§ MR. DARBY GRIFFITHsaid, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, as stated by the 600 Pays, the Turkish Government is preparing to march Troops into the Servian territory; and also whether a Turkish war vessel has ascended the Danube bound for Belgrade, and towed and assisted by an Austrian Steamer; and, if so, whether such proceedings meet with the support and encouragement of Her Majesty's Government; and whether it is the case, that on the evening of the 16th day of June the Pacha of the Fortress of Belgrade, the Servian Prime Minister, and the Consuls of England, France, Austria, Russia, and Prussia, signed an agreement for the suspension of hostilities then occurring, and that, nevertheless, the fortress bombarded the town for four hours, at nine o'clock on the morning of the 17th day of June; and that the English and other European Consuls had formally protested against that act as a breach of good faith?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONWe have no information on the first point mentioned by the hon. Gentleman, namely, the entrance of Turkish troops into Servian territory; but I apprehend that if the Turkish Government thought proper to send troops into Servia, they have a perfect right to do so. With regard to the transactions at Belgrade, there was an arrangement made by the consuls which it was hoped would have put an end to hostilities between the citadel and the town; but acts of aggression on the part of the people of the town, such as shooting an officer bearing a flag of truce, and a fire of musketry on the works, had led to a resumption of the fighting.
§ MR. DARBY GRIFFITHsaid, he must complain that the noble Lord had not answered his Question, which was, whether the protest stated to have been signed by the Consuls was genuine.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONWe do not make ourselves answerable for reports in public newspapers, but we have had from time to time reports from the Consuls there. Still we are not in possession of all the circumstances which took place and the causes which led to hostilities. No doubt the Consuls did their best to interpose and restore peace.
§ MR. DARBY GRIFFITHsaid, he must repeat that his Question was unanswered, which was, whether the English Consul had not entered a protest against the proceedings.
§ Afterwards, on going into Committee of Supply,
601§ MR. DARBY GRIFFITHsaid, he hoped the noble Lord at the head of the Government would now answer the Question which he had put to him at an earlier period of the evening, namely, whether our Consul had formally protested against the bombardment of the town of Belgrade on the 17th of June. The hon. Member read the following protest presented to the Turkish Governor Pacha of Belgrade by the Consuls General of England, France, Russia, and Prussia:—
The Governor Pacha of Belgrade having ordered the bombardment of the city without previous warning, after having, it is true, convoked the consular corps, but without having heard them, and when every one had the right to confide in the convention passed with the Servian Government in the presence of all the members of the consular corps—the undersigned leave to him the responsibility of an act so contrary to the principles of the law of nations; and, after having protested in the most formal manner, they can but await, in the bombarded city, the fate which may overtake their countrymen, until the moment when the orders of their respective Governments arrive.He wished to know whether this document was genuine.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONrose to answer; but
§ MR. SPEAKERreminded the noble Lord that he had already spoken on the Main Question.