The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-15 00:00:00

THE MISSION OF LORD WODEHOUSE

The Earl of DERBY said with reference to the mission to
Oepenbages of the noble lord opposite (Lord 11-odehouse) be
wished t.s pat a question to him !with regard to a speech
attributed to the late D ,nish minister, M. Hall, which bad
hews printed in the public papers. M. Hall, in appearing
before the electors, stated, the other day, that heohad had •
unsunation with the noble lord, is the course of which he
aasil the noble lord whether the withdrawal of the coast-
lotion of November, as recommended by the government,
would be anflicieot to avert the invasion of Sleswig, to which
lie noble lord opposite was reported to hare answered meet
distinctly
_that it certainly would not. He (the Earl of
Denby) did DO, see anything in the correspondence to bear
wet that statement, and u the papers delivered owns down
to a later date, if any such statement had been made it
aught to have been published. Upon the 21st of December
be found that there had bees a conversatioo between M.
Holland the noble lord, in which M. Hall asked whether the
withdrawal of the constitution would be sufficient to prevent
any further demand being nude or steps taken by the
Guinea powers. The noble lord appeared to have evaded
'hi question very ingeniously. the answer which he pee
Ling that it would be better for Denmark to consider not
what she would gain by complviug, but what she might
ire by refusing. He wished to know whether there were
any other circumstances which approached nearer to the
statement of M. Hall, and if so whether he bad any ob.
*title to state them?

Lord WODEHOUSE said he was glad of the opportunity
sI aaswering the 'able earl's question, as be considered it
lust desirable to remove an impassion which had arisen
from the neater in which the statement referred to sp-
in the public papers. He had read the speech of
Hall, and 'it was not clear what M. Hall meant to aay,
het it appeared that he stated that he (Lord Wodehouse)
said that the revocation of the constitution of November
IS as regarded Sleswig would not prevent the German in-
Vision of that State. At the time of his arrival at Copen-
hagen the execution which had been ordered by the
German Diet io Holstein was imminent, and those wbo had
read the Danish papers would see from his despatch of
lith December that he stated he had considered whether any
measure% which the Danish government might be advised to
bike would have the effect of stopping the Federal execution,
ad that he regretted he had come to the conclusion that no
measures the government could take would have that effect.
He had very little doubt that H. Hall referred to that
elan:meat He could remember being asked after his arrival
whether any measures were likely to atop the execution,
sad be answered according to what had been stated in the
despatch, that he was afraid nothing could stop the execu-
tive, and that was perfectly in accordance with what he
had beard at Berlin. With regard to any further measures
that the German powers bail since taken, it was clear be
mold not have made that statement in reference to them,
fee the 11141104 that he could not possibly know. As the
segotiatices went on until the end of January, and be came
away the first week in January, it was not probable that
he could state with confidence what would be the result of
t►e advice given by him during the Ism weeks io December.
Of course the object of the advice which he tendered to the
Danish government was, if possible, to prevent the invasion
et Sherri;; and although he should have been taking too
nisch on himself if he bad said that he could engage for the
Germao governments that they would not invade Sleswig, yet
se doubt the object of the advice gives was to limit the occu-
pation by the German troops to Holstein. He was speaking of
a time when the execution had actually taken place in
Holstein. The object was to limit the execution to
Holstein, and to prevent the invasion of a state which never
belonged to the German Confederation, which the German
Coefederatioa bad never claimed, sod which invasion the
Daalh psvernment regarded as as act of war.
PRINCE GORTCHAKOFF'S DESPATCH.

Lord STI: ATLI EDEN inquired what credit ought to be
attached to the aliegatacm of Prime Gortchakoff, reported
hr Lord NSPIef 1113 a despatch from St. Petersburg, page
804, No. 4, of the Danish papers, to the effect that the
fear governments of Austria, Prussia, Bosnia, sod Great
Britain were "sow thinking and acting in harnion• on a
qmetioo still more important than that of Holatein and
Bieewig."

EarIGB.A..XVILLE—In the absence of my noble friend
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, which is caused
by a slight indisposition, I have, in reply to the question of
the noble lord, to state that we suppose the allusion made
by Prima Gorkbakoff to an agreement between the four
power'. necessarily referred to the agreement supposed to
exist apinst the plan of a general coogresa. I can suite in
the tubes' and most explicit terms that, as regards England.
we have entered into no combination of soy sort or kind
with the other greet powers of Europe, of a nature that
might be construed into the slightest hostile feeling towards
'Preece. I am anxious to state that in the most positive
terms, so that it may be understood that there is no cow
nen ogre-suet of such a kind with regard to the great
questions that are pending. (Hear, hear.)

VESTRY CESS ABOLITION (IRELAND) BILL.
The above bill was reed a saioad time.
THE INCLOSURE BILL.
This bill was read a mooed time.
MOVEMENT OF AUSTRIAN VESSELS.

The Earl of ELLEN BOROUGH said that before the
house adjourned he wished to know from the noble duke
whether be bad observed, io a oorrespoodence which ap-
peared that day in the papers, that on Monday hat an
Austrian ship of 22 guns and a gunboat had left Malta
harbour, as it was stated, for Gibraltar. If so, these vessels
would by this time be coming up Chimera with the westerly
wads. He asked if the noble duke was acquainted with
that circumstance, and if any measures had bean taken in
1110110041.101,1 CC. - -

The Duke of SOMERSET .as understood to say that
intelligenos had been received of the vessels referred to
Leis( left Malta, but beyond that be had no information.
The bonee adjourned at s quarter to sit o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MONDAY, MARCH 14.
The JPLAILZR took tb. choir at 5 =haute' Wore 4 o'clock.
BERWICK-UPON-TWEED ELECTION.

Yr. LONGHELD, the chairman of the committee ap•
painted to try the merits of a petition against the last re.
torn of a member for Berwick-upon•Tweed, brought up the
report of the committee, which stated that ►fter the corn.
suttee had deliberated upon the evidence they bad unani-
snowily resolved that Mr. Cargill was duly elected ; that no
ease of bribery bad been proved ; that it was sot true
t►at corrupt practices had prevailed at the last election ;
that no evidence had been laid before the committee from
which they had reason to White that corruption extensively
=ailed ; and that the petition was not frivolous or vsaa•

On the motion of Colonel TATTOO ■ new writ was ordered
to be Mimed for the election of a member for the county of
Armagh, is the room of !dr. Clow', who had accepted
the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds.
VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY.

Mr. H. BERKELEY pee notice that ea going iota com-
mittee on the army estimates be should all attention to the
mode adopted in arming the volunteer artillery.

CAPITAL PUN ISRMILVIS.

Mr. DOULTON gave notice that on an early day after
Taster he should call suestion to the numerous exercises of
real prerogative in commutation of capital punishment,
sod should move that mercy b• extended as the result of
inquiry. rather than on individual respoosibility.