§ Mr. Macleanwished to ask the noble Lord, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, whether, subsequently to the correspondence laid on the table of the House with regard to the affair of the Vixen, other correspondence had not taken place between himself and Mr. Bell, as well as the authorities of St. Peters-burgh and Constantinople? If so, whether he would have any objection to place that correspondence likewise on the table of the House? He had also another question to put to the noble Lord. He had received information of an outrage having been committed in the passage of the Dardanelles upon a certain merchant vessel, and he wished to know whether any such communication had been received by the noble Lord and which he (Mr. Maclean) understood had been made to the authorities at Constantinople? The hon. and learned Gentleman then read an extract of a communication which he had received from the agent employed by the merchants, to the effect, that a merchant vessel recently arrived at Liverpool was twice fired at by a Russian brig of war, under the supposition that it was a corsair. But the merchant vessel having passed above the castle, in the channel where she must have shown her papers, there could be no shadow of excuse for firing on her in pretence that she was a corsair. It was also stated, that a protest had subsequently been made against this proceeding, and he wished to know from the noble Lord whether these statements were true or not?
§ Viscount Palmerstonsaid, it was quite true that since the date of the papers which had been laid on the table with regard to the affair of the Vixen there had been some correspondence between himself and Mr. Bell, and he had no sort of objection to lay it also before the House. With regard to the transaction to which the hon. and learned Gentleman had alluded, be begged to say, that he received two days ago an account which, however, differed in some material respects from the statement which had been made to the hon. and learned Gentleman. It had been stated to him, that two English merchant ships were lying at anchor within the 59 passage of the Dardanelles, and that a Russian brig of war, which was passing either up or down, fired a blank gun at one of the merchant ships to make her show her colours, which she did; and then fired another blank gun at the other merchant ship to make her show her colours, which that ship also did. He understood, that it was the invariable practice at sea when ships of war of any country met merchant vessels without colours to invite them to show their colours by showing their own; and if this was not complied with, then to make them show their colours by firing blank guns at them. A question might arise, whether the Russian brig of war was, according to the law of nations, entitled or not to require a ship under the circumstances stated by the hon. and learned Gentleman to hoist its colours. Upon that question he was not at present prepared to express an opinion one way or the other.
§ Mr. MacleanThen the noble Lord has not received any communication that these ships were fired on with shot?
§ Viscount Palmerstonsaid, he had got the protest of the two masters of the vessels, which distinctly stated, that the two guns fired were blank.