The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-09 00:00:00

INSULT TO THE BRITISH FLAG.

' Lord LYNDHURST rose to solicit the attention of
the Noble Lord at the head of the Admiralty to what
had passed yesterday. He trusted their Lordships would
not consider him too persevering if he again called the
attention of the Noble Earl to the insult which had been
offered to the British flag in the Gulph of Mexico. lie
was induced to pursue this course at the present moment
because he understood that the commander of the Creole
had been for some days past in Paris, and therefore an
opportunity had been afforded him of offering a satisfac-
tory explanation on the subject. Another reason for his
pursuing this course was the extraordinary statements and
observations which had been made by the French papers
on this subject, and further because in consequence of the
arrival of Lieutenant Croke in this country, the Noble
Lord at the head of the Admiralty had had ample op-
portunity afforded him of obtaining information on th►s
subject, and it was of the ut most importance to the honour
of this country that every particular should be investigated.
could assure the Noble Earl that this transaction had
ereatei A degree of indignation throughout the Navy and
throughout the country—this was the first instance of an
insult of this description offered to a vessel forming
part of the Navy of Great Britain.—( Hear, hear. )
It was a vessel commanded by an officer bearing her Ma-
jesty's Commission, weariing the n ►vat uniform of their
country, and the vessel bore the English peenant. She
was brought-to by a shot from a foreign ship of war. She
was boarded, and her pilot was forcibly taken out of her.
The vessel was in danger _there were many passengers on
board who were placed in a state of peril by that atrocious
act. The pilot was forced from on board a British vessel
and compelled to officiate in leading aggressive vessels
against lilt own country. lie had gone on board the Ex-
press, trusting that as in olden times under the British flag
he would find protection. A more grave and serious out-

rage never was committed to this country. An ex.
planation, it was said, had been given. What
was that explanation ?—( Hear, hear.) The outrage
was attributed, or attempted to be attributed to a mistake
on the part of the young officer commanding the Creole.
The French Press, however, ascribed it to the impetuosity
—to the daring of that young officer. He hoped that we
had not, in consequence of the miserable misrule under
which we bad lived for some time, yet come to suffer the
British flag to be insulted by the impetuosity of any one
with impunity. But from his information this was not the
true state of the case. From his information he believed
that it was not the daring act of the young officer, but of
the Admiral of the French fleet.—( Hear, hear.) When
the English ship passed the corvette friendly salutes were
interchanged between them, soon after signals were ob-
served passing between the French Admiral's ship
and the corvette, and then it was for the first time
that this act of impetuosity was conceived--( Hear, hear)
not until after those signals had been exchanged. If these
facts were true, then it was under the authority of the
Admiral that this outrage had been committed. But even
if they were not true, the Admiral was present—he must
have heard the shot which was fired. Did he return the
pilot ? He had adopted the transaction by taking the
forced services of the pilot, and therefore be was respon-
sible for it. It was said that an apology had been made.
To whom was that apology made ? To the captain of
the Express? He remained on the station for some time
—was any apology offered to him, or was the pilot re-
turned to him ? Nothing of the kind. It was not until
after the interval of more than a mouth—net until the arrival
of Commodore Douglas at the head of a squadron
was it thought necessary to offer any apology for the in-
sult. The French Admiral commit'ed the insult—be had
derived all the advantage from its commission—he had
made use of the pilot who was forcibly taken from under
the protection of the British flag. Were we then to be
satisfied with a few words verbally delivered by Admiral
Beudin ? The Noble Earl ( Minto) had stated the other
night that be did not know whether the apology was in
writing or not No one who had read the letter of Com-
modore Douglas could for a moment doubt that the apology
was verbal. Upon such an occasion had it been in
writing he would have stated so—he would have trans-
mitted the letter.—( Cries of " Hear, hear.") It was
quite clear that the apology was not in writing.
