HC Deb 13 July 1854 vol 135 cc163-4
MR. HUTT

said, he begged to ask the noble Lord the President of the Council what was the actual state of the blockading operations undertaken by the British Government in the Black Sea, and whether the Government contemplated an immediate blockade of all the ports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azoff?

LORD JOHN RUSSELL

Sir, with respect to the first question of my hon. Friend, the answer I can give is, that there is an effective blockade of the mouths of the Danube, which has just been regularly notified. With regard to the question as to what are the intentions of the Government with respect to the immediate blockade of all the ports in the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azoff, I must answer it with some reserve. Admiral Dundas, the commander of our fleet in the Black Sea, came to an arrangement with Admiral Hamelin on this subject; it was, however, necessary that the propositions should be transmitted to Constantinople, and Paris as well, for the purpose of coming to some agreement on the subject. On the arrival of the document at Constantinople, Lord Stratford de Redcliffe had some doubt whether the propositions made by the two Admirals were in strict conformity with the law of nations, and thought it necessary to refer them to this country. My noble Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has taken opinions on the subject, which have been transmitted to Constantinople, and afterwards the intentions of Government will be declared.

MR. HUTT

said, after the statement the noble Lord had made relating to the Black Sea, he should like to know something with respect to the White Sea; and he begged to ask the right hon. Baronet the First Lord of the Admiralty what were the intentions of the British Government as to the blockade of ports in the White Sea?

SIR JAMES GRAHAM

Sir, by an arrangement with the French Government, orders have been transmitted to the French and English Admirals commanding the combined fleets at the entrance of the White Sea to institute a strict blockade of Archangel and other ports of the White Sea, commencing on the 1st of August.

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