§ MR. MONTAGUE GUESTasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is true, as stated, that the French man of war "Friedland" is now stationed in Tunisian waters; and, whether Her Majesty's Government will take steps to counteract the influence which this show of force is calculated to bring to bear against claims to the Enfida Estate in Tunis by a British subject?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, when my hon. Friend asked me this Question yesterday without Notice I asked him to postpone it till to-day, both on account of the general principle that, in delicate foreign affairs, Notice ought always to be given; and, also, because I was not in possession of information as to the movements of the Friedland, which reached us at 5 o'clock, and was in the possession of my noble Friend Lord Granville when he replied, at a quarter past 5, to a Question in "another place." The French ironclad Friedland and despatch-boat Hirondelle, which left Toulon for Tunis last week, were yesterday morning to leave Tunis, and Her Majesty's ironclad Thunderer and despatch-boat Decoy, which had been ordered to call at Tunis in the course of a cruise, 434 have been ordered to continue their cruise.