HL Deb 04 June 1855 vol 138 cc1309-11
THE EARL OF ALBEMARLE

wished to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they had any objection to state the exact words which Captain Watson of the Impérieuse, addressed to the authorities of Port Baltic in announcing the blockade of that port on the 28th of April of this year; and also to ask whether the Russian Government were warranted in the assertion which they were supposed to have made, that the Government of England had now renounced the principle adopted a year ago, that the flag covered the cargo? He fully anticipated what the answer would be, and the explanations which he should receive from the Government. He assumed, as a matter of course, that the answer would be, that the Government did adhere to the precise terms of the Order in Council dated the 15th of April, 1854, waiving the right of seizing enemies' property in neutral vessels, unless it was contraband of war. Although he anticipated that Her Majesty's Government would give such assurances as would be satisfactory to the neutral Powers, he thought it was also advisable the neutral Powers should understand that there was in that House a nearly unanimous—if not an entirely unanimous—opinion on the subject, and were not prepared to sanction any departure from the principle of last year. When, about a fortnight ago, he had moved certain Resolutions with the object of putting an end to trade with Russia, he had been very much astonished to hear three Members of Her Majesty's Government—the President of the Board of Trade, the Lord President of the Council, and the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs—attribute to him a wish to enforce that very right of blockade which the Russian Government now attributed to England. He was utterly astonished when he heard such a desire imputed to him, and he thought that in the hurry of debate he might have said what he did not mean to say; but in the first newspaper he saw the next morning he found the words he used were, "Neutral flags should make neutral cargoes;" and the Resolutions he had proposed did not contemplate directly or indirectly any interference whatever with neutral Powers. As the statement he was then making would probably find its way to the public, and would come to the knowledge of the neutral Powers, he might observe that he believed he spoke the unanimous—or the almost unanimous—opinion of their Lordships, when he said that they thought the Americans were perfectly justified in claiming that a neutral flag should protect a neutral cargo; and he was only at issue with Her Majesty's Government on this question, because they had done ungraciously and unwillingly what he thought they ought to have done readily and unhesitatingly. He trusted, now that two great Powers of Europe had expressed their intention on the subject in an unequivocal manner, that the course they had resolved to adopt would henceforth become part and parcel of the law of nations. In consequence of the intention which had been attributed to him by Members of Her Majesty's Government, a State paper which had been issued by the Russian Government, and which purported to come from the office of M. de Nesselrode, had given an inaccurate representation of the proposition he had submitted to their Lordships, and he (the Earl of Albemarle) thought it was desirable that on a subject of so much importance a clear understanding should be established.

EARL GRANVILLE

did not quite understand why the noble Earl had departed in the present instance from the usual courtesy in giving notice beforehand of his intention to bring an important question under the notice of the House. He was happy, however, to inform their Lordships that there was no foundation in anything said by Captain Watson, or by any officer under his command, to warrant the interpretation given of it by the Russian Government. No such question was asked and no such answer was given as those stated in the Russian circular.

THE EARL OF HARROWBY

said, he might as well state to their Lordships the exact circumstances as they occurred. The first lieutenant of the Impérieuse was sent into Port Baltic to see what ships were loaded and what were unloaded, in order that those only which were loaded at the time might be permitted to leave with their cargoes, and that no additional goods might be taken on board. He went over the harbour with the Governor, and found two vessels loaded. He never inquired to whom the property belonged, but merely said that those vessels, being loaded, might go out; adding that such vessels as might be loaded after the date of his visit would not be allowed to leave the port. The Governor asked him if some small Russian fishing vessels which were in the harbour might go out. His answer was, "We have never interfered with these small fishing vessels, which may go out as before." He (the Earl of Harrowby) was able to assure their Lordships that no such question was addressed to Captain Watson or his first lieutenant as that put into the mouth of the Russian Governor by Count Nesselrode, and there was no foundation whatever for the statements of the Russian Government.