United Kingdom News pre-1870

[Darman]

...the precarious position our lines of communications with our foreign Indian territories have been placed in by the recent acquisition of the Egyptian shares in the Suez Canal Company by the Ottoman government, ignoring for the moment the Ottoman government's hostile takeover of its Egyptian vassal, calls for action of some sort by this government.  We cannot sit idly by while our communications with our largest colonies, i.e. Australia and India, are liable to be cut off without a moment's notice by a foreign power.  We must find a way to secure passage for English vessels through the Canal come thick or thin, else the passage of the Canal by a vessel of our own Royal Navy before any other vessel will have come for naught.  I leave it to the discretion of the Cabinet, with the advice of the First Lord and Foreign Secretary, as to the dispositions of our fleets and how that might influence the negotiations that we must begin with the Ottomans and the French, who are the majority shareholders in this enterprise. 

[Darman]

The Earl of Clarendon sits in his office, dictating to his secretary, who is diligently writing down the Foreign Secretary's every word. 

...we must find a way to ensure that the rights of neutral vessels are not infringed by belligerents during any future wars.  This issue has caused many problems over the years, even leading to a pointless war between ourselves and our republican cousins in the United States.  We need to establish the idea that neutral hulls make for neutral goods, but clarify an exception for military contraband, without taking away from our ability to prosecute a blockade against an enemy's coast.  The laughable declared blockade during the recent unrest across the Atlantic must be frowned upon.  Emphasis must be placed on the fact that a porous blockade is not a legal blockade, and so neutral vessels may be allowed to continue to trade with ports so blockaded.  The use of force in international waters by belligerents against neutrals is also to be frowned upon.  Any prizes captured by legitimately authorized vessels must have their crews either taken aboard the belligerent ship or allowed to remain aboard their own.  Our merchant classes would prefer that the Government's position be that no civilian vessels of any sort ought to harassed while at sea or in port.  However, to ask for such a provision would be to remove much of the teeth from naval seapower, so we must resist such temptations.  Now, to move from matters of business to more personal matters... In the matter of your Lordship's courtship of the young lady from...

[Darman]

George Campbell, the 8th Duke of Argyle, and minister without portfolio in Prime Minister Gladstones' government, sits before the fire of his friend, Spencer Cavendish, the 8th Duke of Devonshire, scion of the wealthiest wealthiest families in England.  The two men hold glasses of brandy, to settle their stomachs after a large meal.  The niceties having been observed, they turn to business.  Despite being merely the Postmaster General, the Duke of Devonshire is well-versed in international relations and commerce, and so he broaches the topic of the extensive holdings of the East India Company in India proper, and of how much value they are to the Crown and government, as much of the government's revenue is derived from tariffs on trade. 
"I realize how valuable our trade with India and the East Indies is, however, we lack security along our routes of supplies, yes!" the Duke of Argyle holds up his hand to forestall any disagreement from Devonshire, "I know that our informal agreements with the Dutch allow us naval and civilian access to their ports near the Cape of Good Hope.  However, there is always the fear that a strong continental power could coerce the Dutch to renege on our agreements, especially since they are informal. Thus we need a stonger presence south of Gibraltar, especially since the opening of the Suez Canal!  Is there no way we could somehow convince the Sublime Porte to grant us a right of passage even during wartime?  I suppose not, that is quite a bit to ask.  And with this naval conference ongoing I really couldn't say what the results will be, if the cursed Americans get their way then all commercial shipping will be free from interference during wartime, and then where goes our bargaining chips?  Our position astride most of the Continent's major trade routes places us precisely in the right position to intercept everyone's commerce!  We cannot give that up.  We shouldn't be asked to give it up either."
"No, my friend, we shouldn't be asked to give up that advantage.  However, we should be asked to take advantage of it!  Think about it, any colony that any other nation plants outside of the Mediterranean coast we can easily control their access to.  We would need a few more naval bases, I should imagine, we can always ask Hugh [Childers, 1st Lord of the Admiralty]  which ports would make for proper naval bases.  Cape Town or Port Natal would be one, something off the southern coast of South America would make for another.  And one off the coast of India I should think..." 

[KWorld]

[Cursed Americans?  Poor Secretary of State Fish, being insulted like that, though out of his hearing so he doesn't know about it.  ;)]

[Darman]

[Cursed Americans?  Poor Secretary of State Fish, being insulted like that, though out of his hearing so he doesn't know about it.  ;)]

[Sorry about that, it had to be done considering the traditional American attitude towards commerce raiding, which I presume you will continue to support?]

[KWorld]

[Cursed Americans?  Poor Secretary of State Fish, being insulted like that, though out of his hearing so he doesn't know about it.  ;)]

[Sorry about that, it had to be done considering the traditional American attitude towards commerce raiding, which I presume you will continue to support?]

The US is against the raiding of neutral shipping, and the imposition of blockades on non-military goods.  Neutral nations, according to the US position, have the right to trade with warring nations, and for their vessels not to be unduly inconvenienced when they're carrying non-military cargoes.  A ship carrying no