HC Deb 05 February 1856 vol 140 cc223-4
COLONEL DUNNE

said, he wished to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether it was true—as stated in a French paper—that an armistice had been agreed on between the Allied Powers and Russia; and, further, whether such armistice extended to operations by sea, or to those carried on in Asia?

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON

Sir, one of the arrangements at Vienna was, that after all the preliminaries should be negotiated and signed, an armistice should be arranged between the parties. The preliminaries have not yet been signed, although a protocol has been signed. The preliminaries are to be discussed and signed by the Plenipotentiaries when they meet at Paris, and it will not be until such preliminaries have been signed that the question of an armistice can be taken into consideration.

SIR DE LACY EVANS

said, he wished to know whether the armistice that had been alluded to would prevent Russia from transporting troops or stores by sea?

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON

Armistices are of various kinds, and involve such conditions as the particular case on which they have been concluded require. I stated just now that though it had been agreed that an armistice should follow the signing of the preliminary treaty, as the question of armistice had not yet arisen, it is impossible for me to say what its nature will be.