§ Sir George Murrayrose to present a Petition which was connected with the Motion about to be submitted by his hon. friend (Mr. Courtenay). It was from a shipowner of Kincardine, complaining that the ship Alexander had been detained in the month of April last, by the Government of Terceira. The ship had been boarded at Angra, and kept without sailing for a period of six weeks, by which a loss of 600l. had accrued to the parties concerned. The case appeared to him to be clearly established; all the allegations of the petition being fully borne out by documents. He, therefore, trusted that his noble friend the Secretary for Foreign Affairs would turn his attention to the subject, with a view to afford relief to a party who appeared to have been hardly used.
§ Viscount Palmerstonbegged to assure his right hon. friend that this subject had had every attention paid to it, and he regretted he could hold out no hopes of relief. He had referred the application made by the petitioner to the legal authorities usually advised with by the Government, and they had been of opinion that according to the licence allowed by the law of nations to every government, the regency 108 at Terceira had only exercised an acknowledged right in laying an embargo upon this vessel amongst others within their ports, while the prospect of war rendered such a course necessary. Other cases of a different nature had occurred in the course of this contest, and the case of the detainers at Lisbon had been a clear violation of every rule of international law. To show, however, that his Majesty's Government looked with no partiality towards the Terceira government, he should mention that in another case of seizure of a vessel by that government, not within this rule, compensation had been required and fully made.
§ Sir George Murraysaid, that while the Alexander was seized, a French vessel was allowed to proceed on her voyage. This made something in the case, though he had no doubt that his noble friend had given the subject a proper share of attention.
§ Viscount Palmerstonobserved, that even although the government of Terceira might not have exercised its rights with regard to a French vessel, that omission upon its part would not justify the British Government in interfering where the right was admitted.
§ Petition to be printed.