HC Deb 04 July 1904 vol 137 cc466-8
MR. WOLFF (Belfast, E.)

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he it' aware that the British steamer "Allanton," whilst proceeding from Marsran, in Japan, to Singapore with a cargo of coals consigned to a British subject, was seized by a Russian vessel and taken to Vladivos-tock, and has since been condemned there as a prize and confiscated; and will he state what steps His Majesty's Government propose to take in order to obtain the release of the versel.

THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Earl PERCY,) Kensington, S.

His Majesty's Government are aware of the fact and are in communication on the subject with His Majesty's Ambassador at St. Petersburg, who has asked to be supplied with an official statement of the grounds of condemnation. They understand that the owner of the vessel has taken steps to lodge an appeal, for which a month's time is allowed, to the Supreme Prize Court which will sit at St. Petersburg, and in these circumstances His Majesty's Government must await the decision of that tribunal before deciding what, if any, representation they can properly address to the Russian Government when the full facts of the case are before them.

MR. WOLFF

Will the appeal be to St. Petersburg?

EARL PERCY

Yes.

MR. WOLFF

Is nothing being done meanwhile to urge the Russian Government to release the vessel?

MR. JOSEPHDEVLIN (Kilkenny, N.)

Is there an English representative at Vladivostock from whom the owner of the vessel may obtain assistance?

MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)

Has an appeal been made?

EARL PERCY

The minimum time for appeal is, I think, a month; perhaps a little longer.

MR. T. W. RUSSELL

If the captain and crew are confined, how can an appeal be made? It is a very serous matter for the owners of this Belfast vessel.