§ MR. JESSE COLLINGS (Birmingham, Bordesley)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if it is in accordance with International law and International etiquette for the admiral of a foreign ship to land an armed force in a British Colony without the permission of the Governor of that colony.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYThe Answer is in the negative. And I may add that in the incident to which the right hon. Gentleman has previously referred no such right was ever claimed.
§ MR. JESSE COLLINGSasked whether the right, or supposed right, was not exercised.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYI said the right was not claimed, and you cannot say that a right that has not been claimed has been exercised. What I am convinced of is this, that there was naturally in the presence of such a catastrophe a certain amount of misunderstanding. The action of the American admiral was inspired by a single-minded motive of humanity and a desire to relieve suffering, and any other construction placed upon his action was both unworthy and untrue.
§ MR. JESSE COLLINGSMay I ask whether the fact remains that, in opposi- 228 tion to the Governor of a British Colony, these armed forces were landed, and that there was no disorder that would, warrant any such action?
§ SIR EDWARD GREYNo, Sir. According to my information, the Question of the right hon. Gentleman conveys a statement of facts which is not borne out by the true accounts of the occurrence.