The Express.
London, England, 1862-06-14 00:00:00

was • nullity, and was repealed by the sot of the govern-
ment. Therefore the house must dismiss that part of the
case upon which the court dealt with the elloweatanose
against him. The next case of grievance is the injury to
his property in the Island of Monte Christo. (Hear, hear.)
That is the only mattes which we have to consider. It in
very plain that that injury was inflicted by penes who
were not at the time in thhee service of the Italian govern.
ment. But is is said that they acted like pirates, and yet
it is added that the government of the country from a port
of which these piratical vessel issued is to
make compensation for the acts of these pirates. (Hear.)
It could not for a moment be contended that the Italian
government should make good the injury thus inflicted by •
pirate vesseL My noble friend at the head of the Foreign-
oftice, on the first statement, thought the case • very strong
one, PA undoubtedly it was—(hear, bear)—and that there
were grounds for demanding reparation from the Italian
government. My noble friend accordingly wrote a despatch
to that effect. Further information, however, reached my
noble friend, and he thereupon thought it necsary to refer
the matter to the Queen's Advocate, am is the usual practice
in the Foreign-office in all cases involving questions of law.
What was the result of that refs/ones The Queen's Ad-
vocate, taking into consideration all the circumstances of
the case, reported that there was no international ground for
a demand upon the government of Italy. My noble friend
had, therefore, no alternative but to ant preehiely in the way
he bad acted. (Hear.) So far, then, as tide dimension turns
upon the consideration of the conduct of her Majesty's go-
vernment, I contend that they did precisely what it was
their duty to do. (Hear, hear.) Bed l admit there is a
further question beyond that of the conduct of the govern-
ment, and that is the decision which on full consideration
the Italian government itself may take on • review of a
case of this kind. (Hear, hear.) It cannot be denied that
from a concatenation of circumstances over which Mr. and
Mrs. Watson Taylor had no control, although,
they might, by • different course of modest, havePilliOi7ed
some of the evils they sustained—putting that aside it mud
be admitted by all that they have suffered a grievous loss.
(Hew, hear.) That loss was sustained not in a period, as
was stated by my honourable friend, when Italy was in a
condition of anarchy, when its laws were suspended and
there was no justice to be had in its courts, pr when the
ordinary transactions were in a state of confusion. That
never was the apse. The whole of the changes which
have taken place in Italy have been effected with won-
derful moderation and without any interruption of public
order and public justice. (Hari hear.) Therefore I think
Mr. Taylor might have been advised to have recourse to the
courts of law 'wind the owners of the Orwell for the
injuries he had sustained, for I presume they would be
the parties from whom redraw might be properly de-
manded in this caw. However, =hog all allowance for
the impression produced on Mr. Taylor's mind, and the
apprehensions he entertained that prejudices would operate
against him, and that it would be useless to appeal
to the courts of law, I cannot but think that
the government of the King of Italy will, now
that those transactions have passed away, upon re-
consideration of the whole matter, especially when they
knew the sympathy this case has excited on all sides of the
house, be tanned to look upon it in a different point of
view than they viewed it before, and I have no hesitation
in saying that if any friendly representation can tend in any
way to Laflamme their decision—we certainly cannot demand
reparation as a right, after the opinion given by our own
legal adviser—nevertheless, the two governments being on
such friendly terms, the Amos expression of opinion mani-
fested this evening by both sides of the house must have its
weight with the Italian government; and so far as these
considendions will go, I repeat I have no hesitation in my-
ing that her Majesty's government will feel great pleasure
in making a representation to them on the subject (Cheers)
Mr. DISRAELI contrasted the tone of the speeches of
Mr. Lewd and Mr. Gladstone with that of Lord Palmer-
ston, in treating a question which related to a grievanee of
a British subject ; the latter tally compounding for the
tone taken by the former. He contended that it was idle
to put this case on mere technical legal grounds,
the circumstances of Italy at the time of the occur-
rence* in question being ocesidmed. There could be
no doubt that Mr. Taylor had experienced moat un-
just treatment, and the house was fully justified in ingui-
riog whether there were not MOM of redress ;
and Lost Palmerston having held out a hope that some-
thing might yet be dope on his behalf, he could not but
believe that redress 'rigid ultimately be obtained for
hiss. Recollecting the conduct of the noble lord in the
eases of DOll Pacifioo and Mr. Macdonald, there was every-
thing to hope that the rights of an Eoglialiman would be
owe more dniy vindicated.
Mr. C. BEIt•ITINCIE. wished to explain that he had
guarded himself expressly against accusing Sir James Hud-
son of wilful mis-statement. Relying upon the saturmice
of the noble lord, he begged leave to withdraw his motion.
The motion was withdrawn accordingly.
THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE AND THE ACT