally confirmed. He would not embarass their Lordships by detailing all the cruelties inflicted upon the nuns at Lithuania, whose only offence was that they belonged to the Roman Catholic religion. It appeared that about the year 1837, the principal of the Roman Catholic Church in that district was converted to the Russian or Greek faith. He had obtained unlimited power from the Emperor of Russia to exert every influence he could for the conversion of the Roman Catholics of his district, and he used that influence with the utmost tyranny. He first turned his attention to the sisterhood of St. Basil, at Minsk, and having brought over the confessor to his views, he endeavoured by every promise of worldly advantage, to persuade the nuns to adopt his views, and recant their own long-cherished religion. That they declined to do, and having persisted in their refusal, the bishop gave them three months to consider; but before the expiration of that time he came with a body of soldiers, and brought them off to a neighbouring town, where they were treated with the utmost severity, and subjected to the most degrading and servile punishments. They experienced, for two years, the greatest persecution, and they were then again removed, in consequence of an apprehension that the people of the town in which they were, who witnessed and knew of the barbarities practised, might unite together in rescuing the nuns. In the locality to which they were next brought, they were obliged to associate with the very dregs of society, and to labour in such a manner as no female could or ought endure; so excessive was their toil that eight of them very soon died, and three perished, by the ground falling on them whilst excavating; three of them, after suffering so much that it was scarcely credible it could be endured by females, escaped. Not only were they made to suffer this treatment, but they were subjected to other treatment which he would not name. Salted herrings were given them in order to increase their thirst, and then they were denied a cup of cold water; they were fed on alternate days upon bread and water, and when reduced to 636 the lowest state, they were brought before "the minister of religion" (so called), by whose orders they got fifty lashes upon refusing to be converted, or to adopt his "religious" views. A similar number of lashes were given to them twice a week, to prevent their wounds from healing; and they were not only subjected to every species of suffering themselves, but, to aggravate their torments, they were obliged to be present at the punishment inflicted on others. They were made to witness an act of barbarity which never had been exceeded in the worst days of the Roman empire, in the persecution of the early Christians; four aged monks were brought forward and placed, under a pump, and the water was allowed to congeal on them until they were frozen to death. These acts appeared so marvellous, that some thought that such barbarities could not be committed by a civilized people—such cruelties did indeed appear to be almost incredible; but, as he had already stated, he apprehended that the statements he had made were but too true. These unfortunate females were finally given over to a band of drunken soldiers, and the greater number of them died of the treatment they had received. Out of forty-eight, only eleven survived, and those were so mutilated—their eyes having been torn out, and their limbs so injured—that they could not long survive. Three only managed to escape. He did feel very anxious on the subject, as there had been assertions made against the Emperor of Russia; and, as this Government was on amicable terms with that sovereign, he was desirous that some inquiry should be made into the matter. He was sure it could not be considered that the English Government were influenced by any hostile or improper motives, but that they were interfering for a humane and benevolent purpose, and to endeavour to mitigate and prevent the recurrence of such cruelties in future. The question he would ask the noble Lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs was, whether he had received any information upon the subject from the Representative of the British Government at St. Petersburgh; or would the noble Lord have any objection to desire that some information might be afforded upon the subject?
§ The EARL of ABERDEENsaid, that he certainly had read, in common with their Lordships, the accounts to which the noble Lord had referred; and, in answer to his question he had to say, that he had not received any information whatever from Her 637 Majesty's Minister at St. Petersburgh on the subject. One of Her Majesty's consular agents had referred to the religious persecutions which had taken place with respect to these persons; but he said that he had no knowledge of his own on the subject. He (the Earl of Aberdeen) had not the least doubt that the accounts had been grossly exaggerated. That there might have been religious persecution, was probable—indeed, was certain; but the noble Lord was mistaken in supposing that the individuals were Roman Catholics, who were persecuted in this manner. They were of the Greek Church—the schismatic Greeks who had joined the Established Greek religion. They belonged to what was called the United Greek Church, which about five or six years ago had joined the Established Greek Church; and the bishop who was principally instrumental in bringing about this union, was stated to have had recourse to the persecution to which the noble Lord had alluded, in order to obtain the adhesion of these religious societies of nuns. He (the Earl of Aberdeen) had no knowledge at all further than what he had now stated; and he must say that he really believed that the accounts to which the noble Lord had referred, could not, in any degree, be relied on as authentic. No doubt religious persecution of any kind was sufficiently to be deplored; but that, it was accompanied by barbarities such as the noble Lord described, he did not in the least believe. How were the authorities of this country to interfere? He should observe, that those nuns belonged to a description of adherents of the Greek Church, who, while they received and acknowledged the Greek doctrines, acknowledged the supremacy of the Pope, and in that respect differed from the others. He (Earl of Aberdeen) should mention, that when the Emperor of Russia was recently at Rome, the Pope took the opportunity of representing to him the persecution of those individuals, and the Emperor then gave his assurance that he was entirely ignorant of any thing of the kind having taken place—that inquiry should be made—and that if there had been misconduct on the part of any one, they should be called severely to account. Such an assurance was much better than that we should interfere in a matter of such a kind.
§ House adjourned.