§ THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGHI wish to put a question to the noble Earl the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, of which I have not had an opportunity to give notice, but respecting which notice is not necessary, as it merely relates to a 391 matter of fact. I beg to ask the noble Earl whether Her Majesty's Ministers have received from the Court of Denmark, or from the Court of Sweden, any communication as to their intentions with respect to their utter neutrality or modified neutrality, in the event of hostilities occurring in the Baltic?
§ THE EARL OF CLARENDONIn answer to the question of the noble Earl, I have to state that we have received communications both from Sweden and Denmark. They have announced to us their intention of preserving a strict and perfect neutrality; and they have also sent a list of those ports and fortified places to which they would not admit the ships of war of the belligerent Powers. Our answer to those communications was, that we approve of the system of policy which they propose to adopt, and of the manner in which they intend to carry it out. I may also say that we said we shall respect that neutrality.
§ THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGHHas the noble Earl taken exception with respect to the particular ports enumerated by Sweden—inasmuch as he (the Earl of Ellenborough) understood that several of those ports are almost essential to the practical action of our fleet in the Baltic? In this matter we stand on an inequality as regards Russia, inasmuch as Russia has ports and we have none, and the exclusion which was proposed would deprive our vessels of ports in which to take shelter in the event of stress of weather.
§ THE EARL OF CLARENDONNo exception has been taken by us to any part of the communication from Sweden, and we consulted the Naval authorities before we gave our answer. I may say that great exception has been taken by Russia to the system which Sweden has announced.
THE EARL OF DESARTSo far as I can judge, it still appears from public report that there is some possibility of peace. I do trust, however that may be, that Russia is not to be permitted to gain another of those diplomatic victories by which she has acquired a greater addition of territory within the last century than she has done by force of arms. If Russia is still willing to negotiate and to accept such propositions as the Sultan would have submitted to some time ago, let her do so; but if that is not her intention, and if Russia is permitted to retain the Black Sea as a mare clausum, I can only say that you put powers into her hands which 392 have long been the source of contention, and out of which will probably originate fresh contentions, which may draw this country into a war which she perhaps may not be as well prepared to meet, or in which she may not be as well seconded as she is now. I trust I shall be excused for offering these remarks; but I feel strongly that this should not be allowed to be a triumph instead of a punishment to Russia, after the calamities which she has brought upon her subjects, the great obstructions which she has occasioned to commerce, and the near embroilment in a war in which she has involved all Europe.
§ EARL FITZWILLIAMasked whether the House was to understand that the noble Earl had, or had not, any papers relative to the mission of Count Orloff to Vienna?
§ THE EARL OF CLARENDONI distinctly said I had no papers. I am willing, as soon as I get information, to place it before the House, exercising, however, my own discretion as to the propriety of producing any papers relating to a matter in which this country is not immediately concerned. At present I have no papers to produce.