MR. BLACKETTsaid, that subsequent to the conclusion of the Schleswig-Holstein war, a treaty was signed, to which this country was a party, fixing on the Prince of Glucksburgh as the future heir of the Danish Crown, failing issue of the reigning king and his immediate heir. That treaty was laid on the table of the House last year; but the House were not aware what were the views of those who represented this country in the matter, nor by what instruments the treaty was accompanied. He had information, on the one hand, that the Court of Russia had executed full renunciations of its rights of succession; while, on the other hand, it was remarkable that those renunciations were not included in the treaty of last year, as 1680 similar renunciations by the House of Bourbon were incorporated in the treaty of Utrecht. Still more recently the subject had been brought under the attention of the Government by the constitutional changes introduced by the Danish Government. He should simply ask the noble Lord the secretary for the Home Department, whether there was any objection to laying before the House such portions of the correspondence which had passed on the subject as could be produced without detriment, to the public service, and especially the circular of the Danish Minister, dated in May in the present year? That document, and the reply of Lord Clarendon, had been printed and circulated in the German newspapers, though no documents connected with the subject had been laid before the British Parliament.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTON, in reply, said, that the correspondence to which the hon. Member referred was exceedingly voluminous, extending to, perhaps 6,000 pages of folio, and the expense of the printing such a mass of correspondence would be very great, and certainly would not be repaid by the interest which it would create. That the production of such a correspondence would lead to inconvenience he could assert, inasmuch as he had been he instrument through whom it had passed. Besides, it contained a great many details which, at the present moment, had lost all interest. As things stood, the succession to Denmark Proper went in the female line, the succession of Holstein went in the male line, the succession of Schleswig was disputed between two parties; and, therefore, on the death of the king and his uncle, who was the next heir, Denmark would have gone to the female heir, Holstein to the male, and Schleswig been divided between them. It was the business of the British Government to endeavour to prevent such a state of things; and it was thought an important object to keep together those three States which in common parlance were called the Danish Provinces. He was anxious to get renunciations also from that male branch which had claims on Holstein, and to combine the whole in some party who might equally claim all portions. That was accomplished by the treaty. If the hon. Gentleman named the renunciation of Russia, or if there were any particular documents as to which the hon. Gentleman would have the goodness to give him (Lord Palmerston) a memorandum, he would ascertain whether there was any objection to their production.
MR. BLACKETTsaid, that the only document he would mention was the reply to the Danish Minister's circular of May last; but, if the noble Lord would permit him, he would communicate with the noble Lord privately on the subject.