MR. SANDARSrose to put a question to the noble Lord opposite. He had given notice of his intention to put this question to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, or in his absence to the noble Lord at the head of the Government; and not observing the Foreign Secretary in his place, he hoped he should receive a reply from the First Lord of the Treasury. He wished to know whether an answer had been received from Her Majesty's Ministers at Frankfort and Berlin, in reply to the proposal of the Danish Government to renew the armistice on certain conditions, if those 314 conditions had been acceded to? If not, whether this provisional state of peace or war depending on six weeks' notice on either side, was to be suffered to continuo, on the part of England, to the serious hindrance and prejudice of the trade and commerce of the united kingdom? Having also seen it stated in the sources of public information, that an armistice had been agreed on between Prussia and Denmark, he wished to know whether the Government had any official information on the subject, and if they had, what were the terms and conditions?
§ LORD J. RUSSELL(in the absence of Viscount Palmerstou) replied, that he did not think any official information had been received of a new armistice. But the negotiations for peace were still going on.
MR. SANDARSdeclared himself dissatisfied with this answer; and gave notice that utdess the noble Lord at the head of Foreign Affairs was in his place on the following day to answer his question, he should move the adjournment of the House for an hour, in order that he might make his appearance.
§ LORD J. RUSSELLwished to know from the hon. Member whether be intended to put this question in the form in which it stood on the paper?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONafter a short period entered the House.
MR. SANDARS, seeing the noble Lord (Viscount Palmerston) in his place, begged to repeat the question of which he had given notice. It had been stated that an armistice had been agreed upon, and he wished to know whether the noble Lord had any information on the subject, and what was the nature of such armistice?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONI am sorry to say that the report to which the hon. Gentleman has alluded is premature, and that the statement is not correct. No armistice—that is, no renewal of the armistice—has as yet been agreed upon between Denmark on the one hand, and Frankfort and Berlin on the other. Her Majesty's Government are in communication with the three parties concerned, with the view of obtaining a fixed prolongation of the armistice, as well as with the view of obtaining a final settlement of the dispute; but as yet nothing definitive has been settled with regard to the armistice. The hon. Gentleman, and the House, under these circumstances, will not expect 315 me to go into the detail of the difficulties which prevent the renewal of the armistice; but I may state that the armistice continues de facto, and will continue, until either one party or the other gives notice of its termination. Neither of the parties has yet given notice, and I do not expect that either party has any wish, at present, to give notice of the termination of the armistice.
§ Subject dropped.