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

LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 29, 1854.

NT 0 T 1 CE. CONSTANTINOPLE. The
lT Lectrtte accompienying the GRAND MOVING DIORAMA
of CONSTA NTINO vow delivered on Wednesdays and Sitter.
d‘tys by M J . 11. STOQUELER, when tho progress and localities
of the WIZ will he more particularly explained; and on the other
cl,.ys, as tistntl, by Mr. CHAR .Et* KENNEY. A very clear and
excellent map has been added to the illustrations.—Daily at Half-
past Tvero and Eight.—admission, Is.
EGYPTIAN CALL, PICCADILLY.

COLOGNE CHORAL UNION.—HANOVER
SQUARE ROOMS.-- Mr. MITCHELL respectfully announces
that, the above distinguished Society, will give a Second Series of
MORNI G CONCERTS at the Hanover Square Rooms, which are
fia.ed to take place on the following days—Monday, May 8; Wed-
nesday, May 10 ; Friday, May 12 ; Monday, May 15; Wednesday,
75L53, 17 ; and Friday, May.l9. , Director, Herr FRANZ WEBER.
The Repertoire of the Society now comprise. more than One Hun-
dred and Twenty Morceaux, many of them entirely new. The Con-
certs will be arranged as sat year —commencing at lialf.past'Three,
and terminating about five o'clock. •
TiekrAs of Admission -• Reserved Seats for the Six Concerts, Two
Guineas; dia.), Single Tickeis, 104 Gd. ; Admission to the Body of
the Room, 5s ; which may be had at Mr. Mitchell's Royal Library,
35, Old Bond.strett.

5 JAMES'S THEATRE.—On TUESDAY
EVENISO n‘-xt, May 2, several Private Gentlemen intend
givL gan A. SIATEUR PERFOKMANC at this Theatre, undrr dis-
tinguished pationage. The procee.ls will be devoted to the funds of
the Cen'rat Association in aid of the ,oldiers W.ves and Families
ordered to the East The ente,tainments will consist of THE
LADIES' BATTLE WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A
WAY, aud THE FAST CONCH. During the evening, an Address,
written expressly for the occasion, will be spoken, The orchestra
te compl te, and entirely comp, ised of gentlemeFi amatears, who'
have kindly volunteered their services. Private boxes, and stalls
.nd tickets, may be obtained at Mr. Mitchell's Royal Library, 33,
Old Bond-street,

ATTRACTIVE NOVELTIES.
ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.
,PATRON—H.R.H. PRINCE ALBERT.
The SEAT of WAR, showing the principal places on the DANUBE,,
KALAFXT, W DDI N. GIURGEVO, SEBASTOPOL, the entrance
to the BLACK SEA, BATTLE of SLOPE, and DE •TRUCTION
of the TU'IKISH FLEET, and other scenes (kindly supplied by
the proprietors of the "Illustrated London News"), EXBIHITED
in a NEW SERIES of DISAOLVING VIEWS. .
LECTURES by J. IL \ PEPPER, Esq . on the CHEMISTRY of onr
DAILY BREAD, in special relation to that made by toe NEW
PRO ES at the MA.RY LE 'IONE WORKHOUSE, daily at Two
o'clock: and in the Eveninus on the MANUFACTURE and
' BROM %VON of PAPER.
LECTURE by Da. EiSettuograga oa ELECTRICITY, and the
ELECTRIC LIGHT. Exhibition of Trestrail's Method of Raising
Suaken Vessels, Sm. &e.
Open Mornings and Evenings. Admission, Is. ; Schools and
Children under Ten years of age, Half-price.

