The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-29 00:00:00

[PRICE SD.

MINIma 1.00.0
to t, he case of a British ship, the Ann M'Allister, now
lying; at Cronstadt. She sailed thence in October, 1853,
but was obliged to put back in consequence of stress
of w eather ; and the repairs which was thus rendered
necessary detained her in the Russian port until
the rost had set in. In the meantime, war broke
out. The Emperor of Russia had now issued an order
perini tting the Ann M`Allister to sail from Croustadt as
soon tis the water is open. But it was certain that if she
sailed of 'ter the 10th May, the British cruisers would seize
and. eon, leinn her for breaking blockade. So that having
oa hoar( a cargo the property of British merchants, and
pueoliasq xl in 1853, the ship was placed in this position—
that the Russian Government, would seize her if she did
not s: ill, and the British cruisers if she did. He must add
that vet hin half an hour before he rose to address them in-
forma tic's had been received that an order had been giyen
that t ho ship should be allowed to leave Cronstadt.
but tL au for military reason's she must be manned by
neutral. sailors, in consequence of her crew having been
so long • within a, Russian fortress. Now, it so happened
that th is was the ship which Sir H. Seymour had selected
to brim e over the effects which he had left at St. Peters-
burgh, so that if those effects were really placed on board
her, tl ie only danger of confiscation which they would
incur vould arise under the British orders in coun-
cil, for he could not see how any distinction could
be ma le between them and the rest of the cargo.
Tho le, :al advisers of the merchants who owned the
Ann Wi"Allister had, under these circumstances, advised
them 'to apply to the Government for a license, which had
been r efused, although it was clear that this was a special
case, a nd could have no bearing on the general question of
whether licenses should or should not be granted to trade
with the enemy's ports in time of war. He wished to ask
the Go tvernment if they could point out any mode by which
this 13, dash ship, with Sir H. Seymour's effects on board,
could 1)0 allowed to leave Cronstadt unmolested by our
cruiser s. He might, in conclusion, state his belief, from
inform ation which had been supplied to him, that there
was no , foundation whatever for the statement that Sir H.
SeY mo ter's effects had been detained at St. Petersburg by
an ordtir of the Emperor of Russia become they were Sir
H. Seymour's effects. He believed that if they wereatdtee-
tained al all, they were detained for some forma m,
saisiiag out of the necessity for making out fresh papers.r
It wins clear that, as the ship originally cleared in
,October
1853, and as the shipment of 11 be
would --therefore bo fresh taking in of cargo,
:tit H. Seymour s effect;
it wee
requisite that she should make a fresh clearance at
the
custora-blouse, and should be furnished with new papers.
Sir J.. GRAHAM said the first question put by the
right lione gentleman referred to an order stated to have e,
been i salted by the French Government, conformably to
which an order had likewise been issued by, her Majesty'ol
Government to the effect that Russian vessels leaving the
ports of the Baltic and White Seas before the 15th of May;
bound. to a port of France or Algeria, may freely accom-
plish their voyage, discharge their cargo, and afterwards
proceed. to a Russian port not blockaded, or a neutral port.
There was no doubt as to the fact of such an order having
been iinued by the French Government, and he need hardly
say it was also true that a corresponding order had been
issued. by the British Government ; the French order
contemplated a further extension of time with respect
to the, colonies ; the British Government had not issned
any such instructions. He did not think it would
be expedient on the present occasion, and he did
not know that the right hon. gentleman would wish
him to argue th 4 question, whether there should be
a further extension of the order in council, so that
ships not leaving the ports of belligerents, but leaving the
ports of neutrals, should be entitled to correspondingly
lenient:treatment with ships leaving the ports of belligerents.
