“The gravity of the matter, however, lies in the unjust accusation of Her Majesty’s Government—­that the meeting was broken up by officials of this Republic, and that the Government had curtly refused to institute an enquiry.

“This Government would not have refused to investigate the matter if any complaints had been lodged with it, or at any of the local Courts, and this has been clearly stated in its reply to Her Majesty’s request for an investigation.

“This Government objects strongly to the systematic way in which ’the local authorities are ignored, and the continual complaints which are lodged with the Representatives of Her Majesty about matters which ought to be decided by the Courts of this Republic.  Instead, however, of complaining to Her Majesty’s Government after all other reasonable means of redress have been vainly invoked, they continually make themselves guilty of ignoring and treating with contempt the local Courts and authorities by continually making all sorts of ridiculous and ex parte complaints to Her Majesty’s Government in the first instance; Her Majesty’s Government is also thereby placed in the equivocal and undesirable position of intermeddling in the internal affairs of this Republic, which is in conflict with the London Convention.  Had the complaints been lodged with this Government, or with the proper officials or Courts, the facts could have been very easily arrived at, and it would have been proved that the few officials who were present at the meeting as a section of the public had done their best to prevent the irregularities, and that some of them had been hurt in their endeavours to preserve order.  Instead of expressing their disapproval of such complaints, and referring the petitioners to the local Courts, Her Majesty’s Government accepts those complaints, and gives them an official character by forwarding them for the information of this Government, and by publishing them in blue books for the information of the world.

“Her Majesty’s Government will readily acknowledge that there is no State in the world with any sense of dignity, however weak and insignificant it may be, which can regard such matters with an indifferent eye; and when the relations of the two Governments are strained, then the mainspring must be looked for in this action of its subjects, which is not disapproved of by Her Majesty’s Government, and not in imaginary or trumped-up grievances.”

I have now examined the principal financial and administrative grievances of the English Uitlanders.  I say English Uitlanders advisedly, because complaints are seldom or ever heard from other nationalities, either directly or by means of diplomatic representations.

Can it be contended with the slightest shadow of right and fairness that these grievances afford a reason for intervention?  What crimes have been committed here against humanity or the law of nations?  Do not the recorded grievances and abuses find a parallel in occurrences which are taking place every day in the most civilised countries?  One can with perfect justice apply to the present circumstances the language which the Russian Government used in stigmatising the illegal intervention of the British Government in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Naples[49]:—­