LOED PALMEESTOX'S CIECULAE. they should, or should not,
sunj)ly in its bearing
make
this matter the subject of
If the question
diplomatic negociation.
331
upon international
is to
he considered
right, there
can be
no doubt whatever of the perfect right which the Government of every coimtry possesses to take up, as a matter of diplo-
matic negociation, any well-founded complaint which any of subjects
its
may
prefer against the government of another
country, or any wrong which from such foreign government
those subjects
may have
of one country
individual satisfied,
is
among
sustained
entitled to its
subjects
and
;
demand
the government
if
redress for any one
who may have
a just, but un-
pecuniary claim upon the government of another
country, the right so to requii'e redress cannot be diminished
merely because the extent of the wrong
is
increased, and,
because, instead of there being one individual claiming a
comparatively small sum, there are a duals to It
is,
British
whom
a very large amount
gi-eat
is
number
of indi%'i-
due.
therefore, simply a question of discretion with the
Government whether
this matter should or should
not be taken up by diplomatic negociation, and the decision of that question of discretion tmTis entii'ely
upon British and
domestic considerations. It
has hitherto been thought by the successive govern-
ments of Great Britain undesii'able that British subjects should invest their capital in loans to foreign governments instead of employing
it
in profitable undertakings at
home
;
and, with a view to discom-age hazardous loans to foreign
governments, who
may
be either unable or unwilling to pay
the stipulated interest thereupon, the British Government,
has hitherto thought
up
it
the best policy to abstain from taking
as international questions the complaints rhade
by British