The Express.
London, England, 1855-06-16 00:00:00

NEUTRALS IN THE BALTIC.

CIRCULAR DESPATCII OF LORD CLARENDON.
Foreign-office, June 6,1855.
The Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs at St.
Petersburg has recently put in circulation a statement
purporting to be a representation of a communication
made by Captain Watson, of her Majesty's ship Im-
periense, to the Russian authorities at Baltic Port, in
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might quit the port, bat only in ballast, or with car-
goes which might not be Russian property ;" and
from this representation of the notification made by
Captain Watson, the Imperial Ministry of Foreign
Affairs draws, and publishes as a warning to neutrals,
the inference that the British government has aban-
doned the principle proclaimed last year by her Ma-
jesty, in her declaration of the 211th of March last,
that " her Majesty will waive the right of seizing
enemy's property laden on board a neutral vessel,
unless it be contraband of war."
In another passage of toe statement of the Impe-
rial Ministry of Foreign Affairs Captain Watson is
represented to have declared, in answer to the inquiry
whether neutral vessels allowed by him to depart
from Baltic Port alter the establishment of the
blockade, in ballast or with cargoes, would be at
liberty to pursue their voyage without risk of being
detained by any of her Majesty's cruisers which they
might fall in with at sea, that he could not undertake
that such would be the case, inasmuch as the admiral
commanding the British fleet might hereafter make
other arrangements.
Her Majesty's government are not surprised that
such a publication on the part of the Imperial Ministry
of Foreign Affairs at St. Petersburg has been the
cause of some anxiety to neutral powers, who could
not reasonably suppose that the Imperial government
of Russia would resort to the expedient of misrepre-
senting a notification made to Russian authorities on
a point so deeply interesting to the commerce of states
in amity with Russia.
Fortunately for the cause of truth, and for the
relief of neutral powers from the embarrassment
which the statement put forth by the Imperial Minis-
try of Foreign Affairs was calculated to occasion, her
Majesty's ship Imperieuse is at the present moment
in Portsmouth harbour, having been obliged to return
to England to repair damages sustained by her in a
collision with another of her Majesty's ships in the
Baltic. Her Majesty's government have therefore
bad the opportunity of communicating directly with
Captain Watson, and of ascertaining from hint
exactly what passed on the occasion in question ;
and neutral nations will learn that the imperial
government of Russia has published to the world,
as true, a statement which, as well as the inference
that the Imperial government has drawn from it, is
wholly unfounded.
In regard to the first point, namely, the alleged
prohibition to neutrals to export Russian produce on
departing from a port placed under blockade by her
Majesty's cruisers, Captain Watson has laid before
her Majesty's government a letter, dated the Ist
instant, from Lieutenant De Kantzow, of her Ma-.
jesty's ship Imperieuse, the officer employed by Capt..
Watson to communicate with the Russian authorities.
at Baltic Port, which states as follows:
" Neutral ships lying in the harbour laden with
Russian produce (rye and gin) were permitted to, and,
did actually, proceed on their respective voyeges.
The governor asked if I could promise that they
would never be molested or interfered with ; in aaewer
I stated that the proclamation of her Majesty was
clear and concise, and that he must abide by it, and
in the event of theii; being captured the caw would
be judged by the A dmiralty Court."
On the second point, namely, that Captain Watson
declined to give tan assurance that vessels allowed by
him to depart f'.om Baltic Port would not be molested
on their verege, the same officer, Lieut. De Kantzow,
states " tbs't the governor asked permission for four
fishing I•Atr,ts, without decks, to be permitted to pro-
ceed tit Rigs, and, that after I had acquainted you
(Captain Watson) with the same, as well as with the
naiads of the neutral ships lying in the port, and
thei,r respective cargoes, I conveyed to him your per-
n4ssion that they might proceed, at the same time
s taring that you had no intention of molesting the
town, or any fishing boats, but that p.m could not
guarantee that boats of that description would never
be molested, as the commander-in-chief was expected,
aed might issue different orders."
Her Majesty's government abstain from comment-
ing upon the course pursued by the Imperial govern-
ment of Russia in this matter ; but I have to instruct
you to give all possible publicity to this despatch in
the country in which you reside.
I am, flre...
(Signed) CLASENDON.
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