The Right Honorable the Earl Granville to Richard Lyons, 1st Viscount Lyons, October 18, 1870

Earl Granville to Lord Lyons

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 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.,