The Sun.
London, England, 1838-06-22 00:00:00

r In 1831 the Noble Lord received a distinct intimation from
Russia that she meant to establish fiscal rights on the coast of
Circassia. The Noble Lord says that it would not be conve-
nient to communicate that intelligence to the public. Granted.
But when did Mr. Bell make inquiries respecting it ? Years
after. According to the laws of Russia the Black Sea was to
be open to all vessels ; but that they could only touch at cer-
tain ports on the eastern shore where quarantine and custom-
houses were established. What communication did the Noble
Lord make to Russia on receipt of this intimation of her in-
tention? I will agree with him that it may not have been
convenient to make it public at Lloyd's at the time,
but what communication did he make to Russia when he
learned that Circassia was to be no longer an independent
Power? What did he say when he was informed that Mr.
Bell's vessel had been seized ? In a letter of Lord Dur-
ham to the Noble Lord it is said that the forcible inter-
ference of any foreign Power with the peaceful occupa-
tion of a country was to be condemned. Perhaps he had
heard of the Noble Lord's opinion. Was not Mr. Bell jus-
tified in undertaking this voyage under such circumstances ?
What satisfied Lord Ponsonby after the seizure of Mr. Bell's
vessel ? Was it the decision of a Russian Judge—some
Scythian Lord Stowell? No, all the authority ever exhibited
for the act was an imperial order, dated St. Petersburgh, and
directed to the Russian Admiralty in the Black Sea, directing
it to confiscate the Vixen, and declaring it and the cargo a
good prize.—(Hear, hear.) There certainly was no direct
communication from the Noble Lord at the head of Foreign
Affairs to warrant Mr. Bell's enterprise, but looking to the
communications of Mr. Urquhart and Lord Ponsonby with
him respecting the rights of Russia and the protection of Eng-
land I don't see how any man could come to any other con-
clusion than what Mr. Bell did respecting his right to trade
and his claim to the protection of his country.—( Hear, hear. )
The Noble Lord may say that Lord Ponsonby might, in his
explanation, have confounded the ideas of blockade and " fis-
caloht
ihma
st
fx
tchu
as
te.
ox
(Hear,
regulations,"
hear.)at io s , butxte ohdei doesog tot, not allow o
Nobeuse—allowing him to have interpreted the edict of Russia in
irerL. Bellrd
1831 to have duly extended to " fiscal regulations"—it may be
easily inferred that he need not have taken the trouble of pro-
testing against or contesting such a harmless edict. It cer-
tainly looks as if he had thought the whole affair a trifle, till
the affair of the Vixen enlightened him, for he had six years
to thing of the matter, and yet said nothing about it.—( Hear,
hear.) The Noble Lord said that Mr. Bell might have had a
Political object in his commercial speculations.—( Hear, hear.)
It appeared, however, that Lord Ponsonby himself was a
willing party to this political object, as it appeared on the
showing of Mr. James Bell. I must say, that if Mr. Bell
became a politician, you made him so by your advice, counte-
nance, and support.—(Cheers.) You told him that Russia
had no right to demand dues, though she might have to
blockade the coast. Where is the British merchant who
would not attempt to trade when Po assured and supported ?
(Cheers.) From Lord Ponsonby he goes to Mr. Urquhart,
and, if by his official advice he goes wrong, the Noble Lord
who appointed him, and sent him there, is responsible, and
not the British merchant who acts on his information.—
( Hear.) lam aware that this case is one of a very peculiar
nature, and I may say peculiar hardship. A Court of law, I
fear, will not grant redress. Ido not say that a House of
Commons would give redress, but I say that there is a strong
case for inquiry.—(Hear.) There are three distinct points
in favour of Mr. Bell : first, the six years' concealment of the
blockade by the Noble Lord at the head of Foreign Affairs;
second, the dry answer returned to Mr. Bell when he de-
manded such information as might have served for his gui-
dance from the only competent 'authority ; and third, the fur-
ther encouragement given him abroad by Lord Ponsonby and
Mr. Urquhart, all form solid grounds for this inquiry.
( Hear.) It would be dangerous, perhaps, to give the political
portion of the subject into the hands of a Select Committee,
but the demand for inquiry stands upon grounds to which that
objection cannot fairly be made.
Lord J. RUS SELL said there was one point attempted to
be established by the arguments brought forward which in-
volved an absurdity no less than this—that the Foreign Secre-
tarytbom state our
from foreign
prejudice relationsto
tlieir were,
mercantile s with did not discharge his duty if he did not give sufficient
say
notice to British merchants in all parts of the world in what
tli the
speculations.v' ew
of preserving
To
nothing of the difficulty of this expose, the danger and incon-
venience to our political relations might be at times very con-
siderable. Take, for instance, that period in our history
when Mr. Canning was endeavouring to arrange an amicable
intercourse with the colonies of South America while the
mother country was still at war with them. While the latter
blockaded the ports of Peru and Caraccas she would have
treated a British ship which attempted to violate her flag with
all the rigour of the laws of war ; and would Mr. Canning have
been justified in giving a British merchant who applied for in-
formation respecting the policy he intended to adopt
such a statement as would have afforded him an opportu-
nity of interfering in the then critical state of things, and
thereby, perhaps, involving this country in a war with Spain.