MAIL STEAM SHIP for AUSTRALIA.
JUNE 4, 1854.—The Magnificent Screw Steam-ship LADY
JOCELYN, 1,800 ton:, another uf the fine fleet belonging to the
General Screw Steam Shipoing Company, will be despatched with
her Majesty's Mails for tdelaide, Port Philip, and Sydney, on the
4th June next. Tnis truly noble ship has maintalned her high re-
ation for rapid sailing and; runctuality, and as a sister ship to the
Argo, which has made the quickest voyage to and from Australia of
any ship up to this time. The Lady Jocelyn has been employed
carrying the Mails to and front England and Calcutta, and after a
voyage of about 27,000 miles, calling at s-ven ports outward and
eight homeward, has reached Plymouth two days before/her time,
and from her super or sailing arid steaming qualities, it may be fairly
assumed that she will make the run to Austra is in 60 days. Rates
of passage from 30 to 100 guineas. Full •particulars as to Freight
and Passage money at the Company's Offices, 1, Adelaide-place,
Lendon•bridge.

" THE PRESS," No. 52, This Day (Saturday),
contains, among others—Mr. Gladstone's Last Financial
Scheme—Condom of the War—Railway Levislation—lnquiry into
Conventual and Monastic Institutions—Oxford University Bill
America and Cu',a—The. Earl of Cardlion, his Regiment. and his
Cr tics—Our Turk ih London to his Friend at Home—Tennyson's
Mariana (a new version) A Newspaper Placard—Literature:—Dr.
Bungen r's Julia* and the ' Priest and the Huguenot—Standard
Poetry—Cowper's Works—Autobiography of an Indian Army Sur-
geon—, ir. Doran's Table Traits, with Something on Them—Mr.
Gwynne's Nanette and her Lovers—Notes on Railways—Correspon-
dence—Mr. Raikes and the Chester Registry—Parliamentary Reports
—Theatres—Together with all the N ewe of the Week.
" THE PRESS" is published every Saturday, at the Office, No.
110, Strand, price td. May be had of all newsmen, and at the
railway stations. Money orders to be made payable to Mr. Alfred
lye..

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS-(YESTERDAY.)

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at
fife o'clock.
Lord CAMPBELL gave notice that, on Monday the Bth
Of May, he would mov the second reading of the bill to
prevent unauthorised intercourse with foreign countries.
Their lordships then adjourned.

sent occupied Servia, and moreover Austria had declared
that she would not think herself justified in the occupying
of Servia unless the Russian troops should enter Servia,
or in case of a Servian insurrection.
THE TROOPS AT GALLIPOLI.
Mr. DIGBY SEYMOUR roso to ask the Secretary at
War whether his attention has been called to the follow-
ing statements contained in a letter published in the Times
of 26th April, purporting to come from their own corre-
spondent at Gallipoli, under date of 10th April, respecting
the provisions made for the reception of the British troops
there ; and whether he can give any explanation with re-
spect to the accuracy of those statements, and whether any
steps had been taken by her Majesty's Government to
prepare for the reception of the British troops at Gallipoli
—and, if so, what those steps were ?
Mr. S. HERBERT entered into a somewhat lengthened
statement in reply, similar to that given by the Duke of
Newcastle in the House of Lords last night. He defended
the precautions taken by the Government for sending out
everything to supply the wants of the troops, and
read an extract from a letter from Mr. Commissary
Smith, explaining the extreme difficulties of preenring
fresh proviiions, Sze., in Turkey. The most zealous co-
operation was given by the Turkish Government and their
officers, and with regard to the particular quarter at Galli-
poli in which our troops were stationed, he (Mr. S. Her-
bert) had seen private letters from officers at Oallipoli,
who declare that they prefer the Greek quarter of the town
to any other, on account of its sanitary )advantages. (Hear.)
SCOTCH MILITIA.
Col. BLAIR asked the Secretary clf State for the Home
Department, whether it is the intention of the Government
to enrol the Scotch Militia this year ; and whether he can
state at what period of are year the men will be required
to assemble for exercise?

Mr. S. HERBERT said it was intended to bring in a
bill for the purpose ; and. if the house assented to the bill,
the enrolment would most likely take place in the autumn.
ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT.
Mr. LAFFAN asked Lord John Russell to explain the
reasons which have led the Gottprument, in making ar-
rangements for the conduct of thOOrdahtice service during
the absence of the Master-General, to pass over Sir John
Burgoyne, and appoint a junior officer of the Ordnance
corps to be Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance..
Lord J. RUSSELL declined to state any reasons for the
appointment, but the claims of Sir J. Burgoyne had not
bemi overlooked.