But he must observe to the right hon. gentleman with
regard to the policy that dictated the order of France and
England regarding chips leaving tho ports of belligerents,
that it was intended to be in favour of their own subjects
who had onteredinto contracts with belligerents before the
declaration of war. Though they might not go the whole
length which the right lion. gentlemau would desire, yet it
was quite apparent-that the orders in council which had
been issued were framed in a spirit of the utmost attention
to the interestsof trade and commerce, with an honest and
rations I design to mitigate to the utmost extent the evils of
war as affecting the communities of belligerents; and the
only doubt which might be entertained was, whether they
hail not carried this beneficent spirit so far as, to some ex-
tent, to affect the power of the belligerents to prosecute hos-
tilities with effect. It was not expedient to discuss these
questions incidentally, but ha would point out to the house
and to the right hon, gentleman that already they had had
proofs of the expediency of the course adopted in a 'conces-
sion, animated by the same beneficent spirit, which had
been issued by the Emperor of Russia, and notice had been
given by the Minixter of Finance, allowing English and
Fren ch. ships six Weeks from the 19th of April to clear out
of Russian ports in the clack Sea and the Sea of Azoff, and'
six ev-eCe.4from the 7111 of May to clear out of ports in tine
Baltic.''' 'This was an order which showed a corresponding
spirit of liberality oa the part of the Russian Government.
and he must say that, by the issue of these orders, a great,
'triumph had been achieved by civilisation, and great pro-ee
gress made in mitigating the evils of war. (Hear, hear.)
He was also happy to be able to impart some consolation
to the right hon. gentleman in regard to the unhappy Ann
M'Allister. The Ann M'Allister obtained. a clearance
from Croustadt in November last, but from stress of
weather, and the frost setting in, she was unable to
proceed to sea. Her cargo was put in, and was com-
pletely on board before the declaration of war. His right
hon. friend appeared to anticipate that this unfortunate
ship, -on account of a blockade which either was instituted -
or was about to be instituted, must either be seized by the
Emperor ofl Russia, and not allowed to quit the port, or
that if she attempted to put to sea without a license, she
must be captured by the blockading ship's. He must be
allowed to tell his right hon. friend, that by the law of
nations—though it was inexpedient to discuss these ques-
tions in a cursory manner, and still more inexpedient for
him to give any positive opinion upon them—but accord-
ing to the law of nations, when a clearance was effected, and
the cargo embarked before the declaration of war, then,
notwithstanding the blockade, and without any license, the
ship was entitled to pass freely. Therefore, so far as the
public declarations of the Russian Government went, the
vessel to which his right hon. friend's question referred had
nothing to fear; whilst the proceedings of the British and
French blockading squadrons would be regulated by strict
conformity with the requirements of the law of nations.
What the Emperor of Russia might have decided specially
in this case they did not know; but he believed the right
hon. gentleman's remark to be quite correct, that if no
change had been made in the vessel's cargo, and if the crew
of the vessel had been changed, as was said to have been
required by the minute to which allusion had been made
as having been issued on military grounds, then, even so
far as Russia was concerned, no difficulty would be inter-
posed in regard to the departure of the Ann M'Allister.
(Hear, hear.) As to the other question put—what was
to be become of the effects of Sir Hamilton Seymour—
he believed the right honourable gentleman was misin-
formed, and that those effects were not on board the Ann
M'Allister, but were on shore. He hoped and believed
that his eminent friend, her Majesty's late ambassador
to St. Petersburg, would be treated according to the
strictest usages of diplomacy, and would not be deprived
of his property, whether that property were on board the
Ann M'Allister or not. The facts of the case were that
this British ship, so far as the law of nations and the en-
forcement
of the blockade was concerned, had nothing to
apprehend in putting to sea without a license. He, for
one, considering the great latitude given under the orders
in council with reference to neutrals, was of opinion, first
of all that the blockade must be enforced in the most strin-
gent manner, so that articles contraband of war might not
be allowed to pass, and the strictest search must be made
for them. These rights being in force, he was further of
opinion that there was the greatest danger in granting li-
censes ; and he hoped that neither Franco nor England
would be induced to grant licenses. He was happy to
think, therefore, that in the first case which had arisen,
that of the Ann M'Allister, according to the law of nations,
the vessel had nothing to apprehend from the blockade.