—( Hear, hear.) What bad hapwened once in our history
might with equal probability happen again. Now, they were
asked to enter upon an inquiry by a Committee sitting up
stairs (five to be a quorum) whether they were sufficiently
aggrieved in the case of Messrs. Bell to commence a quarrel
and go to war with Russia (for that was the real meaning of
it,) and establish a precedent for involving England in endless
discord with all the nations of Europe and America, at the
pleasure of some merchant, half politician; or some politician,
half merchant.—( Hear, hear, hear.) The Right Honour-
able Gentleman had omitted to notice a distinction which
Russia had herself made with respect to the coast of Cir-
cassia ; and here he must beg leave to say that he felt not a
little indignation that a question of the utmost importance
to the amicable relations of the two countries should be
introduced as it were by a side-wind.—( Hear.) The port in
question was acknowledged by Russia to belong to Turkey
from 1783 to the Treaty of Adrianople in 1809, when Kouban
and Anapa were transferred to Russia. Thence arose a state-
ment on the part of Russia, in which the whole of the coast
was spoken of instead of a port—that all had been transferred
to her. But that error of language, or the claim involved in
is, was too important a question to be discussed then.—
Hear, hear.) However, there was no question that the port
ear'
where the vessel (the Vixen) was seized had belonged to
Turkey and
was ceded to Russia, and that she had a right to
make her own sanatory regulations. He would ask in what
Office to entertain Mr. Bell's guess
manner was the Foreign
tio„7 Were they to go into the histories of the treaties
of Turkey, Russia, and England, and to state what their
intentions were with respect to them? This would indeed
be a case of condescension without precedent.—( Hear, hear.)
He was told that there was no blockade gazetted, but was it
to be inferred that he got no further information ?—( Hear.)
No! He was told by Lord Ponsonby that he had sent home
to his Government for his instructions, and (Mr. Bell admitted
it) he must have known his danger. Mr. George Bell
spoke of the whole coast of Circassia as an independent
country—in ignorance of the fact that several points thereon
had belonged to Turkey, and had been ceded to Russia. If
the House was of opinion that the Government had betrayed
the interest of the British merchants, and ought to go to war
with Russia to enforce them, why did they drop that
question, and merely move for the enquiry whether Mr.
Bell had got sufficient information from the Foreign Office?
Cheers.) If there be an inquiry voted, would the House
take upon itself to consider and pronounce whether Russia was
justified in the seizure or not ?—( Hear, hear.) If so, their
considerations would form the grounds of peace or war.
(Hear.) He must regret that the Right Hon. Gentleman
had made use of communications like those brought forward on
that occasion.—( Hear, hear.) He did hope that it would have
been understood, and acted upon, that a confidential secretary
of the Government was not at liberty to bring forward for
party purposes the private communications with which he was
intrusted.—( Cheers.) If such individuals, and if the press of
this country were to be permitted to publish such political dis
closures, the Government could keep no amicable relations
with foreign Governments. It was indeed a breach of official
confidence worthy of the severest punishment. (Cheers. )
Sir S. CANNING replied—He was satisfied to rest the
merits of the question on the speeches of the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet ( Sir Robert Peel) and the Noble Lord opposite. With
respect sect to the use he had made of the correspondence alluded
to, he conceived he might rest his justification on the fact that
he had seen that correspondence already published in several
newspapers. He must, in conclusion, say, that if he were to
learn lessons of discretion, it should not be in such a school.
The House then divided, when the numbers were—
For the motion
Against it
Majority l6
The Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the
House adjourned at Half-past One o'Clock.

THE G REENWICH PENSIONERS.—ThiS is a worthy
companion to Mr. Gleig's admired and interesting work on Chelsea Hos-
pital. In the book before us, however, the author has taken a wider field
for the exhibition of his talent, and the subject is altogether a more inte-
resting one. We say this because it has struck us that about the Chelsea
Pensioner there is little or nothing to distinguish him from the commu-
nity at large—he is a common-place human being who merely cats,
sleeps, walks about, chews, and smokes, and gets periodically intoxi.
cated. But the Greenwich Pensioner, on the other hand, is an animal
of a species
by itself, whose moral and habitual characteristics have very
little in common with those of every day humanity. Although the work
before us professes to be a work of invention, there is much in it bearing
the impress of reality--indeed, the greater part of it is so true to nature,
both in portraiture and incident, that, although interesting to a high de.
gree, the strangcnesscs are infinitely more those of truth than of fiction.
—Court Journal.
CORONATION OF HER MAJESTY.—The most
correct account of the ceremonies of the Coronation of the Queen,
illustrated with Explanatory Prints, will appear in the Observer of
Sunday, the lit of July. A Monday afternoon edition et the Observer
is regularly published, most desirable for the country and foreign cir•
culation.
The first anniversary meeting of the Members of
the Booksellers' Provident Institution was held onTuesday at Blackwall,
where a handsome dinner was provided for the occasion. The Chair
was taken by Cosmo Orme, Esq , who briefly explained the circum-
stances which had led to the formation of a permanent fund for the
relief of booksellers and their assistants in times of adversity. In the
course of the evening the health of her Majesty was enthusiastically
drunk, and several excellent glees were sung by Messrs. Fitzwilliam,
Broadhurst, Hawkins, &c. On the health of the Vice Presidents
being proposed, Mr. Colburn returned thanks on behalf of himself and
his associate brethren. He congratulated the meeting on the brilliant
success which hail already crowned their efforts, and assured them that
no exertion should be wanting on his own part, and on that of the other
Vice-Presidents, to further the objects contemplated by the society.
The Treasurer reported the receipt of upwards of 6,000/„ which there
was every reason to suppose would very shortly be increased to 10,0001.
Now fewer than one hundred and sixty persons were present.
THE PRECIOUS METALS.—The exportation of
gold and silver coin from the port of London to foreign ports, for the
weeks ending the inst., is as under :—Gold coin, to Australia,
188 oz. ; ditto, to Nevi South Wales, 250 cz. Silver coin, to Australia,
14,288 oz. ; ditto, to Rotterdam, 49,800 oz. ; ditto, to New South
Wales, 16,000 oz.