The Press.
London, England, 1858-03-20 00:00:00

7 THE PIItSS, MARCH 20, 1858.

elusion that in the peculiar and exceptional circumstances
of the present case we ought to lay the opinions of the law
officers of the Crown before the house. (Hear, hear.) 1
hope the house will understand tha' in our judgment there
are circumstances in the case of the Cagliari which render
it expedient that an exception shmild be made to a rule
that ought to be generally observed. The remarks of the
noble lord the member for London were perfectly just so
far as they related to the mode by which Parliament
becomes acquainted with the opinions of the law officers of
the Crown, or with so much of them as Ministers may deem
it expedient for the public service to publish ; but the
noble lord will recollect that in the present instance there
is no diplomatic machinery, from the cessation of diplo-
matic intercourse with Naples, by means of which the
desired information could be imparted. Under these cir-
cumstances we think it best to place the opinions of the
law officers of the Crown before the house. No time will
be lost in so submitting them to the consideration of
Parliament, and meanwhile I beg to assure the house that,
freed by the declaration of the noble lord the member fur
Tiverton from the engagement by which we considered
ourselves botmd, we hope we shall exercise the utmost
energy and prudence in the management of an affair that
undoubtedly demands our most serious attention and our
most earnest solicitude. (Cheers.)

Lord PALMERSTON said one important point which
had remained doubtful was whether, supposing the
Cagliari was taken on the high seas, the crew were
forcibly seized, or voluntarily surrendered. The
late Government were advised that there was not
such a forcible seizure as would entitle them to
make a forcible demand upon the Neapolitan Go-
vernment, and with that advice they did not feel
justified in taking a course which might have led to
extreme measures. In mentioning that the question
of jurisdicticn was still under the consideration of
the late Government on quitting office, he referred
to the expectation of their receiving further papers
of the Sardinian Government in support of their
demand for the restitution of the vessel; because, if
the Neapolitan Government acceded to the demand
of Sardinia, the case of the two English engineers
would assume an entirely different complexion.

THE POLICY OF THE

On bringing up of the report of supply,
Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE, amid the laughter of the
house, rose to call attention to the course pursued
by the present Government in abstaining from an
intelligible declaration of their principles and policy.
Adverting sarcastically to the expositions of that
policy given in the House of Lords and upon the
hustings, the Government, he observed, had come
into office with an acknowledged minority, and they
called for three things—for time, forbearance, and
money. But before the house granted these three
demands it was bound to ask what were their claims,
and to inquire what their conduct had been. When
in opposition they had resisted all the measures of
the late Government, yet when they got into their
places they ransacked the pigeon-holes of their pre-
decessors. The Conspiracy Bill, for instance, had
been first supported by the present Ministry. The
amendment by Mr. Kinglake was compelled to be
withdrawn, and the first reading of the bill carried
triumphantly

Ten days afterwards my right hon. friend the member
for Ashton-under-Lyne (Mr. M. Gibson) moved another
amendment, which was singularly ingenious--(a laugh)—
but which if you, sir (addressing the Speaker), had not
decided it to be parliamentary, I should have said was
highly irregular. (Laughter from the Ministerial
stde.) The right hon. member for Ashton had hitherto
taken a different course. He had always been the eloquent
and able advocate of principles which are supposed to be
symbolised by the lamb—( a laugh)—but on the occasion
to which I refer he mountel the lion. (Loud laughter.)
The opportunity was too tempting to the right lion.
gentleman opposite and his party. He lost no time in
getting up behind the right hon. member for Ashton—(a
laugh )—and by good management and considerable address
—aided, I am sorry to say, by the somewhat careless con-
duct of the noble lord lately at the head of the Government
—(loud laughter and cheering)—he deceived, I was
almost going to say jockeyed, the noble lord. (Laughter
and cheering.) Now, I don't charge the hon. gentleman
who did this with irtrigue, but I do say that it was a
manoeuvre discreditable to a party, and will not add to
their reputation. (Cheers and laughter.) I will not detain
the house toy going into any discussion of the Conspiracy
Bill. For my own part I lament that the noble lord
( Palmerston) did not send an answer to the Walewski
despatch—(general cheering)—but I look upon that as a
venial error, and, however strong my opinion may be, I do
not think the omission called for the withdrawal from the
noble lord of tho confidence of this house.

Mr. Osborne then quoted largely from the ex-
pressed opinions of the members of the present
Administration upon all the great questions of
the day. Referring to the India Bill, he proceeded
to quote the speech of Mr. Whiteside against it,
when he was called to order by the Speaker for
quoting speeches made during the same session of
Parliament:—

Mr. B. OSBORNE : i quota these speeches as they appear
in print out of this house. (" Hear, hear," and a laugh.)
The SPEAKER : Certainly quotations from newspapers of
speeches made in this house during the same session of
Parliament are not according to the rules of this house.
(Cheers.)