HC Deb 24 July 1868 vol 193 cc1712-3
MR. LABOUCHERE

said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether a Circular has been sent to Her Majesty's Missions Abroad, notifying that no person in the Diplomatic or Consular Service who has not now an Agent at the Foreign Office will be allowed to take one; and, whether it is intended to make any arrangement to enable those who will be without Agents to draw their salaries; and, if so, whether those who now have Agents will be allowed to profit by any such arrangement?

LORD STANLEY

, in reply, said, what had been decided and what the diplomatic and consular servants had been informed of was the adoption of a Minute, of which the following is an extract:— That no Clerk or other person connected with the Foreign Office, except such as are at the date of this Minute (June 24, 1866) acting as Agents, shall hereafter, directly or indirectly, undertake to act as such for any of Her Majesty's diplomatic or consular servants. Diplomatists and Consuls have at the some time been reminded— That there is no obligation on them to employ as an Agent a Clerk in the Foreign Office for any purpose whatsoever, and that they may entrust to any person whom they may choose to employ, unconnected with the Foreign Office, their Powers of Attorney, under which moneys becoming due to them may be regularly received.