But was a verbal apology from the French Admiral to
Commodore Douglas sufficient to satisfy the honour of this
country.—( Hear, hear.) The French Government was
responsible for the outrage. It was stated that Lord
Palmeston bad made representations upon the subject
to the French Government. He (Lord L.) entertained
too high an opinion of the Nobleman at the head of the
French Government, Count Mole—ho had too high an
opinion, if he might venture to allude to a higher authority—
he had too high an opinion of the justice of the " Loyaute"
(he believed that was a proper French term for the occa-
sion) of that high individual, to suppose that if any proper
representation hid been made a satisfactory explanation
would not have been immediately offered. The whole of
this unhappy affair was to be ascribed to the neglect of
the advice given by the Noble Duke last Session of Par-
liament. The Noble Duke then complained that we had not
even a cock-boat in the Gulf of Mexico. He (Lord L.)
would undertake to say that if there had been a squadron
even of the smallest force, the French Admiral would never
have ventured to have committed such a serious outrage
upon our flag. He begged their Lordships' pardon for
'troubling them on the occasion ; but he would have been
'ashamed to have met an Englishman face to face in the
streets of Paris. had he not brought the question tinder the
notice of the House. He begged leave to ask the Noble
Earl whether he would have any objection to produce the
log of Lieutenant Croke, and whether any satisfactory
apology had been made by the Government of France to
this country?
Earl M INTO could not help wishing that the Noble
and Learned Lord had postponed his question, and more
especially the statements and arguments accompanying it
for a short time, because he thought it most probable that
be would then have been in possession of information,
which would have enabled him to give a much more satis-
factory answer to the question. He believed that he stated
I before, that it eas perfectly true that a pilot had been taken
by force from one of her Majesty's ships. He had stated
that that was, upon the face of it, an offence for which
it was necessary that explanation should be given. He
was not in possession of the particulars of the case,
except the mere fact of the pilot having been taken out
of the vessel. That had been reported by the com-
mander of the Express. It was not reported in the first
instance directly to the Admiralty, but to the Consul at
Vera Cruz. He (Lord Minto) had not received any re-
port from the officer on the spot. No account had reached
the Government from that officer, but a confused account
bad reached them *he eaeaeaneee sho
'( Lord` Minto) hart—artra—lT
'Lieutenant Croke, desiring to be furnished with a distinct
account of what h d taken place, and also an account of
the course pursued by the French officer. That informa-
tion bad not reached the Government, but it must be re-
ceived in the course of a few days.
Lord LYND H URsT—Have you not got the log ?

Lord NIINTO—Had not seen -the log, but he had seen
the journal which stated the circumstance briefly. He
bad, therefore, information from which he could state that
it was true the pilot had }Kea taken out of the vessel in the
manner described by the Noble Lord, but he was not in
possession of all the circumstances which led to that pro-
ceeding. He had a letter from Commodore Douglas, not
describing the circumstances at all, but stating that he bad
received a satisfactory explanation, that the whole had
taken place in consequence of a mistake of his Royal
Highness the Prince de Joinville and Admiral Baudin.
