(Signed) ABERDEEN.
No. 16.
_The Earl of Aberdeen to Sir Stratford Canning_.
Sir, _Foreign Office, January_ 16, 1844.
With reference to my other despatch of this day upon the subject of
the execution of the Greek near Brussa as an apostate from Islamism,
I inclose, for your Excellency's information, an extract of so much
of a despatch from M. Guizot to Count Ste. Aulaire as relates to
this matter, which Count Ste. Aulaire communicated to me a few days
ago.
Your Excellency will perceive from this paper that M. Guizot
anticipates that Her Majesty's Government will be disposed to invite
the co-operation of the other Great Powers with the view of making a
simultaneous appeal to the Porte on that subject. But although Her
Majesty's Government would certainly be glad to see the other Powers
of Europe declaring their abhorrence of so revolting a system as
that against which your Excellency and your French colleague will be
instructed to protest, they consider it, nevertheless, unnecessary
formally to solicit their co-operation in a matter in which they all
may be supposed to take a common interest, and to be prepared to act
without previous concert with each other.
I have however directed Her Majesty's Ambassador at Paris to
communicate to M. Guizot a copy of my other despatch of this day;
and I should wish your Excellency to concert with M. de Bourqueney
as to the manner in which the instructions which I have addressed to
your Excellency and those which M. de Bourqueney will receive from
his Court on this matter, and which I conclude will closely
correspond with those addressed to yourself, shall be carried into
execution so as to produce a salutary impression on the Porte.
A copy of my former instruction will be transmitted to Her Majesty's
Ambassador at St. Petersburgh for communication to the Russian
Government; but Lord Stuart de Rothsay will not be instructed, for
the reason stated in this despatch, to invite the Russian Government
to make a similar representation to the Porte.
I inclose a copy of my despatch to Lord Stuart de Rothsay. A
corresponding despatch will be addressed to Sir Robert Gordon and to
Lord Westmorland.