DR. CAMERONasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the Spanish steamer "Leon XIII.," which piratically carried off from Singapore Messrs. Wardrop, Hodgson, and Baker, three English engineers, whom the Supreme Court of that colony had ordered to be produced under writ of habeas corpus, was pursued to Manila, its destination, by one or more of Her Majesty's warships belonging to the China Squadron; whether the Spanish authorities at Manila admitted that a breach of International Law had been committed, and ordered Messrs. Wardrop, Hodgson, and Baker to be handed over to the British Consul; whether the Spanish Consul at Singapore advised the captain of the "Leon XIII." to disobey the order of the Supreme Court to produce Messrs. Wardrop, Hodgson, and Baker; whether he was cognisant of her flight from Singapore; whether she was supplied with engineers from a Spanish gunboat to enable her to escape; and, whether it is intended to make a claim upon the Spanish Government for compensation for the suffering, danger, and inconvenience which Messrs. Wardrop, Hodgson, and Baker were subjected to through being thus piratically carried 538 off from a British port with the complicity and assistance of Spanish Government officers?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEThe three English engineers belonging to the Spanish vessel Leon XIII., and detained on board on charges of insubordination, were not piratically carried off from Singapore, nor was that steamer pursued to Manila by any of Her Majesty's war ships. The Leon XIII., which had touched at Singapore, was not under arrest at that port, and proceeded on her voyage to Manila with the English engineers on board, but without the captain, who had been ordered to produce the engineers before the Supreme Court of the Colony in obedience to a writ of habeas corpus. The captain having, under the advice of his Consul, disobeyed the writ, was punished for contempt of Court. The Consul was cognizant of the departure of the steamer for Manila, and it is reported that she was supplied with engineers from a Spanish gunboat for the purpose of proceeding on her voyage. The Spanish authorities at Manila dealt with the case in a courteous and friendly manner, and handed over the English engineers to Her Majesty's Consul. The charges against them were investigated by a Spanish Naval Court, and they were finally discharged from any further proceedings. The case is at the present time the subject of correspondence between the two Governments; and Her Majesty's Government have addressed a remonstrance to the Spanish Government against the action of their Consul at Singapore.