Mr. GIBSON said the right honourable gentleman had
made a slight misrepresentation of what he had said. He
did not say that he had received an intimation that an
order had been issued by Russia that if no change were
made in the cargo and a neutral crew were embarked, the
Ann M'Allister should be allowed to pass ; what he said
was, that she was to be allowed to go with her cargo when
there was open water, but that she must have a neutral
crew. Another point on which the right hon. gentleman
had misunderstood him was this, that if the ship did em-
bark Sir H. Seymour's effects, the clearance would date
after the declaration of war.
Sir J. GRAHAM observed that the effects were not em-
barked.
Mr. GIBSON said this was perhaps the very reason why
the owners were afraid to embark them.
Lord C. HAMILTON wished only to observe that he had
the best reasons for knowing that the owners of the Ann
M`Allister were by no means satisfied withttelifetpoeseitaisoen
of their ship. He held in his hand a stateinieleen
.t
capped
!
eared
drawn up by their legal advisers, from w h 1
that the Russian Government having taken intoocconseifdetrha-
tion the circumstances which leddtiossteheeddeertdonersiotnhat
the
Ann M'Allister at Cronstadt,
.ho
'FasorseTgnu-aosffishcee
vessel was to be permitted to sail immeditatteiliye
.• ea __oll had been made o
could leave. Appli ti
'
in London for a license, but an answer was returned signed
by Mr. Greville, stating that hat no licenses were to be granted.
He was happy to hear right hon. gentleman s opinion
that the want of one would not subject ththeevveesssseelltwoodula
tendon, but he could assure the house that the opinion-
of tho ablest professional men was that
have a prize crew put on board
Theher and reach this country
prize agent.owners were perfectly
r•n charge of a
e
and able to produce evidence substantiating the
facts of their case in St. Petersburg, but in this country it
might be a matter of much greater difficulty to do so before
the Admiralty Courts here, and he could assure the right
hon. gentleman that the consignees and agents were in
great trepidation as to the fate of the ship. He wished to
know from the Government whether there was any founda-
tion for the extraordinary rumour spread with such great
avidity in this metropolis, to the effect that the goods of
Sir Hamilton Seymour had been confiscated by the Russian
Government. He had constantly expressed his entire
disbelief in this rumour, to which he regretted that
any countenance should have been given by the lan-
guage that fell from Sir Hamilton Seymour at the Man-
sion-house dinner. The delay which had arisen in for-
warding the effects of our late ambassador was attributable
not to any proceeding of the Russian Government, but to
the obstruction created by the ice.
Lord D. STUART did not rise to carry on the discussion
to which the noble lord had just invited them, respecting
the effects of Sir H. Seymour. It seemed to him that that
was a subject of very minor importance. Though he did
not wish by any means to be unjust to tho Emperor of
Russia he had no hesitation in declaring that that potentate
had committed sufficiently numerous acts of perfidy, cruelty,
faithlessness, and ambitious aggression to enable them
to dispense with the accusation as to Sir H. Seymour's
carpet-bags. They could very well afford to give it up, but
if it even were true that the Emperor of Russia had not
descended to the meanness of confiscating the property in
question, he did not think that his Majesty's character
would be whitewashed, or that he would be regarded other
wise than as he (Lord D. Stuart) and, he believed, the
whole civilised world regarded him, as one who had shon]:
himself dangerous to the public welfare of Europe.