GREEK CHRISTIANS.
Mr. COBDEN asked Lord John Russell whether the
Government contemplated laying before Parliament any
papers relating to the insurrection of the Greek Christians
in Turkey, and explanatory of our present relations with
the court of Athens? The hon. member made the usual
formal motion for an adjournment, to enable him to enter
into a lengthened statement upon the subject of the trade
of Turkey, and to explain that several Greek houses who
were mainly concerned in that trade had been expelled from
Turkey because, although born subjects of the Porte, they
had become naturalised Greeks. .
Lord J. RUSSELL—In answering the statement of the
hon. gentleman, I will say at once that the Government
hope shortly to be able to lay before Parliament papers
relating to the insurrection ,of the Greek Christians in
Turkey, and explanatory of our relations with the Court of
Athens; but to one or two statements that have been made
by the hon. gentleman I wish to refer. The hon. gentle-
man refers to the statement that has been made on my
part, that the insurrection in Turkey of the Christiaris had
been fomented, and in fact very much owed its origin to
the attempts of the Greek Government to raise that insur-
rection. Every paper I have seen from persons who have
authority from her Majestey in that quarter, whether it be
from our Minister at Athens or the Lord High Commissioner
of the lonian Islands, or whether it be from Consuls Saunders
or Blount, every one of those statements shows that the Greek
Government have been most active in fomenting that
insurrection. (Heat, hear.) In the last despatch I read
from Mr. Wyse, he says that the Foreign Minister of the
King of Greece did complain of some phrase that had been
used by the French Minister at the Court of 'Athens, and
that he stated it was no use to complain of particular terms,
because, in fact, it was notorious that the Court of Greece
had done its utmost to foment that insurrection ; thatithe
persons who were employed high in the service of the King
of Greece, whether in his household or in the military
service, had been the most active persons in crossing the
frontier, and in endeavouring to raise the Christian popula-
tion against the Sultan. He mentioned various other facts to
the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the King of Greece, and
it does not appear that they were at all denied, but there
was a general statement of the sympathy that must be
naturally felt for the Greeks. in Turkey (Hear, hear.) Ido
not mean to deny that of the Christians in Turkey many
of them are averse to the Mahornetan rule; but what I
state is, that in a great many of the villages that have risen
in insurrection there was perfect tranquillity. Although
they were not content with Mahometan rule, there was no
desire to rise in insurrection, or to take up arms against
the authority of the Sultan, until persons in fact authorised
by the King of Greece, Who lately held his commission
and came from Greece, were active in raising and fomenting
that insurrection. (War.) As to the part our ships
abroad have taken on this subject, I own at once that
some of her Majesty's shipS have prevented vessels carrying
arms and ammunition going from Greece in order to assist
the insurgents, and such vessels have been stopped. (Hear,
hear.) The hon. gentleman next refers to the order that
all the subjects of the kingdom of Greece in the Turkish
territory should leave that territory. That was a de-
cision the Sultan's Government was perfectly competent
to make, and the comparison of that order to, the re-
vocation of the edict of Nantes is, I must say, an un-
happy one. (Hear, hear.) The persons to whom the revo-
cation of the edict of Nantes applied were subjects of the
King of France, and they were ordered to leave France for
the reason history gives us." (Hear, hear.) But those per-
sons were not the subjects of the Sultan, merely differing
from him in religion, but they were persons who were the
subjects of a-foreign power, and of a foreign sovereign, who
was doing his utmost to raise an insurrection end rebellion
in the provinces of Turkey. (Hear, hear.) Whether that
measure taken by the Sultan be expedient or not is quite
another question. (Hear, hear) The reason for taking
that step has not been communicated to her Majesty's Go-
vernment. We have been informed that the measure has
been taken, and all the Secretary of State said on
the subject is, that we doubt the wisdom of, the policy
that dictated it. (Hear, hear.) But it is a step that
the Sultan was perfectly competent to take, and there
may he reasons of which.we are not aware that dictated
this step ; but at all events the historical parallel which
the hon. gentleman used is not applicable. (A laugh.)
With respect to the papers to which the hon. gentleman
alludes, we shall be ready to produce them. I am very sorry
to say, that these papers will show, whenever they are pro-
duced, that great atrocities are committed, both by the
irregular troops in the service of the Sultan, and by the
