have gone abroad for their own purposes, and who suffer by war or by other general calamities, appears to that department to be a charge rather on private charity than on public funds, yet their lordships do not desire to exclude from consideration the most extreme cases, in which persons unexpectedly thrown out of employment in a foreign country, and obliged by the governinent to depart, are left absolutely without means, either of their own or from charitable sources. The board of treasury say, therefore, that they are prepared to sanction the relier from public funds in cases of this kind, where it clearly appears that no other resource is left; and I have, accordingly, to authorize your excellency to give relief in conformity with the views of that department in urgent cases. I am, &c., No. 4. GRANVILLE. Lord Lyons to Earl Granville. Tours, October 9, 1870. (Received October 12.) MY LORD: Your lordship did me the honor to inform me that you had received assurances from the Prussian government that the members of the diplomatic body at Paris would receive at the hands of the Prussian authorities all the usual courtesy to which they were entitled, although it was difficult to specify beforehand the particular course which would be adopted. I observe, however, that in answer to a request conveyed by M. Jules Favre from the diplomatic body remaining in Paris, to be warned in case it should be intended to bombard the town, and given the means of quitting the place, Count Bismarek, in a letter dated on the 26th ultimo, at Ferrières, answers that military considerations forbid his making any communications respecting the time and manner of an attack upon the fortress of Paris. I cannot conceal from your lordship the anxiety which this letter causes me to feel for the safety of the members of Her Majesty's embassy, whom I have left in Paris, as well as for that of the numerous British subjects who have, I fear, in despite of my warnings, imprudently remained there. As regards these last, your lordship is aware that, both by advice given specially to individuals and by general notices, I did all in my power to induce Her Majesty's subjects to withdraw in time; and that I published in the newspaper and distributed among them a printed caution that those of them who remained after the warnings given would do so at their own risk and peril; and that if they delayed any longer they might not afterwards be able to get away. Notwithstanding my pressing counsels, some remained voluntarily, while others were, from illness or other causes, unable to move. I cannot, therefore, help submitting to your lordship a request that the Prussian authorities, if they really resolve on bombarding Paris, should be pressed to give these inoffensive neutrals an opportunity of previously quitting the place. The funds which were in the hands of the British charitable fund would, I should hope, suffice to pay the expense of removing those who are unable to pay for their own journey; and, in case of need, Mr. Wodehouse might be authorized to act upon the instruction contained in your lordship's dispatch of the 8th ultimo. But it is, naturally, with regard to the members of the embassy that I feel most uneasiness. Count Bismarck states in his letter that he cannot defer to the opinion of those who regard the interior of the Paris ramparts and redoubts during a siege as a proper place for carrying on diplomatic intercourse. This observation may be, to a certain extent, well founded, so far as it regards those chiefs of missions who, having of their own free will chosen to remain in Paris, ask for special facilities for sending or receiving dispatches; but I subunit that it cannot at all apply to a case like that of Mr. Wodehouse, who has staid in Paris by order of his official superiors, in order to give, as long as possible, protection to his fellow-subjects, and to preserve, as far as possible, the archives of the embassy and the government property from injury. Nor ean Count Bismarck's objection affect the case of Captain Hore, who was too ill to leave Paris before it was invested. Captain Hore had indeed been for some time previously so seriously unwell as, notwithstanding the zealous efforts he made, to be scarcely able to discharge his duties. During several days before I came away he was confined to his bed in a very critical state, and I was prevented from taking him with me by the declaration of his physicians that he was not in a state to be moved. There are, moreover, servants of the embassy and servants of my own who have been kept in Paris in discharge of their duties. I trust, therefore, that your lordship will not deem me presumptuous in earnestly requesting that special representations may be made to the Prussian authorities in order to induce them to give the persons belonging to, or employed by, the embassy the means of acting upon the instructions which I left with them to come away if the GREAT BRITAIN. place should be threatened with bombardment or there should be any other imminent LYONS. No. 5. Earl Granville to Count Bernstorff. FOREIGN OFFICE, October 14, 1870. M. L'AMBASSADEUR: On the departure from Paris of Her Majesty's ambassador, he felt it his duty to leave behind him one of the second secretaries of the embassy, Mr. Wodehouse, in