-Loped the noble lord the member for London and hie tole
leagues would forgive him for being anxious to draw the -
attention of the house to the subject of the war, inasmuch
as there was, not only in that house, but throughout the
country, the deepest anxiety felt in reference to its con-
duct. Having witnessed so much vacillation and weak-
ness previous to the declaration of war, it was quite natu-
ral that the public should feel some doubt whether the
hands in which power was placed would carry it on with
sufficient vigour or not. With respect to the proceedings
of our fleet in the Black Sea, taking oven the account of
them which was given by the British officers themselves,
he doubted whether the instructions given with so much
apparent stringency bad been carried out. The orders, as
given in the blue-books, were that the allied squadrons
should interrupt all the maritime communications of the
Russians with the different parts of their own coast. Yet,
in defiance of these orders, it appeared that troops had been
withdrawn from the forts on the Circassian coast to the
Crimea without our interfering to prevent it. Some quib-
ble was raised, no doubt, as to the ships employed by the
Russians being post-office packets, and not men-of-war -
but when it was said that the Ruesian ships were not to be
allowed to come out of Sebastopol, of course all ships be-
longing to the Russian Government, whether men-of-war or
not, must be meant. Then it was said that the ships ins
question were actually returning to Sebastopol, as required
by the naval instructions of the allies, and that we could
not interfere with thorn. But he would ask, if there
had been proper vigilance on the part of the naval
commanders, might not these Lips have been met
as well on their way from Sebastopol and eircassia as on
their return from Cireassics to Sebastopol -It was also •
tree that Russian ships had gone from Sebastopol end
bombarded Fort St. Nicholas, which was in possession
,of the Turks. What, then, became of the grandiloquent
orders to the fleets to enter the Black Sea and sweep every
hostile sail front its waters ? Such a mandate, issued, but
not carried into effect, was not calculated to raise our
character in the eyes of the world, but tended rather to
snake the policy of our Government and our naval prowess
a laughing-stock to Europe. No military operation had
yet been set on foot, and there was an entire lack of all the
preparations necessary to enable us to commence war with
rapidity and vigour. -Whilst the Turks had been fighting
with incomparale bravery against their enemies on the
Danube, our infantry had been eating oranges at Malta,
and our cavalry waiting for ships to convey them to the
scene of action. Why, he asked, had the commander-in-
chief of the expedition, with his Royal Highness the
Duke of Cambridge, been engaged in receiving entertain-
ments in the French capital, or in journeying to offer in-
cense at the imperial nuptial, in Vienna? When at
length we tardily sent this force to Turkey, they were sta-
tioned at Gallipoli, instead of being despatched to any
point where they could render effective service to the
Turks. If they were destined to reinforce Omer Pacha,
Varna would appear to be a place in every respect better
adapted for their reception. Suppose the Russians invaded
Scotland, and we sent for a French army to assist us,
at Torbay •
should we be satisfied if they only landed and entrenched
proceedings
jUbraycOrnilignandhearcsl aadnvdertheed
could
de
notdila helptory
thinking that it would have been muchthe
er beisza
._ better
minder-in-chief le ee_e
much earlier in the -
(Hear, hear.) It could not• be said that the troops were
not wanted, for there was a very greatelanger of the Turks • •
being overwhelmed by the superior' forces of the Rus-
,giwas His remarks, however, did net apply personally
in the least degree to those commanders,
so as to
convey censure. He was only expressing surprise at the.
conduct of the Government, and wishing that those matters
might he explained, so that the country might be satisfied •
that we were carrying on this just and necessary war with
all due vigour. This was not a comrnon.wars. The house •
would recollect that the noble lord (Lord J.-Russell) re-
cently said " it was the battle of civilisation against barba-
rism, -war for the maintenance of the independence of
Europe." A war for such a great purpose as that ought to .
be conducted with earnestness, and no means ought to be
omitted to carry it to a successful Conclusion. ,When such
great interests were at stake, not only to Europa but to tho •
World at large, this was no time for slow or hesitating mea-
sures. We saw Omer Pacha left to struggle as best ho
Might against the superior forces of the Russians, whilst
we heard of „English and French troops being landed and
entrenched' at' Gallipoli. We heard;" tee,' of 'noble and
gallant officers sleeping under tents with their ladies.
'those were circumstances which showed that the war was
not to be carried on in earnest, and. that evAewere doing
nothing more than playing at "the game of brags" After
the bale of Oltenitza, Omer Pacha might easily have
marched to Bucharest. • The Russians had' but a small
force to oppose him ; they expected that ho would do so ;
and there was undoubted testimony to show that Gorts-
chakoff so completely expected a forward movement on
the part of Omer Pacha, which he would then have been
unable to withstand, that he was ready at his door to
be conveyed away. The country inquired what was the
reason of this hesitation in carrying on the war—
this absence of vigorous measures? Was it that the
Government were in hopes that Austria would at last "
make a forward movement ? That would be a volicy un-
iwiso and pusillanimous on the part of the Goyernment ;
and they might be sure that it was pot.byanreomplireents
It of • :Austria, 'for the pr
the4nwortid:indt,
wound

ch
r.tten
,ecese ,y L. 'A it on .
that which 'n. ' unbecoming an in.
of Parliament t 'Hear, hear.)
