§ MR. J. HOZIER (Lanark, S.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the attention of Her Majesty's Government has recently been called to the questions arising out of the collision, in 1875, between the British s.s. City of Mecca and the Portuguese s.s. Insulano; and whether protection can be given to Messrs. George Smith & Sons, of Glasgow (the owners of the City of Mecca), against the extortions to which they are, even now, subjected if their vessels, or vessels with which they are in any way connected, or are supposed to be connected, touch at Portuguese or French ports?
§ * THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. GEORGE CURZON,) Lancashire, SouthportYes, Sir, my attention has been called to the case in question. I have made careful inquiry into it, and have seen some of the persons concerned. Her Majesty's Government have frequently expressed their strong dissent from the judgments of the Portuguese Law Courts; but, in view of the fact that the appeal to the highest Tribunal in that country has been unsuccessful, and of the failure of all diplomatic representations, they can see no grounds for hoping that further steps would have the desired effect. Concerning the case of Messrs. George Smith's vessels in French ports, the judgment of the Portuguese Courts was upheld upon examination both as to law and fact by the Court at Rouen, and the judgment of the latter was re-affirmed by the French Court of Cassation. Under these circumstances, Her Majesty's Government are of opinion that diplomatic representation would be of no avail.