§ Mr. MONCKTON MILNESsaid, he wished to ask the noble Lord the Under 294 Secretary for Foreign Affairs a question of which he had given him notice. It appeared that on the 2nd of September last the apartments of Mr. Paget, an English gentleman residing at Dresden, were entered by a large body of police, who insisted upon the delivery of his private manuscripts and papers; that these were forcibly seized and carried off, and that, on a representation being made to Mr. Forbes, the English Minister at Dresden, application was made by him to the Government of Saxony, who disavowed all knowledge whatever of the occurrence. It afterwards transpired that this outrage had taken place by an order of the Austrian Government, communicating their desire to the police acting in Saxony. He (Mr. M. Milnes) wished to know whether Her Majesty's Government had received any communication on this subject; whether any redress was demanded, and had been given; and also whether the Government had any objection to lay on the table the papers connected with this outrage upon an unprotectected and unoffending English gentleman?
LORD STANLEYI think my hon. Friend has been greatly misinformed in the details of the subject to which he has just called the attention of the House. It is true that Mr. Paget, a British subject, who for about two years has been residing at Dresden, had his house entered and his papers seized by the police; but it is not true, at least no information of that kind has reached Her Majesty's Government, that his papers were seized by the Austrian authorities. They were seized by the police of the country in which he resided. The British Minister at Dresden, Mr. Forbes, at once remonstrated with the proper authorities, and the result of his remonstrance was, that after a short interval Mr. Paget's papers were returned to him. I should state that the first answer that was made by the Government of Saxony to the remonstrance of Mr. Forbes was. an admission that Mr. Paget's papers had been taken from him, and a justification of the act, on grounds which proved to he utterly erroneous. But to that reply a second note of remonstrance was sent by Mr. Forbes, which appeared to have produced its effect, for very shortly afterwards Mr. Paget's papers were restored, and Mr. Forbes was directed to convey to Mr. Paget an expression of regret, on the part of the Government of Saxony, at what had occurred, and to state to Mr. Paget that the 295 police who had taken upon themselves, without orders, to seize his papers had received a very severe reprimand. Under these circumstances no further notice of the matter on the part of the Government was thought necessary.