University of Southampton LDU PP/GC/CA/287 Copy of a letter from Henry John Temple, third Viscount Palmerston, to Sir S.Canning, concerning employment and money for General R.Guyon, a Hungarian nationalist of English descent, 25 February 1850: contemporary copy PP_GC_CA_287 PP_GC_CA_287 collections#MS62#canning All images are copyright. Please contact if you wish to reproduce this material 25/02/1850 One paper Copy, in the hand of a secretary, of a letter from Henry John Temple, third Viscount Palmerston, Carlton Gardens, London, to Sir Stratford Canning, British ambassador extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Constantinople: he has received Canning's letter which enclosed a letter from General Guyon. He is not able to send letters from Guyon to his family in Hungary as, even if had they been sent to the British minister to Austria, Lord Ponsonby, they would still have to be sent on to Hungary by means of the Austrian authorities. He will wait to hear if any letter to be sent on will contain things which General Guyon does not wish the Austrian authorities to see. Canning should give Guyon three hundred pounds to pay for his family to travel to Constantinople.<P> Palmerston cannot help in the matter of Guyon's estates being confiscated by the Austrians. "Schwarzenberg would be more disposed to confiscate mine if he could, than to oblige me by removing the confiscation from the property of anyone else."<P> The idea of Guyon obtaining a post in the Persian army would not be a good one. The Persians would not want an Englishman and if he did get a post, the Russians would probably object. Persians do not treat foreigners in their services well: "the position of an Englishman in an army so ill paid, so demoralised, so jealous of foreigners as the Persian [army] is would not be agreeable." Canning could write to Sheil to ask his opinion on this matter. The best solution for Guyon would be for him to have a post in the Turkish army, if this was possible without causing protest from the Russians. "Turkey is a living, vigorous and improving existence and may be made a permanent barrier against Russia; as to Persia, she exists only by sufferance, and because Russia feels that she could not eat Persia up without a quarrel with England." Persia does not have her own defences and when Britain tried to reorganise her army in the past, it was an expensive mistake. "Russia bought the captain of the vessel, that old rogue Meerza Aghassee and the rot began at the core."<P> There is no consular post vacant for Guyon in the Levant and he cannot be given an annuity out of the Secret Service fund, but if he still needs money after his family arrive, he could be given another hundred pounds.<P> 25 Feb 1850: contemporary copy .<P> The final sentence in this letter is crossed through in pencil.<P> PP/GC/CA/198 and PP/GC/CA/277 also refer to the matter. Sir Stratford Canning, later first Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe, British ambassador extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Constantinople Ottoman empire, Sublime Porte: navy, defence General Richard Guyon, Hungarian nationalist John Ponsonby, second Baron Ponsonby, British ambassador extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Vienna, formerly ambassador at Constantinople Felix, Prince Schwarzenberg, President of the Austrian Council of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs Refugees, exiles, fugitives from Hungary in Turkey Persia, army, defence, relations with Britain Colonel Justin Sheil, later Sir Justin Sheil, British envoy extraordinary and minister plenipoteniary at Teheran Meerza Aghassee, alias Mirza Aghassee University of Southampton Libraries and Special Collections