§ THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGHI have observed that the Minister of the King of Prussia has stated in the Prussian Parliament that the Government of the King has not concluded a Convention with the Emperor of Russia, such as the expressions of the noble Earl the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in this House on a former evening could be applicable to. I do not think it necessary to put any question to the noble Earl upon this subject. I remain in the continued belief that the noble Earl had full authority for making the statement which he made in this House, and that it is correct; nor do I think it necessary to take this opportunity to say anything further upon the Polish question. The speech of the noble Earl the other evening satisfied me that the question may be safely left in the hands of Her Majesty's Ministers. I believe that they will in their communications with foreign Powers use language in conformity with the general feeling of this country. And I trust I may add, that if these deplorable events should result in any more serious complications, Her Majesty's Ministers will not hesitate to come at once to Parliament for support.
§ EARL RUSSELLWith respect to the telegram to which my noble Friend has alluded, I can only say that it does not appear very clear what it was that Count Bismark meant to convey when he contradicted the statement relative to the Convention between Prussia and Russia which 858 I made to your Lordships. The statement which I made in this House was, that I had spoken to the Russian and Prussian Ambassadors with respect to the rumour that such a Convention existed, and that they said—both of them—certainly the Russian Ambassador—that they were not in possession of the text of the Convention; but I gathered from them that the substance of the Convention was, that in certain cases if the Russian troops should pursue Polish insurgents into the Prussian territory, the Russian troops should be allowed, with arms in their hands, to follow them into the Prussian territory. I believe that that was a correct statement; and I may add that the Russian Ambassador told me that he had no objection to give me the nature of the terms of the Convention. All that I have since learnt goes to show that there is an article, of which I was not aware, which requires that in some way or other the permission of the Prussian authorities shall be obtained before the Russian troops are allowed to enter the Prussian territory; but it does not appear clear whether this permission is to issue from the central Government at Berlin, or whether it is to be given by the local authorities.
§ THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURYI wish to ask the noble Earl whether he has received any confirmation of the statement that certain Polish students were arrested by the Prussian authorities and handed over to the Russian Government.
§ EARL RUSSELLI can only speak upon the authority of local newspapers. I cannot say more than this—that certain persons—Polish students—were arrested in the Prussian territory, and sent across the frontier into Russian Poland; but whether they were handed over to the Russian authorities, or merely put across the frontier, I cannot state.