13129.
No. 676.
(STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.)
QUEEN'S ADVOCATE to FOREIGN OFFICE.
MY LORD.
Temple, December 10, 1870. I AM honoured with your Lordship's commands signified in Mr. Hammond's letter of the 9th instant, stating that he was directed to acknowledge the receipt of my letter of the 5th instant, which whilst stating my opinion that the Governor of Bingapore may be approved in regard to the answer given by him to the French Consul on the question of supplying coals to the corvette "d'Assas," I recommended that the Governor should at the same time be informed that it is not the intention that a supply of coal under the limitation prescribed by the Circular of the 19th of July last should be denied to belligerent vessels which might come into the port of Singapore bond fide in want of coals to enable them to keep the sea. That as such a privilege would appear to be in direct opposition to the restriction intended to be enforced under paragraph 3 of the Circular referred to, Mr. Hammond was pleased to state that your Lordship would be glad to know how, in my opinion, the two principles can be reconciled,"
In obedience to your Lordship's commands, I have the honour to
Report
That my report was intended to be in harmony with, and in no way to be in contradiction to, paragraph (3) of your Lordship's Circular. The case suggested by the French Consul was, as I understand it, that the corvette "
d'A6888 should by design leave Saigon, where there were supplies of coal ample for her use, with only sufficient coal on board to carry her to Singapore, and with the intention of making good her supply at Singapore to carry her onward to her port of destination, Pondi- cherry. The Governor of Singapore, very properly in my opinion, discountenanced the suggestion as being in abuse of the permission accorded by your Lordship's Circular, which I presume to have been intended to meet the accidental wants of belligerent vessels, and not to make good any deficiency of coal which should be the result of design. I thought it, however, advisable that in approving the Governor's answer to the French Consul, your Lordship should, for fear of any misconception on his part, explain to him that your Lordship did not intend that he should refuse all supplies to French vessels which should come into Singapore accidentally short of coals to enable them "to keep the sea," but in using that expression I considered that the Governor would interpret it subject to the limitations of paragraph (3) of your Lordship's Circular, namely, until they could reach the nearest port of their own country, or some nearer destination,
I may take this opportunity of calling your Lordship's attention to the possible case of French postal vessels in the eastern seas, which may be ships of war, and which may call at British ports short of coal within the three months limited by your Lordship's Circular, whether any special permission may be required in their case.
I have, &c. (Signed) TRAVERS TWISS.
The Earl Granville, K.G.,
&c. &c.
&c.
p 16978-692.
25.-5/86.
* No. 675.
HT
19
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