QUESTION. (Hansard, 25 February 1864)

§ MR. HENNESSY

said, he desired to put a Question to the noble Lord at the head of the Government on a subject which he had already brought under the notice of the House. It would be in the recollection of the noble Lord, that he had put certain Questions with reference to a despatch on the affairs of Poland from Earl 1102 Russell, which he alleged had been recalled and altered by the Government on the remonstrance of a foreign Government, Some of these questions the noble Viscount answered, and others he did not answer. It was admitted that a despatch similar in terms to the declaration made by Earl Russell at Blairgowrie was sent to Prince Gortschakoff, and that this despatch was recalled and forwarded in an altered form. The Question he now put was, Whether that despatch which was so sent to Prince Gortschakoff was also sent to any other Minister of State in Europe, and, especially, whether it was sent to Lord Bloomfield at Vienna and by him communicated to Count Rechberg in its complete form? If he were correctly informed, this despatch was regarded in Poland as the most important step that had been taken in the affairs of that country since 1815. He wished also to know, whether if that despatch was actually communicated by Lord Bloomfield to Count Rechberg, or to the Minister of any other Government, the House would be allowed to see it in its complete and unaltered form. It was, he believed, very unusual for a Minister to send copies of his despatches to other Governments as well as to that to which the despatches were addressed. The noble Earl, however, had taken that course, for every despatch sent by him to Russia on the affairs of Poland was also sent simultaneously to other Powers. The despatch in question was communicated, he believed, to three other European Governments. He was told that when it was received by the Minister for Foreign Affairs at one European Court, it was communicated by him to the Russian Ambassador at that Court, and by him communicated by telegraph to Prince Gortschakoff. And thus it happened that, as St. Petersburg was the furthest capital from London, Prince Gortschakoff had heard of the despatch before its arrival, and was prepared for it. He was also informed that M. von Bismark attached great importance to this despatch, and that he was inclined to think the Cabinet of Berlin would make it a casus belli if it were communicated to Prince Gortschakoff. Therefore, he wished likewise to ask the noble Viscount, whether any despatches had passed between Her Majesty's Government and other Powers with reference to this altered despatch? He should like to know, whether M. von Bismark had remonstrated with Her Majesty's Government, and whether the noble 1103 Viscount would lay before the House the despatches, unaltered, which had passed between Lord Bloomfield and Count Rechberg on this subject? He asked those questions because it was probable a debate on the Polish question would take place within another fortnight, and because he was of opinion, that on a matter of such importance as that to which he had adverted, the House ought not to be left in ignorance.