THE EARL OF CARNARVONsaid, that within the last twenty-four hours various papers had been laid upon the table in reference to the blockade of the Southern Ports. Those papers, no doubt, contained a great deal of valuable information; but they were also remarkable for the absence of information upon certain points of too great importance to be passed by. They contained Reports from the various consuls as to the adequacy or inadequacy of the existing blockade; they specified cases in which British vessels had broken it, together with a statement of ships that had been allowed to pass without let or hindrance from the cruisers of the Government of the Northern States; but they did not contain any information with respect to any communications which had passed between Her Majesty's Government and the Governments of foreign States in regard to the blockade. He wished to ask the noble Earl the Foreign Secretary, Whether any such communications had passed; and, if so, whether there was any objection on the part of the Government to lay those papers, or extracts from those papers, before the House? He did not complain of the course which the Government had adopted in issuing the papers now before their Lordships, but there was great inconvenience in discussing a subject of this character upon papers presented in a fragmentary form. There was some excuse at the close of a Session for papers being so presented; but when neither the public offices nor the Parliamentary printers were overtaxed, it would be desirable to have the papers laid on the table as a whole, in order that a satisfactory judgment might be pronounced upon them.
§ EARL RUSSELLsaid, that Her Majesty's Government had not had any formal communications with foreign Governments on the subject of the blockade. From time to time the French Ambassador and some other representatives of maritime States had asked him what course the British Government intended to pursue. His reply to 847 those questions were to the same effect as the despatch which he had addressed to Lord Lyons. No formal communications, however, had passed, and therefore there were none to lay upon the table. With regard to the mode in which the papers were presented, it seemed to him that they were much clearer and more intelligible when they were presented divided into the several subjects. He begged to lay on the table a despatch which he had just received from Lord Lyons, with regard to the blocking-up of Charleston Harbour, in which Mr. Seward is said to have stated that no more stone-ships would be sunk.
§ EARL STANHOPEwished to know whether the despatch did not confirm the Reports which he had alluded to on a former occasion as to the sinking of a second stone fleet?
§ EARL RUSSELL—There is a statement in these despatches, and it has appeared elsewhere, that there had been a complete filling-up of Charleston Harbour; but Mr. Seward says this is not so—that all has been done that ever was intended to be done, and that there will be no further attempts to block up the harbour.