insurgents who have risen against the Mahornetan rule.
At one side we have those irreeular troops destroying Chris-
tian villages and leading the women and children into
slavery ; on the other hand, we have Christians going
against the Mahometan inhabitants of a perfectly, tranquil
village --persons not in arms, and not employed other-
wise than in the pursuits of peace, and destroying those
Mahometan villages, and rooting out and extirpating the
inhabitants. This is one of the most melancholy spectacles
—this is one of the consequences that was to be expected
from the attempt of the Emperor of Russia. (Hear, hear.)
If. was obvious that when he pretended to be the protector
of the Christians in. Turkey, he would raise up on the one
side and excite the fanaticism of the Mahometan popula-
tion, and on the other side would arouse the desire for
independence which exists amongst the Christian popula-
tion the subjects of the Sultan. The creation of that civil
war was one of the conaequences of that most unjustifiable
aggression of which there is scarcely an apologist to be
found anywhere, except perhaps the hon. member for the
West Riding. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BRIGHT took the same view of this question as the
honourable member for the West Riding, and insisted that
the demands which. Turkey had made upon the Government
of Athens were as unjustifiable and impolitic as her expul-
sion of Greek naturalised subjects. Neither he nor his
honourable friend were the advocates or supporters of the
Emperor of Russia; but both of them deprecated the
language which the noble lord had held out towards
that potentate as well as the Government of Athens.
Turkey required that Greece should put down the
freedom of the press—a most indefensible demand ; and
yet her Majesty's Government were upholding Turkey in
that demand. He denied that the Government of Athens
was responsible for the Greek insurrection, as it was called,
and if the noble lord would consent to lay the papers on
the table without curtailment or omission whatever, he
was satisfied they would bear him out in that state-
ment. We had entered into this war for the
protection of Turkey, but the vast majority of
her inhabitants were Greeks ; and the fact was, we were
now resisting the rights of the very people whom we pro-
posed to protect. The fact was, the Greek element was
the great difficulty of this question ; and he must tell the
nobl lord that it would be got over neither by his abuse
of the Emperor of Russia nor the sneers which he indulged
in at the expense of his hon. friend the member for the
West Riding. .•
Mr. LAYARD said ilea, with regard to the Greek mer-
chants in this country, the hon. member for Manchester
had made a statement which deserved a public contradic-
tion.
He had told the house that a large number, indeed
almost the whole of the Greek merchants in this country
were native born Turkish subjects, but were trading as the
neutralised subjects of another power. Audit was no doubt
true that these Men, in consequence of the privileges, they
enjoyed under the tolerant government of the Sultan, were
enabled to enjoy the protection of other Governments.
Why, if a Turkish subject went to Odessa, and while 'per-
forming quarantine—without even landing—obtained a
Russian passport, he was able to return as a Russian sub-
ject.
But what use had these men made of the advantage
they enjoyed under this protection? They refused to pay
the common local dues that the Porte had a right to raise
from its subjects. They refused even to pay the taxes for
lighting and cleansing the streets of Peru. And he would
invite the hon. member for Manchester to ask any British
merchant resident at Constantinople whether their gross
abuse of their privileges was not most injurious to British
trade, and had not ended by almost ruining every British
house at Constantinople. Having enjoyed these advantages
was it extraordinary that they should also be exposed to
the disadvantages that resulted from their position ; or
that when the Sultan found them engaged in raising re-
bellions within his dotninions, he should compel them
to be what they claimed to be—foreign subjects—and
should compel them to leave his territory ? The hon. gen-
tleman said that this measurewould be attended with loss
to trade ; but the principal sufferers by it would he the
Turkish Government ; end this fact showed that they must
have been compelled almost by a necessity of their exist-
ence to expel from the country those from whom they
derived their chief revenue. He was surprised to hear the
hon. gentleman make some remarks upon the conduct of
Mr. Blount, our Consul-Genered at Salonica, who he stated
had almost taken upon himself the government of Thessaly.
The fact, however, -was, that no man in Turkey was bet-
ter acquainted with the true state of the population than
Mr -Pilount ;- that no man had done more to protect the
Greeks', and that no man bold a higher position in the
esteem both of Greeks and Turks. The hon, gentleman
then timed the Tarisioli Croverunt foxWA/bring v,ritio

