§ SIR HENRY HOLLANDasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he still adheres to his statement, purporting to be founded on conversations between Count Kalwoky and Sir Henry Elliot in Vienna, and between Count Karyoli and Lord Granville in London, that Austria had declared that the action of Her Majesty's Government at Alexandria was perfectly legitimate; and, whether the substance of those conversations will be included in the Papers shortly to be laid before Parliament?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, I feel some wonder that my hon. Friend should ask me this Question, as he knows, from previous experience, that if I saw reason to qualify my statement I 1089 should have done so without waiting for a Question. As, however, he asks me the Question, it is necessary that I should read to the House the despatches which have passed on the subject. On July 10 Sir Henry Elliot wrote as follows:—
I have called upon Count Kalnoky to inform him that, in consequence of the Egyptians continuing' to arm the forts of Alexandria, Sir Beau-champ Seymour was to announce this morning that, unless they were temporarily surrendered to him for the purpose of disarmament, he would open fire in 24 hours. His Excellency replied, without hesitation, that he thought Her Majesty's Government perfectly right in the step that was being taken, and nothing could he more complete or cordial than the manner in which he declared the action to be perfectly legitimate, as it was impossible for us to permit the threatening preparations to he carried on without interference,On the following day, July 11, Count Kalnoky repeated to Sir Henry Elliot that he fully understood the reasons for the action taken, and considered the decision of Her Majesty's Government perfectly justifiable. On the 14th of July Lord Granville addressed the following despatch to Sir Henry Elliot:—The Austrian Ambassador told me this afternoon that he had received from Count Kalnoky an account of the language which he had used to your Excellency in regard to the bombardment of the forts at Alexandria by the British Fleet. Count Kalnoky described himself as having stated that the Austrian Government were disposed to consider the bombardment of the forts an act of self-defence, caused by the provocative and menacing attitude of the Egyptian authorities, and as an incident which might be without any detrimental influence on the diplomatic situation, provided England limited her action to the disarmament of the forts in accordance with her declared intention. Count Kalnoky added that in the absence of any sufficient authority at Alexandria, where the orders of the Sultan were ineffective, sufficient reason could be found to explain and justify action in self-defence, which, under other circumstances, would not have been legitimate. The Austrian Government were the more inclined to adopt this view, as it seemed the best and most practical mode of settling the matter, and coincided with the general desire of the Powers to endeavour to effect a pacific solution of the general question.