The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-18 00:00:00

The motion wee seconded by Loni CLAUDE HAMILTON.

,
Mr. STANSFELD, whom naing wax received with much
cheering, said—lt is not my intention to say one word in
reply to the strictures which Lave been made upon the
character of M. Mamini. I have done that which 1 believe
to be my duty in bearing testimony to the character of a man
whom I have known for so many years ; sod so far as that
discussion may be coctisued, so far as I am concerned,
that discussion is at an end. I will now address myself to
the motion of the boo. baronet, which concerns
myself and me character—and the very terms of
the motion of the hon. baronet appear to me to justify
We course which I pursued when the question wasfirst intro-
duced to the notice of the house. The hon, baronet takes
up the statement of the Procureor-General, and moves that
th a t stateme ot deserves the serious counderation of the house.
Now sir, rightly or wrongly. I put the same interpretation
on the speech of the Procureur-General which has beets put
upon it by the hon. baronet. I have read a copy of
the Trims of the let of March ; and in it I
have seen the statement given in these words,
"I have searched the ' London Mercantile Alma-
neck' and the Post-offios Directory' to ascertain
who could be the persou residing at Thurlowaquare in nor.
respondence with Greco, and at page 670 I found, and not
without sorrow, the name of a member of the English
parliament. who in 1857 bad been constitu-
ted by Marini the treasurer of the Tibaldi fund
which was directed against the Emperor's hie."
I must say that it appeared to me, and that it still appears
to me, that an imputation so odious, and, as I shall show,
so unsupported by evidence on the trial, could only be
met by denial, which although general I believed was com-
plete, and which if accompanied he some expressions of
indignation sod contempt, Ido not think the house would
consider them unnatural or uncalled for. (Hear, hear.) Now,
what was the evidence on this point! The hon. baronet
has supposed it was to the effect that Greco was directed to
apply to some person at my address for money for the pur-
poses of this plot. But supposing that letter found with 1
Greco was Mazzint's production, that letter did not refer
him to my address for money. On him there was stated to have
been found • slip of paper with these words, " Mr. Flower,
35, Thurloe-square." That was the whole evidence from
which the Procureur-General drew his inferences. (Hear.)
He referred also to the Tibaldi plot in 18'2, and said that I
was connected with Marini, as treasurer to that plot. The
evidence was excerpts from the notes of Martini, referring
two persona in vague terms to my address for money if
they required it. That was the whole evidence in the
Tibaldi case, and I am perfectly free to admit that its
character would justify the Procureur in asking more ex-
planations, but I cannot believe that any man accus-
tomed to °amidst evidence could come to any un-
favourable conclusion upon it. (Ironical opposition
amen.) I did not think that I should have
had to give other than a geueril denial to • charge
of this kind, but the circumstances have now entirely
changed. The whole subject has I een brought before the
house by the motion of the hon. beropet, and I bare so
choice ; but I do not consider that there is any indignity in
being called on for explanations, or that I shall suffer humi-
liation in answering whatever quentioss may be asked.
(Hear, bear.) Now let us take the charges in turn. The
Procureur stated that I was a person marring on a corre-
spondence with Greco. My reply is, that neither directly
nor indirectly, by letter or personally, have I ever had com-
munication with that person. I never knew him, or even
heard of his existence, until I saw the report is the
papery of his concern in this
.plot. I now go back to
the Tibaldi ease. M. !dottier has already voluntarily
written to the press to state that as no such fund as the
Tibaldi fund existed, I had never, of course, been called
upon to act as treasurer. It is hardly necessary- for me to
add that I never held any such funds, or dispensed any
money for any porpoise whatever to the persons named in
that conspiracy. It was one thing to have personal inti-
macy with a man, and another thing to be implicated in
his undertakings, whether of • character which
would bear investigation, or such as have recently
Leen attributed to him. (Hear, hear.) The boo.
baronet has referred to the trial of Orsini. and
has iinggested that my name was connected with
that trial. It is the first time I ever beard of my name
being connected with it. (" Oh, oh," from the opposition
beaches.) if the bog. baronet, or any other member of this
house, will produce evidence or make any definite statement
I shall be ready with an answer. (Hear, hear.) The hoe.
baronet then referred to certain loan notes, and the appear-
ances, I admit, have some resemblaore to facts. In 18.10,
immediately before the proclamation of the republic, I was
requested to permit of my name being placed on the beck of
those notes to induce people to take them, the object being
then the promotion of !taboo unity. lam ready to admit
that I consented to have my name so placed, but in • few
weeks after I saw room to question the propriety of that
step. I took counsel of a friend of mine, an eminent mem-
ber of the bar, Mr. Serjeaot Manning, and under his advice
I requested that my name might be withdrawn, and my
name was withdrawn secordiogly. (Hear, hear.) Three are
the simple facts, aid the only one in which the house can
be interested; bat if any member wishes to ask • ques-
tion, I ate ready to answer him. (" Hear bear," and
crier of " I Noy. any.") There is one other im-
portant matter to which I must make some allusion.
It was • Lathed cossequenee of the intimate personal rela-
tionship between no, and which I never hesitated to
acknowledge, that M. Matting, not being able to get his
letters through the regular channels, should auk me, along
with his other Eoglieh friends, to allow him to have his
letters addreesed to our houses; and to my house amongst
others were letters addressed eau the name which has been
mentioned. (Ironical oppontiou cheers.) They were ad-
dressed to him under the name of Signor Fiore; that name,
I need hardly add, being the Italian equivalent for Flower ;
but lam not aware, Ido sot believe that any letters were
addressed to me under the name of Flower. (Hear, hear.)
I entirely admit at the same time that it is neither advisable
nor fitting, whatever may be the contents of M. Mastiors
correspondence, that the letters should be addressed to the
house of a person in my position. (Opposition cheers.) But
it has not been necessary to make such a suggestion to M.
Martini, for be has himself taken steps to prevent in the
future the direction of his correspoodence to my address.
( laughter from the opposition.) I have contested myself
with stating facts—l repeat that I have no knowledge of
any of those transactionsto which the boo. baronet referred,
and I now leave the question without further remark to the
house. (Hear, hear.)

Lord H. VANE thought the house would admit that the
explanations of the Lon. member offered that evening were
much more satisfactory than those which he had offered
oo a former night. What the hon. member had stated on
• former occasion was in fact no explanation, but simply a
defence and eulogium of M. Sfauini. That house had no.
thing to do with the character of M. nor bad it any
right to go against the whole moral tease of Europa (Op-
position cheers.) He said, without fear of contradiction,
that in every country in Europe, amongst all men
of honour and feeling, there *al but one sentiment,
that of detestation of lfauiai. He (Lord Vase) rejoiced
that these a/plantains hod bees mode, Lad hoped that