. ..1

the Greek press, which he said, was as free as that of
Belgium. But the fact was that the Greek press was not
free. 'He knew that, with regard to Mr. Blount, peti-
tions falsely purporting to come from villages in Thesesly,
and to be signed by the primates and chief men, were
inserted in the Greek papers, containing statements calcu-
lated to cause great irritation amongst t'he Turkish popu-
lation, and which were thus likely to lead to the massacre
of the Christians. Fortunately, Mr. Blount was able to
forward to our ambassador at Constantinople petitions
from the same people, containing statements of a directly
contrary character • and they were thus saved from the
vengeance of the Turks. The fact was that the insurrec-
tion in the Turkish provinces was carried on by troops
in the pay of Greece, and who were actually reviewed by
the King and Queen before they started from Athens. And
Mr. Blount went into Thessaly to show the inhabitants
the dangers they ran, if they took part with them, of being
treated as rebels by Turkey, while they were sure to be
the first victims of the men who crossed over the frontiers
with the professed object of assisting them. To a certain
extent Mr: Blount, had succeeded in restoring tranquillity
in that province, and for that he deserved .not blame but -
praise. The hon. member for Manchester still talked as if
he shared in the old error that ten millions of the subjects
of Turkey had no sympathy with her ; and in order to sup-
port his views on this point he alluded to the feelings of
the population of the lonian Islands. No doubt the senate of
the lonian Islands were very anxious for the success of the
Greek insurrection, in order that they might gain their
own ends. But did the hon. gentleman know what was
Vie first step taken by this senate elected by the ballot ?
They passed a law that no man should be liable to pay his
debts for four years. (Laughter.) He remembered last
year meeting a gentleman of considerable rank in Greece,
and while.talking about the lonian Islands, the gentleman
said, " You do not know how to treat them ; let them be
added to Greece, and we should show you how to deal
with them." In answer to a question as to what would
be the course taken by the Greek Government, his friend
added, " we should turn three or four regiments amongst
them, and you would, see the result." No doubt por-
tions of the Christian population in Turkey would rise ;
daub that - population, -generally,- had no-sympathy -with
either Greece or Russia, and had no strong feeling
against Turkey. When he (Mr. Layard) had the honour to
address the house on the 30th March last, he stated, on the
authority of a private letter from Constantinople, dated
onsthe 20th of that month, that a large Russian force,.con-
sisting of 7 steamers and 4 transports, had appeared on
the coast of Circassia, and had carried off a large 'ray of
troops from the garrisons there in the presence of her Ma-
jesty's steamer Sampson. This statement he had made on
the authority of a person engaged in the matter, and it
agreed so strongly with the statement in the Russian paper
that he could not doubt that the facts were correctly
stated. Yet in another place, on the 6th April, the noble
earl at the head of the Foreign-office denied that the
Sampson had brought any such information. It appeared,
however, from the Russian journal, that there had been
three proceedings. On one occasion. several forts were de-
stroyed ; on another, a number of troops were removed,
but this operation being interrupted by bad weather their
removal was (thirdly) effected on a subsequent occasion.
*The Russian journal stated that the operations of the Rus-
sian fleet on the coast of Circassia had been crowned with
complete success, and had resulted in the addition of 5,00 Q
tried and effective troops to the garrison of Sebastopol.
The right hon. gentleman at the head of the Admiralty
said that the Russian vessels were only coasting steamers.
He (Mr. Layard), however, had seen them, and he could
tell the right hon. gentleman that they were steamers
built in this country, and that, although they were
called coasting steamers, they were really vessels-
of-war carrying the same armament as her Majesty's
ships Devastation and Stromboli. He might indeed be
told that our vessels could do nothing, as there was
