§ MR. HAVELOCK WILSONI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has had any Report from Bilbao with reference to the release of the seaman Shilling; whether he has been released; and, if so, upon what conditions; and if he could lay upon the Table of the House the Correspondence which has passed between the Consul and the Foreign Office?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir EDWARD GREY,) Northumberland, BerwickThree seamen, an Englishman named Shilling, an American, and a Swede, belonging to the British ship Newcastle, were arrested on a charge of assaulting the Spanish police. The British Consul at Bilbao at once intervened on their behalf, and succeeded in obtaining the release of the two latter, against whom the charge was less serious. Their own Consuls declined to interfere, as they were serving on a British vessel. The 316 Fiscal originally demanded two years' imprisonment for Shilling, assault on the police being a grave offence in Spain, but in deference to the Consul's frequent appeals, the demand was reduced to two months, and a fine of £5. The time passed in prison before trial was reckoned in the sentence, and the man is now released and sent home. If it be thought worth while after this statement the Correspondence will be laid upon the Table of the House.
§ MR. HAVELOCK WILSONI should like to ask the hon. Gentleman as to what the duties of a British Consul are, what are the hours of labour, whether they can leave their offices entirely in the hands of Vice Consuls, and whether Vice Consuls can leave them entirely in the hands of clerks?
§ MR. SPEAKERThat is clearly a question which the hon. Member should put on the Paper.