§ THE EARL OF POWIS, in rising to put to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the question of which he had given notice,—What information the Government had received concerning the Assassination of our Minister at Peru, and what Steps they had taken in the Matter—said, it was necessary for him to bring to their Lordships' recollection the extraordinary circumstances under which that act was perpetrated, but he might observe that it was an act in which not merely the feelings of that gentleman's family and friends were concerned, but one which, for the sake of the community at large, should not be allowed to pass over without some satisfaction being given; because the efficiency of all our diplomatic relations rested mainly on the principle of personal security, which, by the common consent of all nations, was observed as regarded the accredited representatives of other countries. He hoped the noble Earl would state what information he had received on the subject, and what steps had been taken to procure the conviction of the 451 persons guilty of the murder, and that Her Majesty's Government would not allow their efforts to be thwarted by the transatlantic indifference for human life, or by the proverbial procrastination of Spanish justice.
§ THE EARL OF CLARENDONMy Lords, it was in the month of August last that we received from our Consul at Lima an account of the murderous attack made upon Mr. Sulivan. On the day following that on which he was attacked Mr. Sulivan died, having suffered great agony from the wounds which he received. It appears that he was struck by the assassin while at dinner with his secretary and other persons. The assassin escaped. Mr. Sulivan, before his death, said he did not believe he had an enemy in the world; and the general opinion there was that he had not an enemy in Peru, for there never was a more amiable or good-natured man, or one who was less likely to give offence to any person. The assassin appeared to have had accomplices waiting outside Mr. Sulivan's residence, and with them he escaped beyond the city. I must do the Peruvian Government the justice to say that nothing could exceed the feeling which they manifested at this most atrocious murder, or the activity which they showed in adopting measures for the detection of the perpetrator. The Peruvian Minister of Foreign Affairs was, at his own request, the chief mourner at Mr. Sulivan's funeral, and both by written communications and verbal ones through the representative of Peru in this country, the Peruvian Government have expressed their deep regret at the occurrence, and informed us that they have good reason to believe that a foreigner was the actual perpetrator of the murder, and that there is no reason to think that he was actuated by any political motives. Believing that they knew where the man was concealed, a police force had been sent out into the country in pursuit of him; but whether it has been successful in its search we do not know; but it seems that one of his accomplices has been recognised by a servant of the late Mr. Sulivan, and has been made prisoner. The Peruvian Government offered in the first instance a reward of 3,000 dollars for the apprehension of the murderer; that sum had since been increased to 10,000 dollars, and we have ourselves offered £300. The belief 452 of the Peruvian Government is, that they will be able to arrest the assassin. I must say we have no fault to find with that Government on the subject, for they have done all that lies in their power to bring the man to justice.