Mr. PRICE ti,sk, • Russell whether any Inge.
lish ship, as well r, which, prior to the•
15th day of May next, way . led from any port of
-Russia, situated either in or te . shores or coasts of
the Baltic Sea or of the White Sc.- •• (Ted for any port or
place in her Majesty's dominions, w .msidered to be
free from molestation by her Majesty's ..-Isers under the.
order in council of the 15th instant ; and whether, as the.
ports in the Baltic are rarely open, ape the ports of tie.
White Sea are never open so early as the 15th May, suck
order in council will be extended in point of time to the
actual opening of the navigation in those seas respectively?
Mr. CARDWELL said, in answer to the question of his.
honourable friend, he could only state what had been al-
ready stated in the course of the evening, that no licenses
are granted to any persou at all to change the operation of
the maritime law. With regard to the order of the 15th.
of April extending the time to Russian vessels to the 15th
of May, that was intended only to apply to Russian ships
for the purpose of enabling them to return home. With
reference to English vessels, it was not intended to make
any change in the general operation of the law. His hon.
friend would excuse him giving any legal opinion on this
subject. Ho would only refer to a particular case, that
of the Ann M'Allister, the facts being known. By the
general law of nations a ship so situated was entitled to.
come home at such time as the state of the ice enabled her
to do so. Therefore there was no occasion whatevi sr to
make any change with regard to English vessels ; but; this
change was made with reference to Russsian vessel be up
to a limited time, to enable them to carry home their • ear-
goes.
Mr. H. BAILLIE said the noble lord opposite (Lord. D.
Stuart) seemed to think it was a matter of no importtence
whether or not a grave calumny against the Emperor of
Russia should be contradicted iu that house. He entin sly
differed from the noble lord.
Lord D. STUART explained that what he said was ti tat
it was a matter of much less importance than many others;
not that it was a matter of no importance.
Mr. H. BAILLIE (resuming) said he thought the con-
duct of the press, in seizing on every idle rumour for the
purpose of vilifying the Emperor of Russia, was most dis-
creditable. With respect to the idle rumour in reference
to Sir H. Seymour and the Emperor of Russia, he :pre-
sumed, as her Majesty's Government had not exprellsed
any opinion on the subject, they were prepared to act mit
the statement of his noble friend (Lord C. Hamilton)„
which he made on good authority, and there was not the
slightest pretext for that idle rumour.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY wished to make an observation
in reference to the removal of the troops from the forts of'
the Russians in their own territory, which boarded upon_
Circassia. lie apprehended the clear and distinct answer to.
the reflections made on the British admiral in regard to
that subject was that it was impossible at that time for the
British admiral to act iu any other way than he did. Until
there was a clear declaration of war, no such hostile opera-
tions on his part could have been entered upon as had been
suggested. The question might arise 'whether the declara-
tion of war was not too long delayed, but until that decla-
ration was made, it must be manifest that the British .
admiral could not in any way molest the Russians in
transporting their troops from one portion of their territory
to another. wasd take that opportunity of saying, ae
the country. now at war, he trusted some attention
would be paid by the Government to the water communi-
cation on the Danube, as bearing on the mode of supplying
the Russian army with provisions and stores during the
war. It would be remembered thatinthenta
ofn theieftilnp naiignßngisahareert
slSe2aB, -259h,0 alhthadougthheßguresasiteaswtwaspossessionifintyin
maintaining
ups reemersey, uasaa(stryme
daltplhraoatlsitistiiioownasustiotcoorami
mlpaarprgoaestsivaibremillyiyt;yoafn he
r.
a w
of
fd
Russians, which
fiinwghtitly
would result by interrupting their water communications,
would be enough to paralyse any efforts they might make
to take possession of Constantinople. It would be of the
last importance if some modeweredevised of getting pos-
sessioncffeti
vooffitohtei
flotilla.
wmouths of
quite the pclear, faonruebxeabniypml means
that t
ho of no
mode of interrupting Russian communications, particu-
larly if they advanced upon Schumla, would be very easy;
and they might be checkmated with equal ease at other
points. That appeared to him to be a suggestion well
worthy the attention of those who had the direction of
those matters.