order that he might afford, as long as possible, protection to such subjects of Her Majesty as, from various causes, had not already withdrawn from Paris, and that he might, as far as he was able, preserve the archives of the embassy and other property belonging to Her Majesty's government from injury. Together with these, he directed to remain certain servants attached to the embassy and to himself, for the discharge of their usual duties. Colonel Claremont, military attaché to the embassy, and Captain Hore, the naval attaché, the latter being wholly incapacitated by illness from leaving Paris, remained behind under the instructions and with the sanction of Her Majesty's ambassador after his departure. My object in now addressing your excellency is to request you, without loss of time, to bring the case of these public officers and servants, and generally of the remaining British residents, before the King of Prussia, and those acting under His Majesty's orders, whether in a civil or military capacity, and to express the earnest hope of Her Majesty's government that, before the operations at Paris assume a character by which their lives may be endangered, those persons who are in the service of the British government, and residing hitherto in Paris in execution of their public duties, as well as all other inoffensive British subjects, may be allowed an opportunity to quit the place; and Her Majesty's government do not doubt that such a request will readily be acceded to by the King of Prussia and His Majesty's advisers. I am, &c., GRANVILLE. No. 6. Earl Granville to Lord Lyons. FOREIGN OFFICE, October 15 1870. MY LORD: With reference to your excellency's dispatch of the 9th instant, I inclose, for your information, a copy of a letter which I have addressed to Count Bernstorfi,* requesting him to obtain from the King of Prussia permission for the members of Her Majesty's embassy, together with the servants and other British subjects, to leave Paris. I am, & C., No. 7. Earl Granville to Lord Lyons. GRANVILLE. FOREIGN OFFICE, October 18, 1870. MY LORD: I transmitted to your excellency, in my dispatch of the 15th instant, a copy of a letter which I had addressed to Count Bernstorff, requesting him to obtain for the members of the British embassy remaining in Paris, and such inoffensive British subjects as might wish to accompany them, permission to withdraw from the French capital before a bombardment. Count Bernstorff informed me yesterday, as I have stated to your excellency by telegraph, that the permission would be granted, and that a nominal list of the British subjects desiring to avail themselves of it should be drawn up by Mr. Wodehouse. Count Bismarck said further that he concluded your excellency would communicate with the government at Tours on the subject, which I accordingly requested you at "No. 5. once to do, and to inform me of the result, and, if possible, to make it known at the Prussian headquarters, either directly to Count Bismarck or through Colonel Walker. In requesting Count Bernstorff to thank Count Bismarck for his compliance with the wishes of Her Majesty's government in this respect, and informing him that I had communicated it to your excellency, I have further said that, as I could only communicate with Mr. Wodehouse through the Prussian headquarters, I should be obliged to Count Bismarck if he would send to Mr. Wodehouse a message from me, apprising him of the consent of the Prussian government, and desiring him at once to prepare and forward to the Prussian headquarters a list of British subjects who might desire to leave Paris; and I told him that your excellency was instructed to communicate with the government at Tours on the subject. I added that, as regards Colonel Claremont, he should follow the course adopted by the military attachés of other countries who may have remained in Paris. I am, &c., GRANVILLE. No. 8. Lord Lyons to Earl Granville. TOURS, October 18, 1870. (Received October 22.) MY LORD: I had this morning the honor to receive your lordship's telegram of yesterday informing me that the Prussian authorities had consented to allow the members of the embassy and other British subjects who should accompany them from Paris to pass the lines of the German army. I went immediately to the Comte de Chaudordy, and after placing in his hand a memorandum on the subject, begged him to move the government delegation here to do all that depended upon it to facilitate the departure of my countrymen from Paris. M. de Chaudordy said that he could answer at once for the willingness of the government here to do all in its power; but that, of course, the necessary arrangements must be made at Paris with the government and the military authorities there. If, however, I would compress an instruction to Mr. Wodehouse into a very small compass, he would undertake to send it for me to Paris in a way which he had reason to hope would prove to be both speedy and safe. I accordingly intrusted to M. de Chaudordy a short letter in cipher, in which I informed Mr. Wodehouse that your lordship had received through the Prussian ambassador in London an assurance that the members of the British embassy and inoffensive British subjects coming out of Paris would be allowed by the German military authorities to