at that time no declaration of war. But he wanted to
know what was the moaning of the instructions which
they found in the blue books as early as October last ? By
them the admirals were directed not to allow any ship to
issue from Sebastopol, and were told to send her back if
she did. This operation on the coast of Circassia as de-
scribed by the Journal of St. Petersburg, was evidently a
directly warlike step, for if these troops had not been re-
moved they must have fallen into the enemy's hands. And
he contended that the English and French fleets were
bound to prevent any such step being taken by the Russian
admiral. This affair and that of Sinope might cost this
country an inconceivable amount of treasure and blood,
for not only had 5,000 men been by this means added to
the garrison of Sebastopol, but our moral influence over
the population of these provinces had been diminished by
showing them that the Russian fleet could if they pleased
come out of Sebastopol. He was surprised that the noble
earl at the head of the Foreign-office should have denied
the statement which, he made on a former occasion,
and he certainly thought that some explanation on this
subject was required, for it was evident, either that the
noble earl did not wish the statement to go forth to the
public, or that the Government had not received informa-
tion which had reached the hands of private individuals.
The right hon. gentleman (Mr. Sidney Herbert) had
denied the correctness of the statements with respect
to the commissariat department which had appeared in
the Times. He (Mr. Layard) could easily believe that
those statements were correct, but he was the last man
who would wish to throw blame upon the officers of the
commissariat and transport service. He was informed
that Mr. Commissary-General Smith did not go out till
March. Now, as far back as January last, he (Mr. Lay-
ard) warned the Government that Turkey was not a coin-
try like England, and that preparations foe the reception
and support of au army should be commenced some months
before its arrival. Every letter he received from the East
confirmed him in the opinion that in a very short time
we should find ourselves involved in far greater difficulties
than we had at first any reason to expect. He was afraid
that the country would find that preparations which should
have been undertaken months ago, and which would have
been if the Government had listened to tho warnings of
those who knew the country, had been far too long de-
ferred. If due attention had been paid to those warnings,
our troops would not now have been wanting the common
necessaries for the .sick, or the means of covering. The
blame of this, however, rested, not with the officers con-
cerned in the management of our affairs in the East, but
with the Government at home. He perfectly agreed with
the right hon. gentleman that at no period had the country
sent forth such a fleet and such an army, at so short a no-
tice, as those which we had recently despatched to theseat
of war ; but he must say that if the Government had taken
the precautions which they ought to have done last year,.
they would not now be exposed to complaints which he
feared were too well justified. (Hoar, hear.) •
•Sir J.GRAHAM said that the hon. member for Ayles-
bury had reverted to a subject which was raised by a ques-
tion put to him by the noble lord the member for Maryle-
bone, and which had reference to the conduct of the officer
commanding the Sampson on the coast of Circassia. The
hon. member confidently relied on the accuracy of the
statement which he had made on a former occasion, though
he (Sir J. Graham) had asked 'the house to suspend its
judgment until they had received the report of the British
officer as to what took place, and had, on the part of Go-
vernment, declared their willingness to lay on the table a
copy of the instructions which were given to the com-
mander of the Sampson by Admiral Dundas, and also a
full report of what passed on the occasion referred to. The
hon. member said that 5,000 men were withdrawn from
Circassia and sent to Sebastopol. NoW; the only informa-
tion which the Government had yet received, and which
they were ready to lay before the house, was, that there
were two transports, one of which was boarded, and that
the two contained not more than 300 or 400 troops. The
