§ The Earl of Aberdeensaid, that he was happy to find that the former treaties of commerce and navigation, which had recently expired, had been renewed; but a new article had been introduced which he could not quite understand. That article stipulated, that British vessels should be placed on the same footing with Austrian vessels on arriving at the Danube, and at the ports of the Danube, and he wanted to know what security they had for the fulfilment of that article, that British vessels should be on the same footing as Austrian vessels in ports not belonging to the Austrian dominions; and how it happened that Austria and Great Britain stipulated in a treaty for the treatment of British vessels in ports belonging to a state which was no party to that treaty, and over which they had no 191 jurisdiction. The fact was, that there were no Austrian ports in the Danube accessible to any vessels; all the ports were below the Austrian dominions; and, therefore, what he wanted to know was, what security they had that British vessels could be admitted in the same manner as Austrian vessels into the Turkish ports?
§ Viscount Melbournewas understood to say, that that advantage must be secured by another treaty.
§ The Earl of Aberdeensaid, that he still highly approved of the treaty, which was the same as the former one, with the exception of this new article; but he had been induced to ask the question, as it had been thrown out that some great and important addition had been made, which secured the free navigation of the Danube. At the time when he had the honour of signing the former treaty with the Austrian government, there was no necessity for any such stipulation, because, then there was no steam navigation; but now it might be an important advantage, and as all the ports of the Danube were below the Austrian dominions, he had sought an explanation of the matter from the noble Viscount.
§ Subject dropped.