Now, from what be knew of Commodore Douglas,
lie was quite satisfied that unless he had been convinced 1
that what had taken place was unintentional, he would not
have been satisfied with any explanation. The insult was
more in the intention than in the real act committed : and
if, when the proper information reached the Government,
it should turn out that that insult had been offered unin-
tentionally, the case would be looked at in a very different
light to that in which the Noble Lord wished it to be re-
presented. A communication bad been made to the Go-
vernment of France, stating exactly the circumstances that
had been supposed to have taken place ; and Count Mole,
in answer to that communication, had stated his regret
that he had no knowledge of the circumstances except
through the Newspapers. Since that communication how-
ever, Prince dc Joinville might have arrived in France and
Count Mole might be in possession of the letters and ex-
planations of Admiral Baudin. It would in his (Lord
Minto's) opinion be extremely desirable that nothing
should have been said on the subject, until they had heard
what the explanation of Admiral Baudin was, as probably
that explanation would be satisfactory to all parties. lie
knew nothing whatever of the subject officially, beyond
what he had stated, but in common with many, various -
versions of the story had reached him, and he believed
it to be true, though perhaps he ought not to state it,
as he did not know it fur a fact, that the
explanation to be given by the officers on board the cor-
vette was likely to be, that there were five or six vessels
coming out of Vera Cruz, breaking the blockade, when a
signal was made by the Admiral to take the pilots out of
those vessels, and, among others, the Express was applied
to for her pilot. But suppose that signal was made, and
those orders given in entire ignorance that this was an
English packet, and that the Admiral had expressed to
Commodore Douglas his regret, and satisfied him that no
offence was intended, he should have thought that, under
these circumstances, it was unnecessary to proceed
further. But a representation had been made to the
Government of France, and surely it was but decent
to wait till that Government was in possession of the neces-
sary information, on the subject, before motives or designs
wore imputed to Admiral Baudin or to the French Govern-
ment which might have no foundatiou. At this moment we
were wit in possession of any authentic information of what
passed between the Admiral and Commodore Douglas, and
he (Lord M.) did not think we were in a situation to
press the French Government for an explanation, not hav-
ing received the Commodore's despatches. At the same
time he did not think that the French Government were
likely to put us to that necessity, because if it turned out
from the statement of the officers of the corvette, or from
others, that any insult had been off-red to the British flag,
it was more than probable that the French Government
would—as he (Lord M ) should advise this Government
to do it if we were so situated—take the earliest opportu-
nity of expressing regret at the circumstance. Indepen-
dently of that he thought it extremely improbable that
Admiral Baudin should have meditated any offence, from
the whole of his conduct while he lay opposite Vera Cruz,
Upon this he thought it right to read to the House an
extract from a letter received from Captain Henderson, of
the Edinburgh, dated the 29th of I), cernber, 1838
The Edinburgh, on going to take up her
position, was unhappy enough to catch the ground,
but she was got off without much difficulty, though
placed in a situation of some little danger, upon which a
French steamer that happened to be there took her in tow
and assisted her to her berth : —"The Ft cnch steamer, which
had her steam up before, took us in tow to our berth.
Nothing could exceed the attention of the French Admiral,
who placed boats as buoye, and hail a man-of-war lying in
mid channel to direct the ships. I have riCt failed to ex-
press my gratitude for the assistance lie rendered us.
Now that was not like the ccuduct of an officer who was
likely to offer an insult. He would assure the Noble Lord
opposite that tie man was snore jealous of an insult to the
British flag than himself. nor would nay one go further
than himself to exact a full and ample apology, but still he
shou:d not go out of his way to pick a quarrel. He did,
not like this impatience that would not wait for an oppor-
tunity both to learn front the teperts of our o'&u, offieers
what occurred end what were likely to bs,tles. steps taken
by the French Government. He (1,,3-;V:1* ); was quite sure
that nothing would be less consireentavt,h the feeling of
the greater p-.rt of their Lcalships than to prem. -this
matter in a strain of itia,iation and provocan. He
thought it could haw been much better to have en-
trusted this' mattee in the bands of her Majesty's
Government to have vindicated it, and if they had
failed to do so, then the time would have come when their
Lordships could have demanded a full explanation, and
called for a return of all thee correspondence that had
taken place on the subject, He would only add, that the
Noble Lord opposite was wrong in supposing that there had
not been throughout the whole, attn;% "ice cruisers in the
Gulp b of Mexico.
Lard BRO UG HAM
Thera was no part of the summer in
which they had not cruisers there.
quite agreed with the Noble Earl
who had just sat down, that nothing could be more dread-
ful that, that he should hastily be induced to pick a quarrel
with the Government, or no anything to interrupt the
pacific relations of this country and France. He -believed
that his Noble and Learned Friend opposite, from his