Xia
2298.
O PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
། །
19
C.O. 885
Reference :-
11 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
|ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
MY LORD,
No. 689.
(NEW SOUTH WALES.)
LAW OFFICERS to FOREIGN OFFICE.
Temple, February 24, 1871. We are honoured with your Lordship's commande, signified in Lord Enfield's letter of the 18th instant, stating-
1st. That with reference to our 1eport of the 17th December, therewith enclosed, he was directed by your Lordship to transmit to us a letter from the Colonial Office containing a copy of a Despatch from the Governor of New South Wales with regard to the exemption of French vessels of war carrying maile from the restrictions as to the supply of coal imposed in the circular letter from the Foreign Office of the 19th of July last.
46
2. That Lord Belmore stated in his Despatch that there were two French steam Belliqueuse," a large ironclad ship, had despatch vessels on the station, and that the ́ also lately arrived. That his Excellency wished to know whether if the last-named ship came for the mail she was to be treated as a mail, and also whether the limit as to time of stay was to hold good against the mail vessels. That his Excellency added that owing to the presence of those armed French ships there were five German vessels in the port afraid to venture to sea.
3rd. That Lord Enfield was to request that we would take that letter into our consideration, and favour your Lordship with our opinion as to the points raised in Lord Belmore's Despatch.
4th. That the letters from the Colonial Office, upon which our report of the 17th December was founded, were enclosed therewith for convenience of reference, as well as a correspondence which took place in 1866. and which was referred to by the Colonial Office as bearing upon that question.
In obedience to your Lordship's commands we have the honour to
Report
:
That the grounds upon which we reported to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies, on 6th October last, in favour of the French postal packets being exempted in the ports of New South Wales from the restrictions imposed by Article III. of your Lordship's circular letter appear to us to justify their exemption from the restrictions imposed by Article II. of that circular.
So long as the postal packets are not diverted from their especial duties of conveying the mails, we are of opinion that they are fairly entitled to the same hospitality in British ports as in a time of general peace, and we see no reason why they should be subject to any other requirement to leave our ports than those of the service of the nails.
large
With regard to the "Belliqueuse," which his Excellency describes as a ironclad ship of war," if she should come for the mails, we are of opinion that she should not be exempted from the restrictions imposed by your Lordship's circular letter upon the hospitality to be shown to belligerent ships of war, unless her commander should be able to satisfy his Excellency that his instructions forbid her to be diverted from the especial duty of conveying the mails whilst she is on the station.
The commander should, we think, be pointedly informed that hostilities, or even any threats of hostilities, indulged in by him would at once forfeit the privileges of his ship.
The Earl Granville, &c. &c.
We have, &c. (Signed)
R. P. COLLIER.
J. D. COLERIDGE. TRAVERS TWISS.
0
16978. 428,
25.-5/86.
• No. 079.
2293.