Show RUSSIA WILL ACT FAIRLY are prepared to pay the bill if mis take was made it ia said that count the russ an ambassador at a confer ence with foreign minister lans downe thursday afternoon made what may be considered a preliminary to the british protest against the seizure of abe steamer malacca he as ared the foreign secretary that his government had no intention of in fringing on the rights of great britain or any other power and it a mistake had been made in the seizure of the malacca unquestionably the steamer isell immediately be restored and damages be paid the ambassador pointed out that it was unreasonable to suppose that the malacca had been seized without the commander of the bt petersburg hav ing good grounds to believe that she had contraband on board unless this suspicion Is effectually disproved the matter will have to go before a prize court which procedure great britain herself follows in the meantime rus aia will make full investigation in or der to establish definitely the grounds on which the commander acted the ambassador also informed lord lans downe that he had telegraphed the british protest to st petersburg and said it would receive immediate at of the emperor and count lamsdorff subsequently count Bencken dorff informed lord lans downe that inquiries were at once be gun and that a prompt reply would be made |