§ LORD LYNDHURSTI wish to call 780 the attention of Her Majesty's Government to a report which has been in circulation for the last few days, to the effect that the Russian Government or authorities have seized the property of our late able and most excellent Minister at St. Petersburg. I hope there is no foundation whatever for that report. If it should turn out to be true, the act is such a gross violation of the admitted law of nations, that Russia must be excluded from the class of civilised States. I hope Her Majesty's Government will be able to afford some explanation on the subject.
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEIn the absence of my noble Friend the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, I can only say, that while I entirely concur in the expressions of the noble and learned Lord with respect to the character of the proceedings he has alluded to, if any such have taken place, my noble Friend at the head of Foreign Affairs has received no information upon the subject, and therefore Her Majesty's Government at present can give no explanation.
§ LORD LYNDHURSTsaid, he understood that Sir George Seymour had himself given some intimation of the facts, to which he (Lord Lyndhurst) had alluded, to a noble Lord a Member of that House.
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEI have no doubt it is possible Sir George Seymour may have made some such intimation. I only stated that no communication upon the subject had been made to Her Majesty's Government.