statement of Captain Jones is express, that the steamers
were not vessels of war, but simply five small steamers
employed as packets between Sebastopol and Odessa.
The honourable gentlemen said that he had the advan-
tage of seeing them, but Captain Jones also had seen
them. He had only one ship of war with him, and yet
these five powerful steamers, as they were represented to
be, crept as close to the coast as they could, and in the most
careful manner avoided an encounter with one English and
one French steamer. So much for the statement in the
St. Petersburg Journal, which the honourable gentleman
believed. He must entreat the house to suspend their
judgment until they had seen the official report on the sub-
ject from a British officer of undoubted honour. Then
with reeard to the orders that were given to the fleets.
The order of the Bth October, to which the hon. member
had referred, was one of a very modified description, and
only declared that the coasts of Turkey should be protected.
After the affair of Sinope—which he regretted as much as
the hon. member did, and which he declared, in his hum-
ble judgment, to be an eternal dishonour to the Emperor
of Russia, inasmuch as it was a violation of assurances
which had been given—a much more stringent order was
issued by the British admiral on the 24th of December.
By it protection was extended from the Turkish coast to
the Turkish flag, and it was directed that every Russian
ship of war, as contradistinguished from merchant ships,
which should be met by the English or French cruisers
should be warned to return to Sebastopol, and that if she
refused force should be used. The affair in question took
place on the 16th of March, and as war was not declared
here until the 29th, and the news' of it did not reach
Varna until the 16th of April, the transaction must be
viewed with regard to the orders of December, which were
then in force. Now, in the first place, it was to be ob-
served that whatever might be the character of the Russian
steamers, they were not met on the sea- they creptclose to
the shore ; and as they were proceeding from one Russian
port to another, they could not be overhauled by the
British steainerswithout an infraction of the law of nations.
The traneports could be overhauled. A question might
'here have arisen whether the order applied to transports.
Captain Jones decided that transports should be treated
as men-of-war, and he treated them accordingly. He
James Graham) should be prepared to contend that the ,
orders issued by the admiral were defensible, and that the
manner in which Captain Jones executed them was quite
correct. But he would not then trespass on the hostee
- (r
further in regard to a not be satisfactorily_
discussed until the papers were before them. In the mean.
time be entreated the house to suspend its judgment, and
not to believe a Russian account in preference to therefore
of a British officer. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. M. GIBSON' wished to put questions
RUSSIAN AND ENGLISH MERCHAN
The first question re-
lated Government on two points. Etnhe
d to be aw u
captured on the 'high seas, and suppo
I sedecree was said
to the case of certain Russian enerchentl shipf sl
prizes. He saw that a certain imperial decree
nencees:
sary for the Government to release
to have appeared at Paris, which
such a decree had
therefore wished to know whether
if these ships could be
in it.. It was certainly clear that pweoruithidesreen
ports, some great omission must
leaving our ports before
really appeared, and whether our Gcoovuenreniml.entocrodnecrus concurred
brought into the English
with on the high seas by
Now, he certainly thought
beenha ve
given been
tb madent n ,in
Russian our,interfered
ve ordersss
e Nli so
May 10 should not be
similar orders should be given
the French or English cruisers.
sel eaving a neutralport be-
fore
more if
still singular we could
that,w
that
tpt hedneattseta.em
Russian gr
sioni
uscri
tip
vl
bee:,
It
similar to owe, the effect
take vessels leaving a French port before that date, be-
cause, if the French orders were siwould be that the French cruisers could seize vessels
leaving French ports, and thus the professed effect of our
orders in council would be entirely lost. He wished, in
e eeaccd Pia", to '341 the titoutr:4l of the Government