pass. I added that it would be recessary that a list of these British subjects should be drawn up by Mr. Wodehouse for communication to the German authorities; and I desired him to settle the arrangements with the French government at Paris, and, if possible, to make the result known to Count Bismarck either directly or through Colonel Walker. I further recommended Mr. Wodehouse to take every means to give notice to all British subjects of this opportunity for them to leave Paris; and I directed him, moreover, to make such arrangements for the safe custody of the archives and of the embassy house and property as should appear to be most advisable under the circumstances. Finally, I desired him to take advantage of any means he might have of communicating with me. Some hours after I had delivered the letter to Count Chaudordy for transmission to Mr. Wodehouse, I received your lordship's telegram of this day, informing me that you had requested the Prussian ambassador in London to beg Count Bismarck to forward a communication from you to Mr. Wodehouse on the subject of the removal of the members of the embassy and other British subjects from Paris. I trust that the result will be that Mr. Wodehouse will thus receive, in a more certain and regular way than that to which I have been obliged to have recourse, complete instructions from your lordship respecting this matter. I have the honor to inclose a copy of the memorandum which I gave to M. de Chaudordy. I have, &c., [Inclosure.] Memorandum. LYONS. Le Gouvernement Prussien est prêt à laisser passer librement le personnel de l'ambassade d'Angleterre qui se trouve encore à Paris, ainsi que les sujets britanniques inoffensifs qui voudraient l'accompagner, et dont une liste serait rédigée par M. Wodehouse. Lord Lyons est chargé par Lord Granville de se concerter sans retard à ce sujet avec le gouvernement français. TOURS, le 18 Octobre 1870. [Translation.] The Prussian government is ready to allow a free pass to the personnel of the English embassy now in Paris, as well as to the inoffensive British subjects who may wish to accompany them, and a list of whom may be drawn up by Mr. Wodehouse. Lord Lyons is charged by Lord Granville at once to concert arrangements on the subject with the French government. No. 9. Lord Lyons to Earl Granville. TOURS, October 25, 1870. (Received October 29.) MY LORD: I have the honor to transmit a copy of a dispatch in which I have inclosed to Mr. Wodehouse copies of your lordship's instructions respecting his withdrawal from Paris, and respecting the relief of British subjects, I hope to have an opportunity of forwarding the dispatch to Mr. Wodehouse by Prince Wittgenstein, the military attaché to the Russian embassy, who is expected daily at Tours on his return to Paris. I venture to suggest to your lordship's consideration the question whether the mere authority to act upon your dispatch to me of the 8th ultimo conveys beyond a doubt to Mr. Wodehouse sufficient latitude with regard to expenditure in the present emergency. The permission granted by the Prussian authorities to British subjects to quit Paris appears to be confined to those of whom a list shall be drawn up by Mr. Wodehouse, and who shall withdraw from the place in company with him. Mr. Wodehouse will, therefore, have the arduous and laborious task, first, of taking steps to insure notice of the opportunity coming, if possible, to the knowledge of all the British subjects scattered over Paris; next, of forming a complete list of those who desire to go; then of bringing them all together at a given day and hour; then of making arrangements that they may have means of conveyance through a tract of country in which not only is all communication by railroad impossible, but in which the bridges have been broken down and the ordinary roads obstructed; and lastly, of providing under unusual difficulties for the subsistence of the whole party, until they have passed both the Prussian and French lines, and reached a district in which the ordinary modes of locomotion and subsistence are available. It is to be observed also that Mr. Wodehouse will probably be unable, at all events at the moment, to count upon any considerable contribution to the expenses, either from the majority of the English leaving Paris or from charitable sources. The great bulk of the English now there are people in a humble class of society, who have been deprived of their livelihood by the consequences of the siege; and even among those in more fortunate circumstances we have reason to suppose that many are in temporary distress from the impossibility of obtaining remittances of money from England. I would venture, therefore, to suggest that a sum of money adequate to the emergency should be placed at Mr. Wodehouse's disposal. I have said in the dispatch to him that I presume the bankers of the embassy, Messrs. de Rothschild, would make no difficulty in furnishing him with the money necessary; but I cannot be quite sure that this will be the case under present circumstances, and I therefore trust that your lordship will cause measures to be taken to insure his not being exposed to any embarrassment on this head, and, above all, to guard against his being obliged by want of funds to leave behind any one who may desire to