MR. WHITEasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he has any objection to lay upon the Table of the House the Official Despatches from China and Saigon with reference to the capture by the French of two British vessels the "Sophia Rickmers" and the "Robert Rickmers?"
§ VISCOUNT ENFIELDSir, the Sophia Rickmers and the Robert Rickmers were two German vessels, sold to a Mr. R. Rickmers, styling himself a British subject, and were captured by the French during the late war between France and Germany in the Eastern Seas. Mr. Rickmers, in complaining to the Foreign Office, stated that his parents belonged to Heligoland, but did not mention whether he had been born in British dominions; he had, however, disqualified himself from becoming the owner of a British ship by taking the oath of allegiance to the Free State of Bremen. These ships are now before the Prize Court at Saigon, and Her Majesty's Government 570 would not consider themselves justified in asking for the release of these vessels from the French authorities, as their Prize Courts have long since decided that the sale of an enemy's ship to a neutral after the commencement of a war does not entitle it to exemption from capture on the high seas. There would be no objection to produce the Correspondence if the hon. Gentleman would move for it.