§ MR. ANSTRUTHER (St. Andrews, &c.)On behalf of the hon. Member for the Partick Division of Lanark, I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can yet answer the question as to the alleged 1132 custom of the insurgent vessels in Rio Harbour taking refuge behind British merchantmen and drawing the Government fire upon them; and whether he is prepared to give any instructions to the officer in command of the British Squadron on the subject?
§ SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT (Sheffield, Ecclesall)May I ask, at the same time, whether it is not a fact that the Brazilian naval officers, who head the revolt against the Marshal Dictator, have always shown themselves, as far as the conditions of civil war permitted, friendly to British interests?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOE FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir E. GHEY,) Northumberland, BerwickIn answer to the last question, I have to say that I am not aware that the Brazilian naval officers in question have shown anything else than impartiality as between different nations. Of course, their attention has been greatly engaged by their own affairs. In answer to the first question put to me, I have to say that reference has been made on this point to Captain Lang, who is now home, and he states that he never observed the insurgents' launches sheltering themselves under the foreign merchant vessels at the assigned anchorage, but that it is possible that they did so in the Gamboa, where merchant vessels were advised not to go. The present British senior naval officer, who was instructed to report on the subject by telegraph,denies that it is the practice for the insurgents' launches so to shelter themselves.