§ MR. SERJEANT SIMONasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, respecting the claims against the Spanish Government arising out of the seizure of the "Octavia" in 1875, Whether claims for compensation, as well as the claim for restoration of the vessel and cargo, were not made by the owner, and by Her Majesty's Government on his behalf?
§ MR. BOURKE,in reply, said, he had told the hon. Member on the previous day that the question of damages was not before the Spanish Government, the reason being that Her Majesty's Government thought it desirable that the question of the seizure of the ship should be kept altogether distinct from the question of damages. It was most desirable that the question of damages should be postponed until the question of the seizure of the ship should have been determined. Her Majesty's Government had received information that the ship had been delivered to the Consul at Havana, and therefore that question was now decided. The claims which had been made from time to time with regard to compensation for the seizure and detention of the ship were now before Her Majesty's Government, who were considering the amount of support which it would be their duty to give to those claims.