§ MR. ROSS, after reminding the House that Her Majesty, in the Speech from the Throne, had called their attention to the hostilities in the River Plate, proceeded to remind them that three vessels, having succeeded in breaking the blockade, were pursued by the joint French and English force, and captured, and, as it was found impossible to remove them as prizes, they were burnt; and that President Rosas, exasperated at this, issued a decree proclaiming the whole warfare so carried on to be piratical, and declaring that he would treat as pirates any French or British officers who might fall into his hands. This proved to be no empty threat; a British officer, not taken prisoner of war, but seized on while under the solemn and sacred protection of a flag of truce, was treated under that decree as no civilized nation on the face of the earth would treat the worst of pirates. Mr. Wardlaw, acting mate in Her Majesty's ship Racer, was cruising off the coast, and unfortunately the whaleboat in which he was, grounded on a bank, and could not be got off. After some time he and his boat's crew observed a party of soldiers coming along the shore towards them; the soldiers displayed a flag of truce on their part in answer to his own, and, like an honest and gallant sailor, he accepted their invitation, and went boldly on shore to the commandant. On his re-appearance, a large party of armed men were observed making for the stranded boat, which had just floated again, and Mr. 509 Wardlaw called out to his crew from the beach, "I'm sold, I'm sold, fire—fire, and defend yourselves." The midshipman left in charge fired with effect, and he and the crew escaped the snare, and got back to the Racer; but poor Mr. Wardlaw they never saw again, either alive or dead. Immediate inquiry was instituted, and a demand was made that he should be liberated; the answer was, that he had fallen in a skirmish. His body was then demanded; but the men were ashamed or afraid to produce the mangled remains of this poor young man. Then the whole truth came out. It appeared that Mr. Wardlaw was told by the commandant, that if he would go down to the shore and order his boat's crew to surrender, it would be well with him; but, if not, his throat would be cut. He pretended compliance; but the moment he saw a vessel approaching his boat to capture his men, he warned his men to escape, and deliberately sacrificed his own life for the safety of his crew and the honour of his flag. He was taken back to the commandant, who ordered him to instant execution; and these savages cut off his fingers and his ears, and then put him to a lingering death. The House could not hear of such atrocities without the deepest commiseration for this gentleman. He (Mr. Ross) would now ask whether, on the promulgation of that decree of Rosas, any remonstrance or protest was made by Her Majesty's Government, or by the authorities on the spot? and, secondly, whether any correspondence had taken place since this occurrence had become known?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONanswered, that the circumstance to which the hon. Member had adverted, had undoubtedly attracted the attention of Her Majesty's Government several months ago. The House would excuse him (Lord Palmerston) from entering at present into any discussion of the state of the relations of this country with the countries bordering upon the River Plate during the continuance of hostilities; he hoped that steps now in progress on the part of the Governments of England and France might lead to a termination of the present unfortunate state of things, and therefore he thought he should best perform his duty in not adverting to that part of the subject. But the Government did hear that the officer alluded to, being despatched in command of the whaleboat for some purpose up the river had grounded, and that he landed under a flag of truce, and those things followed which the hon. Mem- 510 ber had narrated. According to the account which the Government heard, the authorities of Buenos Ayres gave the answer that Mr. Wardlaw was killed in a skirmish; but there was good reason to believe that he was put to death in some inhuman manner after the skirmish was over. Her Majesty's Government, in August last, instructed Sir Thomas Herbert, who went out to take the command in the River Plate, to make inquiry into the circumstances of the case, and report to the Admiralty; but that report had not yet been received. With regard to the other point, the House might well imagine that the declaration that British officers in Her Majesty's service, acting in obedience to their orders, were to be treated as pirates, could only be met in one way by the British Government.
§ MR. MONCKTON MILNESwished to learn whether the noble Lord would have any objection to the production of papers relating to the non-appointment of a British Consul at Cracow?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONobserved, that a correspondence had taken place on the subject between the British Government and the three Powers, which had produced some asperity—the asperity, however, being on their side—and he did not see any advantage in producing it. The subject had no necessary connexion with the discussion on the incorporation of Cracow, and he saw no advantage in reviving an angry discussion on a subject which had only a passing interest.