Mr. F. FRENCH wished to know what despatches had
been sent from this country to our Minister at Constanti-
nople since the passage of the Danube by the Russians, and
since the complaint made by Omer Pacha, of not having re-
ceived proper reinforcement from the allies? Ho wished
to know also whether it was true that a statement had been
made by Omer Pacha, that if he was not reinforced by the
Turkish power, and sustained by the English and French
allies, it would be necessary for him to withdraw his troops
from the Balkan and concentrate them around Adrianople?
Mr. DANBY SEYMOUR said he believed, from the
accounts ho had heard, that all through the Greek pro-
vinces there was very great oppression of the Greek
from
s by
the Turks. He might state that recently, in pa
ssi
Alexandria to Trieste, in a steamer, he wet a considerable
number of Dalmatians on board, who indignantly com-
plained of the treatment they had received at the hands of
ittilheher mother
the Turks, and expressed the strew sympathy tphaeryt foefltthille
consequence with the Russians. One among many of the
orififtu
ireek Turkish lep interfere.rabtii eocnt t
st
ex iitantbge faoriet
Tinasrtiacnsewesash,othhaatd
ahyeaorudngofgitplemo,apsprewastinigown
to church, in the course of tho last winter, when a Turk
came and seized the daughter and carried her off. gin
mother applied to the Austrian and English Consuls who
the Europeoaan
toautho
applied in turn to tho Paella • but his answer was, th'at she
could not be taken out of 'the harem in which she was
warsfimthpoossesibtllieinfgosr were allow
placed, because she had become a Moslem, and being a
against
ua the Turks. The First
con-
tinue it could not be otherwise than that a strong feeling
Lord of the Admiralty had in thswesiattcrneoutehrosauetnoittfrywt.haeaHseovee.nraindg.
whether he had correctly
DspaonkbeyofseCyimrcoasusri)a,waass
nbeo
goliftknhoon.inbgaronet on that point. For the
un-
dheerset'aoos
dcletshho•oursi
last fifty years the Circassian people had nobly combined
in defence of their independence, and up to this wollint

addressed to the Governinent of .Rust a., 'for the pur-
pose of; conciliating that power, that thdrwotrict induce
her to range herself on our side. Austria would be sure to
go with the-strongest ; and he had no donbtliensympathies
.
were with Russia, from' the. proximity of territory, awl re-
membering the iiartition of Poland and the generally des-,-
potic nature of the Government of Russia, , If we wellted
to have 06 aid of A.ustriavvemust first show some vigour
and obtain some success, and act on a bold and masculine, :
policy.. It was only under such a' state cf circumstances ,
that we might expect AustTia to range berielf on our side.,
!le called on the house to carry on this war wit)i,go_.urs,,l!
in order that it might the sooner .be terrpitnste.;4.-74 *AA
alt it his, duty to r9alce theie obser- '. , •-• • ' ;ton
but liedid'ioh-malcatheiri' . -- : 44§towards
the Gal:Ohre —". . -: ,114.1 centitarr, to. see
.. _..
then/ act 1, ~ - . . ..,;.,.'6ltntry 1414 of this
great oze. ,nd if n.. 1. - : Lunnee them either to gite
'explanaL . ~ ~:ich 'nigh, go tn,wards satisfying the public
as to their ...-t/ens in iirosecuting the war, or feel the
necessity L. ::- ':.g it on with vigour, he should have done
that which Av. • : • unbecoming an independent thernbes
...v. ,