*;;

to the 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 weather ; and the repairs which was thus rendered
necessary detained her in the Russian port until
the frost had set in. In the meantime, war broke
out. The Emperor of Russia had now issued an order
permitting the Ann M'Allister to sail from Cronstadt as
soon as the water is open. But it was certain that if she
sailed after the 10th May, the British cruizers would seize
and condemn her for breaking blockade. So that having
on
board a cargo the property of British merchants, and
purchased in 1853, the ship was placed in this position—
that the Russian Government would seize her if she did
not sail, and the British cruizers if she did. He must add
that within half an hour before he rose to address them in-
formation had been received that an order had been given
that the ship should be allowed to leave Cronstadt.
but that for military reasons she must be mantled by
neutral sailors, in consequence of her crew having been
so long within a Russian fortress. Now, it so happened
that this was the ship which Sir H. Seymour had selected
to bring over the effects which he had left at St. Peters-
burgh, so that if those effects were really placed on board
her, the only danger of confiscation which they would
incur would arise under the British orders in coun-
cil; for he could not see how any distinction could
be made between them and the rest of the cargo.
The legal advisers of the merchants who owned the
Ann M'Allister had, under these circumstances, advised
them to apply to the Government for a license, which had
been refused, although it was clear that this Was a special
case, and 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 Government if they could p,int out any mode by which
this British ship, with Sir H. Seymour's effects on board,
could be allowed to leave Cronstadt unmolested by_ our
cruisers. He might, in conclusion, state his belief, from
information which had been supplied to him, that there
was no foundation whatever for the statement that Sir H.
-Seymour's effects had been detained at St. Petersburg by
an order of the Emperor of Russia because they were -
H. Seymour's effects. He believed that if they were e-
tained at all, they were detained for some formal matter
arising out of the necessity for making out fresh papers.
It was clear that, as the ship originally cleared in October,
1853, and as the shipment of Sir H. Seymour's effects
would therefore be a fresh taking in of cargo, it would be
requisit; that she should make a fresh clearance at the
custom-house, and should be furnished with new papers.
Sir J. GRAHAM said the first question put by the
right hon. gentleman referred to an order stated to have
been issued by the French Government, conformably to
which an order had likewise been issued by her Majesty's
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 issued 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 issued
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 the 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
lenienttreatment with ships leaving the portsof belligerents.
But he must observe to the right hon. gentleman with
regard to the policy that dictated the order of France and
England regarding ships leaving the ports of belligerents,
that it was intended to be in favour of their own subjects
who had entered into contracts with belligerents before the
declaration of war. Though they might not go the whole
length which the right hon. gentleman 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
rational design to mitigate to the utmostextent the evils of
war as affecting the communities of belligerents; and the
only doubt which might be entertained was, whether they
had 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 he 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 Minister of Finance, allowing English and
French ships six weeks from the 19th of April to clear out
of Russian ports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azoff, and
six weeks from the 7th of May to clear out of ports in the
Baltic. This was an order which showed a corresponding
spirit of liberality on 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-
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
INPAllister. The Ann M'Allister obtained a clearance
from Cronstadt 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 of 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 ships. 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 W.Allister.
(Hear, hear.) As to the other question put—what was
to be become of the effects of Sir Hamilton Seymour—
ho 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
sti ictest 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 1.,w 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 lie hoped that neither France 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 Fargo and a neutral crew were embarked, the
Ann M'Allister should bo allowed to pass ; what he said
was, that she was to bo 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 11. 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 wore afraid to embark them.
Lord C. HAMILTON wished only
to observe that he had
the best reasons for knowing thattitsfihee, w
o
statement Iwners of the Ann
M'Allister were by no means satisfied with h tohfe
theposition
case,
) i e
edaerrad.
of their ship. He held in hie! hand
drawn up by their legal advisersa,r fiurog
int
a kw
that the Russian Government chni into
e einps
tien the circumstances whichhleaddtiosstuheeddoertdeneitsiotnhoaft the
e
Ann M'Allister Cronsta ,
n as she
vessel was to be permitted to sail immediately, as soo
could leave. Applioation had been made to the Foreign-office
answerhoens
licenses
swwa was
rreturnedgranted. signed
in London for a licene,
by Mr. Greville, stating btetanno
He was happy to hear the right hon. gentleman's opinion
that the want of one would not subject the vessel to de-
tention,could assure the
tention, but hehouse that the opinion
of the ablest professional men was that the vessel would
have a prize crew put on board her and reach this
country
in charge of a prize agent. The owners were perfectly
ready and able to produce evidence substantiating the
files 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 the Emperor of
Russia he had no hesitation in declaring that that potentate
had committed sufficiently uumerousacts 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 welt afford to give it up, not
t
if it oven were true that the Emperor of Russia hadt 7).
descended to the meanness of confiscating the property .1 r
question, he did not think that his Majesty's
charac
would be whitewashed, or that he would be regeret:d, thetuer
wise than as he (Lord D. Stuart) and, he liv
whole civilised world regarded him, as onewho had shown
.
himself daDgeroue t 4) p 141419 weliffe urr
I