Lord J. Russellsaid, he had a Motion on the Paper, "for a copy of a despatch from the Earl of Aberdeen to the Earl of Westmoreland, with respect to commercial relations between this country and Prussia, with any answer to such despatch from the Court of Prussia." If there should be no objection to the production of this document he would move for it at once, without troubling the House with any remarks on it. He supposed there would be no objection, as the document first referred to had already found its way into the public papers.
Mr. Gladstonesaid, that in the present state of the correspondence he could not accede to the noble Lord's Motion. He could not say exactly that the correspondence was actually going on at the present moment—neither could he assert that it was concluded; but it would be necessary to wait in order to see the result of a letter which had been written by Baron Bulow. As to the letter of Lord Aberdeen first referred to having found its way to the papers, he could say nothing, as he had no knowledge of how it had been obtained; but he had no ground for thinking that it had been 227 published by the Prussian Government. Whether the copy published was a perfectly correct copy or not he could not say, as it had to undergo a double process, being translated in the first instance into German from the English, and after wards done back into English from the German.
Lord J. Russellsaid, that if there was a correspondence still going on on the subject he would not, of course, press his Motion; but if the correspondence had been brought to a close, he saw no good ground for resisting it.
Mr. Gladstonefelt it now necessary to state in a few words the grounds on which he would be justified in resisting the noble Lord's Motion, if he were to then press it. After the correspondence had come—he would not say to a close—but after communications had passed between the British and the Prussian Governments, in a tone which was calculated to bring about desirable results, another communication had been made by Baron Bulow on the part of the Prussian Government, which was drawn up in a tone and spirit different from those which had preceded it, and tending to different results. He would not say that its tone was a hostile one, but it took an argumentative style which showed that a strong difference of opinion existed on some points, particularly on that relating to the importation of iron. Finding this difference of opinion so strong, Her Majesty's Government thought it right to suspend the correspondence for a time in order to wait and see what might be the result of Baron Bulow's note. Under those circumstances, he felt justified in opposing the noble Lord's Motion; but he had no difficulty in pledging the Government to the production of the documents when ripe for the inspection of the House.
§ Motion postponed.