§ MR. SERJEANT SIMONasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether any steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government, and what progress has been made since the last Session respecting the settlement of the claims against the Spanish Government arising out of the seizure of the "Lark" by the Cuban authorities in 1869?
§ MR. BOURKE, in reply, said, that 1807 in October last Her Majesty's Government had directed the Minister at Madrid to request the Spanish Government to obtain a report from their officers in Cuba with reference to the subject, and that morning a despatch had reached the Foreign Office from Mr. Layard, in which a very different version was given of the occurrence from that which had been previously received from the captain of the vessel in question. Under these circumstances, it would be necessary to consider very carefully what steps ought to be taken in the matter.