§ Mr. Humerose to put the following questions, of which he had previously given notice to the noble Lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs:—Whether, as stated in the public papers, the British Government has again interfered, through Lord Ponsonby, to prevent the Sultan from entering into direct negotiations with Mehemet Ali for a settlement of their differences; and whether, on that occasion, it has acted in concert with the other European powers or their Ministers at Constantinople? Whether any orders have been issued by her Majesty's Government for reprisals against Mehemet Ali; whether, as stated in public journals, two ships sent by Mehemet Ali to bring recruits from Albania to Candia had been detained by a British frigate and conducted to Corfu; and, whether returned or not? Whether orders have been 1181 issued by her Majesty's Ministers, or by Lord Ponsonby, to Colonel Hodges, the British Consul-general in Egypt, to interfere in the affairs of Egypt by giving subjects of the Sultan passports to leave Egypt? The questions were such as involved peace or war, and he trusted the noble Lord would give an explicit answer to them.
§ Viscount Palmerstonsaid, the same state of affairs now existed as when on a former occasion his hon. Friend moved for the production of correspondence, with regard to negotiations, and therefore he did not know how far it would be prudent to accede to any motion his hon. Friend might make on this subject; but he was quite ready to give an answer to his questions. In the first place, the House was aware that in July last the representatives of the five powers, fearing that the Sultan might from the pressure of circumstances make unnecessary and injurious concessions to Mehemet Ali, presented a note in the name of their respective courts, requesting him not to enter into negotiations with Mehemet Ali respecting anything that had been done with the concurrence of the Five Powers, and Lord Ponsonby received instructions to use any influence he might possess to induce the Porte to comply with this request. With regard to the affair of the ships, the fact was, that information having been received by the High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands that two ships had arrived to recruit, inquiries were made with regard to the officer, who was an agent of Mehemet Ali, and it was found, that they were there for the purpose of decoying certain subjects of the Porte at Albania to proceed to Egypt to form troops to act against the Sultan, and Sir Howard Douglas took steps accordingly, and two Greek ships that were hired for the purpose were stopped. He believed the ships were not claimed, but the measure was prevented, and the agent of Mehemet Ali sent back to Malta, and the recruits remained there. The ships were detained a short time, and were afterwards released. With regard to the third question, no orders had been given to Colonel Hodges, because, as was well known, it was not the practice, except in peculiar cases, to give passports to any but British subjects; but as this question concerned the officers of the Turkish empire, he had no hesitation in saying that Colonel Hodges would only perform his 1182 duty if he afforded any protection he was able o give to any subjects of the Sultan who,t having been engaged in rebellion against him, were desirous of returning to their allegiance.