HL Deb 18 March 1852 vol 119 cc1224-5
LORD BEAUMONT

Seeing my noble Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in his place, I take the opportunity of giving notice that I shall on an early day ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are prepared to lay before Parliament any information relating to the present state of affairs in the Argentine Confederation. The information which I shall ask for is only that which touches the maritime and commercial relations of this country with that Confederation. I believe that this is the time for obtaining from that Confederation, by peaceable means, that which we attempted to obtain some years ago by forcible means, which we were then justified by circumstances in employing. I will also move, at my noble Friend's convenience, for the production of additional papers to the correspondence which has already been produced between the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in this country and the Ministers of foreign countries on the subject of refugees in this country, and the protection of British, subjects from insult and outrage abroad. I hope my noble Friend will forgive me when I say that a report is abroad that another outrage has been committed by a Tuscan or Austrian officer on the person of a British officer in the port of Leghorn. There is a rumour now very rife that an officer of one of Her Majesty's ships of war now in Leghorn Roads has been cut down or insulted or otherwise ill-treated in his uniform, while on shore, by the local authorities either of the Tuscan or of the Austrian Government at Leghorn. Will my noble Friend tell me whether that rumour is correct or not?

The EARL of MALMESBURY

As to the first question, on the subject of the Argentine Confederation, I can assure my noble Friend that Her Majesty's Government appreciates as much as he can do the great importance of our relations with that Confederation, and the favourable opportunity which now presents itself to us or obtaining a settlement of our claims in that quarter. As to my noble Friend's second question, relative to the laying on the table any additional correspondence on the subject of foreign refugees, I believe that the Government would have no objection to its production; but, generally speaking, it is not thought advisable to lay such correspondence piecemeal before Parliament, and before it is concluded. As to my noble Friend's third question, respecting the insult offered to an officer of Her Majesty's Navy in the port of Leghorn, I think that my noble Friend has allowed rumour to exaggerate the real facts of the case very largely. The facts are these:—A petty officer, a corporal of Marines, belonging to Her Majesty's ship Firebrand, now lying in Leghorn Roads, went ashore one Sunday night on leave of absence. While on shore, and with little provocation on his part, he appears to have offended a gendarme or police authority of the Tuscan Government. This authority seized him very roughly, maltreated him, took him to the station-house, and there placed him in chains both hand and foot, and that, too, while the corporal was wearing his uniform as an officer in Her Majesty's service. But I am glad to say that by the active interference of our Secretary of Legation at Florence, Mr. Scarlett, the matter has been satisfactorily arranged, and the Tuscan Government has placed the chief officer of the gendarmerie at Leghorn in prison for eight days as an atonement for the outrage which he committed on this subject of Her Majesty.