The Pastor Mr. S. Descombaz, President of the Evangelical Alliznce of Lyons to Granville Leveson-Gower, October 25, 1870

Lord Lyons to Earl Granville

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 an 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 Majesty’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 necessary 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 numerous, it might he 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.,

Lord Lyons to Mr. Wodehouse

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 he 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 opportunity 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.,