come away from the perils of the siege. It would be difficult to form au estimate of the sum required without a knowledge of various particulars, which I cannot obtain here. Among these are the number of the English who would choose to leave Paris, the route which the military authorities would require them to take, and the price of conveyances and subsistence. I cannot doubt that the Prussian authorities, having agreed to permit the departure of British subjects, will be willing to facilitate such communications between Her Maj esty's government and Mr. Wodehouse as are essential to give effect to that permission, and they will, of course, give Mr. Wodehouse the means of settling with them the ne cessary arrangements for the journey through their lines. Your lordship will see that in my dispatch to Mr. Wodehouse I have suggested that Mr. Atlee and Mr. Lascelles, or one of them, might be sent to his assistance. I am, moreover, inclined to think that if the party of English should prove to be very numer ous, it might be advisable that he should have at his disposal some person possessing practical experience in arranging and managing expeditions of the kind. I purpose sending a copy of this dispatch by Prince Wittgenstein to Mr. Wodehouse. I have, &c., [Inclosure.] Lord Lyons to Mr. Wodehouse. LYONS. TOURS, October 25, 1870. SIR: I inclose for your information and guidance the following papers relative to your own withdrawal and that of other British subjects from Paris: 1. Copy of dispatch from me to Earl Granville of the 9th instant. 2. Copy of dispatch from Lord Granville to me of the 15th instant. 3. Copy of note from Lord Granville to Count Bernstorff, dated 14th instant. 4. Copy of dispatch from Lord Granville to me of 18th instant. I have, moreover, received a telegram from Lord Granville, in which, in consequence of having received from you information that there was great distress among British subjects, and that some of them, even if a free passage were granted, would be unable to avail themselves of it for want of money, his lordship desires me to authorize you to act on his instruction to me of the 8th ultimo. Consequently, I add a copy of that instruction to the other papers inclosed herein. I have, in obedience to Lord Granville's orders, addressed myself to the government delegation here, and have been answered that they are quite willing to do all in their power to facilitate the departure from Paris of yourself and all other British subjects who may be desirous of quitting the place; but that, of course, the necessary arrangements must be made with the government and military authorities there. I have, accordingly, to desire you to settle these arrangements with the government at Paris, and, if possible, to make the result known to Count Bismarck, either directly or through Colonel Walker. You should also take advantage of any opportunity you may have of communicating it to me. You will, naturally, use every means in your power to cause notice of this opportu nity of leaving Paris to be brought to the knowledge of all the British subjects left in the place. You will make such arrangements for the safe custody of the archives, and of the embassy house and property, as may appear to you to be most advisable under the circumstances. I presume that the bankers of the embassy, Messrs. de Rothschild, will make no difficulty in furnishing you with the money necessary to enable you to carry out Lord Granville's instructions for the relief of British subjects. You may, perhaps, desire to have some more assistance than you can procure at Paris under present circumstances, in the very arduous and laborious task of giving notice to British subjects, drawing up the list of them, collecting them, and bringing them through the lines of the French and German armies. In that case, Mr. Atlee and Mr. Lascelles, or one of them, might be directed to go to your assistance, and to convey to you, if necessary, money to defray the expenses of the relief and removal of the indigent British subjects. Her Majesty's government would, I feel sure, easily obtain from the German authorities safe-conducts for these members of the embassy. I hope that you will have the means of making your wishes known to Lord Granville or to me. You need not hesitate to send your dispatches on these subjects to his lordship or to me open, if their passage through the Prussian lines would be thereby facilitated. In a matter of humanity, in which the lives of many of our inoffensive countrymen may be at stake, any formal scruples on this head would be entirely out of place. I shall myself send the present dispatch to you unsealed. I am, &c., No. 10. Lord Lyons to Earl Granville. LYONS. BORDEAUX, December 27, 1870. (Received January 1, 1871.) MY LORD: I have the honor to submit to your lordship a copy of a letter, dated Paris, November 23, and signed "Pollock," which reached me the day before yesterday. I know nothing of the writer. The object of the letter is to call attention to the cases of the large number of British subjects who are still in Paris, and who are now desirous of getting away. Major General Claremont will, no doubt, have been able to give your lordship full information as to the prospect there may be of enabling these British subjects to quit |