The Express.
London, England, 1863-02-06 00:00:00

The etetement of the French

011 •

waa,that Mr. Odo Russell one tine day asked
an audience of the Pops, and when he had obtained it re-
commended his holiness to leave Rome and accept a refuge
which the British government offered him in Malta. Ths
course of the transaction was exactly the reverie of this.
It was the Pop, wbo sent for Mr. Rummell, and the latter
went, not knowing what he was sent for. It was the Pop
who, in the conies of conversation, exprused a wish to
know whether, in the event of his being compeUed by circum-
stances to leave Rome, be would be received end protected
in England! (In England!) Yes, in England. Mr. Russell,
of course, could give no answer beyond dating that it was
the custom of England to give shelter to all who came to
her shores. Subsequently he came to Ragland, and when be
returned in Nov. to Rome he carried a despatch to Cardinal
in which Lord Rana said that if circumstances
. .

should occur inducing the Pope to leave RPM, and that
he should not wish to take refuge in France or Spain, the
British
um irnovernment would providel for him in Malta an
Mar, hear.) waswaya very proper pet prop his rersal, and isad
position.re
oeivedloy the Pope as a proof of our goodwill towards him-
self. The boo. member for the King's County went into
• long discussion respecting the transactions of 1848, but he
should remember that its circumstances were very different
from those of the present time. The hon. gentleman says
the Pope had no army in 1848, bat if I recollect right, the
Pope then declared war maim* Austria, and seat his
army to moist the King of Piedmont. No doubt it
was then degrade thathevolutiomarygovernment should mass
in Rome, and that the Pope should return to has dominions.
It is very different now, wham • Frenh army occupies the
city, to leave it Heaves knows when, in order to retain •
government which, in oar opinion, is distasteful to the
people of Rome. Our wish now is, that no foreign inter-
ferers should maintain a government in Rome of which
the people do not approve. With respect to Brazil, we de.
mended compensation for losses sustained by British sub-
jects, and that compensation being refused, reprisals became
neemeay. I believe, however, that the two governments
will come to an amicable arrangement of the matter in dis-
pute. The member for Honiton paid • compliment to the
Greek people for their moderation, in which I fully emeenr.
I think they showed as much moderation se the Italians—
and I could not pay them a higher compliment. I trent
they will obtain a keg fit to rule them, and that under his
rule they may become • prosperous and sueseenfal country.
Therein no department in which the sexier Greeks did not
excel, and Ido not see why the Greeks of the present day
should not follow in the footings of their enmesh,. Ido
not ass any reason why the Greeks, under good government,
should not exact. We are told that by giving the lonian
Island. to Greece we are changing our policy towards the
Turks and encouraging the Greeks to be
the Turks, and that we ought to have 7z:tr. a=
Islands to the Turks. That would be a strange way of
settling this question.. We have not changed our policy
at all, and we hope that the present Sultan, when
he has established his finances and established his
government, and provided equal laws for the whole of his
people who inhabit his vast empire, will become wrong
within and able to defend himself without, and if be do that
our giving the Septinsular republic to Greece will not dis-
turb the tranquillity of the Turkish empire. My right hon.
friend reminds me that I have not adverted to the prevail-
ing distrese in Ireland. There is no doubt that Ireland has
bad three bad years, and no country can have three bad
years without suffering severely, but my information does
not go the extent of the hon. member's. I have been in-
formed that the potatoes were not bad in Ireland last year,
that the turnips were saved, and that the Gate were not
bad everywhere. The crops were shorter than usual
and no doubt there wee • great deal of pressure in some
parts of the °pantry ; but I hope the statement' of the hon.
gentleman must be deemed to be exaggerated. At all events,
the house will require • mush straw appeal before they
will see the expediency of granting mosey far public works.
I mn only add that it is impossible for any English members
not to feel for any part of the United Kingdom in distress,
whether it be in Ireland or in Lancouthirs. But the distress
in Ireland is the result of an act of Providence in the order-
, mg of the seasons, whereas the distress in the manufacturing
parts of England is the melte' bromic-don over which we
have no control. lam glad that the adder is likely to be voted
without anything more than • discussion upon it, and I
will not longer interpose between the house and the hon.
member for Horsham (Mr. S. Fitzgerald), who I see is
anxious to address the house. (Hear, hear.)
Sir G. BOWYER, whose sudden rising from his seat
created much laughter, said it was his duty to address the
house upon one portion of the speech of the noble lord,
who had praised the government of 'the Sultan end con-
demned that of the Pope. Now, he never thoutaktoth.:Lai
Christian country would show • preference for •
government, and it certainly was a most unjust partiality.
The noble lord had told the house that the
Pope sent for Mr. Odo Russell and asked him
whether England would give him an whim if
he were obliged to leave Rome. That was an incorrect
statement of the facts. The statement of the French
minister was of a very different description. If the French
were withdrawn from Rome tomorrow, and the
rert:ntese were not allowed to march in and tithe pos-
session by military force, be believed that the Papal govern-
ment would be as safe at Rome as the government of Queen
Victoria was in Loudon. And before he eat down be most
once for all againet the doctrine that the so-called
protestbe liberal party in Italy were entitled to ROM. as their capitaL
When was Horns ever the capital of Italy? Never. In the
time of the ancient Romans it was not the capital of Italy
in the sense in which it was now sought to be made the
capital, it was thee the omiqueror of was they
belonged
to Rams, and not Rome to Italy. Rome was the seat of the
most ancient dynasty in the world—the dynasty of the
Pope—and it they overturned that dynasty there was no
throes anywhere that was safe.
Mr. S. FITZGERALD complained that Lord Palmeoston
' bad omitted all allergia to the important subject of the
affairs of America, and had also passed over the case of
Poland, and thee proceeded to criticise what may be called
the vacation foreign policy of Lord Russell in regard to Den.
meet and the lonian Islands, to the cession of which he
was
Mr. thought that it the lonian Islands wee
to be ceded, they ought only to be coded after further deli-
beration with the great powers interested. Their orlon,
however, certainly had nothing to do with the candidature
of any member of the royal family. (Hear, hear.) His
prinajol object, however, in rising was to express hie
sorrow that certain boa members should have made that
house • theatre for the exposition of the policy of the Pope.
The address was then agreed to, and the house adjourned
at 10 minutes to 12 o'clock.